04 September 2008

Regional Australian town wins a trio of awards

Greater Port Macquarie on the northern coast of New South Wales has been awarded three accolades at the recent tourism awards ceremony, reports Opodo.com.

The region won a heritage and cultural tourism award for its Timbertown attraction, a marketing award for its tourism board's strategy, and the deluxe accommodation award for the Observatory.

Winners from the award ceremony, Countrylink Regional Tourism Awards 2008, will compete in the NSW Tourism Awards in November. 

"We are delighted to be recognised as offering visitors the best in class for these categories, and it's fantastic that the operators are rewarded for their hard work," said Linda Hall, Tourism Manager at Greater Port Macquarie Tourism.

In response to a downward trend in the numbers of people who visit Australia, Tourism Australia is launching several marketing campaigns to increase international and domestic tourism in various parts of the country, particularly regional Australia. 

International tourists to Australia need an Australia travel visa, except for New Zealand passport holders.  Visitors wishing to travel the country can apply for a short-stay tourist visa, or ETA, which is valid for three months.  The conditions of the visa mean that tourists cannot work at any time during their stay in Australia.

---

The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people apply for an Australia visa.

Article by Jessica Bird, Australian Visa Bureau.