Muslim tourism to Australia set to rise

The number of Muslim tourists to Australia is expected to rise during the next four years, Tourism Australia predicts.

ETA Visa

Muslim tourists to Australia are expected to rise over the next four years.

Australian tourist numbers from the Middle East are expected to increase by 13 per cent by 2014, Indian tourists are also predicted to increase by 11 per cent and Indonesian by 9 per cent.

In response to the growing tourism numbers Muslim prayer rooms and halal food options may become more common at Australian tourist attractions and hotels.

At the Tourism Furtures conference in Brisbane, Expedia’s managing director Daniel Lynn said that tourism operators would increasingly have to adapt their menus and provide other offerings to cater to the new markets.

Mr Lynn said there were a lot of transient workers in cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi who were encouraging others to travel, and carriers such as Etihad, Emirates and Qatar airways were seeing an increase in travellers.

Already many Australian hotels have added features for Muslim visitors and the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast offers a Muslim prayer room and halal restaurant.

To visit Australia all international tourists, except those with an Australian or New Zealand passport, must have an Australian Travel Visa.

The most common of these is the ETA Visa, which is easily and quickly applied for online, and once approved is electronically attached to your passport – removing the need for any further paperwork.

The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people lodge their Australia visa applications with the Australian Embassy.