Australia Celebrates the Return of Canadian Travellers
With a Surprise Projection Experience
Australia invites Canadians to travel down under and come and say g’day to their first big trip!
After almost two-years of Australia’s borders being closed to international travellers, one of the longest closures since the start of the pandemic, fully vaccinated Canadian citizens can now enjoy quarantine-free travel to Australia.
In celebration of Australia’s borders reopening to all fully vaccinated Canadian visa holders, business travellers and tourists – Tourism Australia, in partnership with Air Canada, will be activating a special projection installation in Vancouver and Toronto.
Canadians can experience the mesmerizing projection experience displayed on various buildings in high-foot traffic areas in Downtown Vancouver and Toronto on Friday, March 11th and Saturday, March 12th from 7 pm to 12 am. Projections will be presented in a safe socially-distant public setting. Canadians who find the projections in Downtown Vancouver, as well as Toronto, will have the opportunity to win two Air Canada business class direct flights from Canada to Australia by scanning a QR code that will be projected alongside the footage of Australian landscapes.
The projection installation is a visual way for Australia to say “welcome back” to fully vaccinated Canadians after two years of border closures. The projection will incorporate stunning video footage of the destination’s most iconic locations, nature and wildlife and Indigenous culture.
“After two years of border closures and travel restrictions, Australia is excited to welcome back fully vaccinated Canadians. Our stunning projections are the perfect way to showcase the tourism opportunities in Australia and show Canadians what they have been missing.” Tourism Australia Acting General Manager of North America, Chris Allison, said. “There is no doubt the last two years have been incredibly challenging, and many people had to put off taking holidays as a result,” Mr. Allison continued. “However, with travel back on the cards, now is the time for Canadians to think big, think Australia.”
Tourism Australia is proud to be partnering with Air Canada to celebrate the return of Canadian travellers down under and the resumption of Air Canada flights. With year-round flights from Toronto and direct flights out of Vancouver, Air Canada is ready to offer a world-class flight experience again to Canadian travellers looking to fly in comfort. “People are ready to travel, and we’re excited to resume our year-round services between Sydney, Australia and Vancouver, Canada. Currently at three weekly flights and which will ramp up to daily flights beginning May 1. With overall travel demand accelerating, our non-stop flights linking Australia and Canada will be of interest to Canadians eager to discover Australia’s renowned tourism,” Air Canada’s Senior VP of Network Planning & Revenue Management, Mark Galardo said.
“Sydney flights are also scheduled to connect easily to and from a myriad of flights across North America at our Vancouver hub, making it convenient to get to Australia from anywhere across Canada. We look forward to welcoming Canadians on board,” Mr. Galardo continued.
Australia has been one of the top aspirational travel destinations for Canadians: in 2019, almost 190,000 Canadian visitors arrived in Australia making up 2% of all Australia’s international arrivals. Total expenditure by Canadian travellers in Australia that year equated to almost $900 million.
While some things have remained the same Down Under – namely the gloriously wide-open spaces and locals’ famously easy-going way of life – in recent years everything from food to fashion has had a fresh new makeover. New tourism experiences and places to stay have opened, refreshed cultural attractions reflect the vibrancy of today’s residents, and major event plans are being laid for 2022 and beyond.
For tips on where to go and what to see visit Australia.com. Canadians can find city guides, holiday itineraries and travel advice all in one place to make trip planning as easy as possible.
TRAVELLING TO AUSTRALIA
● From 21 February 2022, visa holders who are fully vaccinated with two doses of a
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved COVID-19 vaccine can travel to
Australia quarantine-free, without the need to apply for a travel exemption.
● To be eligible to enter Australia, international travellers must:
○ hold a valid Australian visa.
○ be fully vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Australia’s
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and provide proof of vaccination status.
○ Present a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) or Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Covid-19 test taken within 24 hours of departure (unless a medical
exemption applies).
● As of 7 February 2022, fully vaccinated visa holders can enter all states and territories
quarantine-free from 21 February 2022.
● Travellers will need to comply with requirements in the state or territory of their arrival,
and any other state or territories that they plan to travel to. Information on entry
requirements is updated regularly so it is important to check the latest requirements
before travelling. Travellers are also encouraged to check any requirements for stopover
destinations that they are transitioning through.
● For requirements for travel into specific states and territories in Australia, visit the
Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website | State and Territory
Information.
● For more information on travelling to Australia visit the Australian Government
Department of Home Affairs I Travelling to Australia
Media release and image provided by Jacky Le, Citizen Relations.
