Incoming Passenger Changes into Australia

A quicker and more convenient quarantine, biosecurity clearance is assured when you arrive in Australia now that low-risk products such as commercially prepared and packaged lollies, chips and chocolates need not be declared.

The changes, which have been made on the Incoming Passenger Card, are a result of the latest scientific advice that shows such food poses a lower risk.

Biosecurity officers will now focus on goods such as raw meats, live plants, seeds and fresh fruit and vegetables, which have a “much greater potential to bring diseases and pests to Australia,” Chapman said.

JLO - Dance Again World Tour (Jennifer Lopez)

 Thursday 06 December - Perth Arena

The wait is over! The Frontier Touring Company is thrilled to announce that global superstar Jennifer Lopez (a.k.a. JLO) will be touring Australia for the first time ever in her impressive 13 year long career!

JLO will be touring down under as part of her 'Dance Again World Tour' which has already visited countless cities across North America, South America, Europe and Asia in recent months.

On the 'Dance Again World Tour', JLO will be performing hits from across her expansive and impressive career, which features seven studio albums that have sold more than 70 million records worldwide.

Those lucky enough to attend one of JLO's Australian performances will be treated to songs that brought JLO to the world's attention including 'If You Had My Love' and 'Waiting For Tonight' as well as those that have introduced her music to a new legion of adoring fans like 'I'm Into You' and 'Dance Again'.

JLO's impressive catalogue is also celebrated on her recently released greatest hits collection Dance Again...the Hits (out now through Sony Music Australia).

JLO is a woman who knows how to get the party started with her signature blend of killer vocal hooks, pulsing beats and storming synthesizers.

Her arena shows in December are destined to be amongst the dance parties of the year, don't miss the opportunity to join the fun on JLO's first ever Australian tour!

"Jennifer Lopez was glitz and glam through her set. At 43, Lopez is in perfect shape, and it showed through her stepped up choreography." - Edge, Boston

Perth International Puts Western Australia On The Map

With prize money of $2 million, the event will become Australia's richest and world number nine Jason Dufner is another who will appear at Lake Karrinyup.

"It's the biggest purse in Australia and we are pushing for more big names in the run-up to the event," spokesperson Janine Pittaway told Reuters on Friday.

"The event is supported by the tour of Western Australia and the plan is for it to become a long-term tournament for Western Australia, like the Heineken Classic and Johnnie Walker Classic."

South African Schwartzel has already won seven times on the European Tour, culminating in his stunning victory at the 2011 U.S. Masters, where he became the first player to birdie the final four holes to win at Augusta.

The 27-year-old will be bidding to emulate countrymen Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, who are all past champions at Lake Karrinyup.

"I have always enjoyed the people and the culture (in Australia) and the great sporting rivalry between our countries in cricket and rugby," Schwartzel said in a statement.

"I am looking forward to visiting Perth and hopefully I can continue the South African success at Lake Karrinyup."

Dufner has been a model of consistency this year, the 35-year-old runner-up at the 2011 U.S. PGA Championship and boasting seven top 10 finishes this season.

"I have a real affinity for Australia and have heard a lot of great things about Perth and Western Australia," said Dufner, set to make his Ryder Cup debut next month.

"Hopefully I can continue my good play Down Under," added the American. "I am excited to have the opportunity to play in Western Australia for the first time."

The event is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour and the winner of the event will receive an exemption to the World Golf Championships, the HSBC Champions.

All Smiles As Perth Annies Step Up

As the two Perth girls playing the red-headed heroine in the musical Annie know all too well, you are never fully dressed without a smile.

It was fun and games when Lilli De Nardi, 11, and Claudia Fitzgerald, 10, tried on their costumes for the first time.

Clowning around with pooch Dudley, standing in as the character's furry friend Sandy, the alternating Annies wore the chirpy child's 1930s orphanage uniform and the party dress she wears to celebrate her adoption by benevolent billionaire Oliver Warbucks.

"Wearing the curly wig for the first time was kind of weird," Claudia said.

Claudia, Lilli and 16 other Perth "orphans" have been rehearsing five days a week but were still doing their schoolwork, Claudia said.

"It has been good learning new stuff but sometimes it's been tough keeping on your American accent because some words are really hard to pronounce," she said.

Annie opens at the Burswood Theatre on August 24.

Retirees And Chinese Students New Tourism Workers

EARLY retirees, Chinese students and indigenous Australians will be targeted as employees in a plan to boost often-criticised service standards in the tourism industry. 

Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson also wants to facilitate greater foreign investment in Australian tourism, train local tourism operators to be more digital savvy and improve the quality of accommodation, particularly in regional areas.

Mr Ferguson said the strength of the economy and the resources boom made it hard for the tourism industry to compete for workers.

"The rates of pay are just way beyond tourism operators,'' he said.
"A lot of them are small and medium sized businesses going from week to week.

"You have a pool of Australians out there who are work ready - people who have retired early and the share market is down.

"We have to start to think about employing these people in a variety of positions.''

Mr Ferguson also wants to see a greater focus on indigenous tourism in Australia, with subsidies for the training and employment of indigenous people.

"We have a huge potential workforce which we have neglected for a variety of reasons,'' he said.

With China the fastest-growing market for Australian tourism, Mr Ferguson also sees an opportunity to recruit Chinese students living in Australia, who are permitted to work up to 20 hours a week as part of their visa conditions, to the tourism industry.

Despite the challenges of the strong Australian dollar and economic uncertainty in the US and Europe, there was a five per cent rise in overseas visitors over the past financial year.

The biggest rise was in Chinese tourists, up 17 per cent over the year to more than 580,000 visitors.

It is now the third largest source market, closely behind the UK.

While Australians are taking a record number of overseas holidays, domestic tourism is also up.

The most recent National Visitor Survey showed Australians took 73 million overnight trips in the year to March - a five per cent rise on the previous year.

The biggest growth is in the short breaks market, with Australians choosing longer resort holidays in destinations such as Bali and Thailand and long weekends away in Australia.

"You can't say to Australians 'you can't go overseas','' Mr Ferguson said.

"But the short breaks market is just as important.''

While he agrees with businessman James Packer that Chinese tourists are attracted by casinos, Mr Ferguson believes they will also come to see natural attractions.

"The development of the Chinese market is no different to the development of the Japanese market - initially it will be group travel and they will come here for a few days and be attracted to the major cities,'' he said.

"Then they will start venturing off and over time they will want to go and do something themselves.''

Mr Ferguson said he was pleased with Mr Packer's announcement of plans for a luxury hotel in Perth, and wanted to see similar investment in other states.

He said Australian tourism needed to chase foreign investment in tourism attractions and hotels.

"We haven't done enough in the past to promote Australia as a good place for investment,'' he said.

"We have high occupancy rates and not bad tariffs. You only have to go places like Perth to see how much it costs for a night.''

As well as becoming more digitally savvy, Mr Ferguson said Australian businesses could also cater more to the Chinese market by adapting shopping hours to suit Chinese tourists, who love taking gifts home to family and friends.

He admitted some tourist attractions and was tired - particularly in regional areas - and wants to help improve standards through funding grants.

"I travel a lot in Australia and the accommodation quality is variable, but I have seen some improvements,'' he said.

"We're not just about increased numbers - we're also about high yield tourists.''

Mr Ferguson said high-end tourist attractions and resorts like Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania and Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island in South Australia were especially attractive to high yield tourists.

"The Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart is a primary example... visitation to MONA is now higher than Port Arthur but they're working in partnership to try to help one another,'' he said.

Relax Visa Rules For Tourists From Developing Countries, Says UN

AUSTRALIA needs to relax its strict visa requirements for visitors from developing countries if it wants to boost tourism and effectively target the emerging giants of China and India. 

UN World Tourism Organisation secretary-general Taleb Rifai yesterday said there was no evidence that tough entry conditions on tourists were necessary to protect security, and Australia and other developed countries needed to ease their regimes.

"Visas are becoming a real nightmare," Mr Rifai told a tourism conference in Melbourne.

"It is not reasonable to still see long lines, very cumbersome, uneasy, complicated, lengthy, overpriced entry formalities all over the world, particularly facing nationals from countries that are rising and countries that are providing the base for future incoming tourists.

"There is no evidence to establish that there are close and very strong links between visas and security issues."

Chinese and Indian visitors have provided the greatest annual growth to tourism numbers over the past decade but face a number of bureaucratic hurdles to come here.

Those travelling to Australia for the first time must provide bank statements or other financial information, as well as a letter from their employer showing their position and salary, length of employment and approval for leave, or evidence of enrolment for students.

If visiting relatives or friends, a letter of invitation from the relative or friend in Australia may also be required.

While the tourism industry has bemoaned the high Australian dollar for making Australia less competitive as a destination, Mr Rifai told The Australian visa requirements and easier international travel should be seen as a greater priorities.

"The cost is not the major factor here, it's the ease of reaching here, cost of travel and cost and complications of entry," said the former Jordanian government minister.

"Cost is a very important element in competitiveness but it should not be too much of an obsession.
"Some of the most attractive destinations in the world are some of the most expensive destinations in the world as well."

UNESCO has threatened to declare the Great Barrier Reef "in danger" if conservation efforts are not improved, but Mr Rifai said Australia should be congratulated for setting itself high environmental targets.

"The fact that Australia has these very valuable reefs places more responsibility on Australia, but I think all in all you should be satisfied with what you're doing so far," he said. "On environmental counts, Australia is doing very, very well."

Packer Bets on Perth Crown

JAMES Packer continues to gamble heavily on luring Asian tourists to his Australian casino resorts, with Crown announcing plans yesterday to spend $568 million building a six-star hotel at its Perth casino. The deal with the West Australian government also includes a boost to its gambling facilities.
The announcement comes as Crown seeks permission from New South Wales and Queensland gaming regulators to lift its stake in Echo Entertainment from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.

The Echo investment is part of a plan to engage its local rival in a joint venture focused on Asian VIP gamblers. Crown intends to create a billion-dollar luxury destination at Sydney's harbour showpiece, Barangaroo, but needs Echo's casino licence - and money - to do it.

Crown announced yesterday it had an in-principle agreement to pay the WA government $60 million for land for the hotel development.

The government has agreed not to oppose an application for 500 additional gaming machines at the Perth casino and 130 additional gaming tables, according to Crown. The application will include plans for private VIP gambling salons.

The hotel, to be known as Crown Towers Perth, adds to the $2.2 billion Crown is spending on its two Australian casino resorts to attract Asian gamblers from the strong competition in Singapore and Macau.

''Our goal is to create an integrated resort capable of competing with the best in the Asian region,'' Mr Packer told a Perth audience late last year.

He has made no secret of the need to invest heavily in luxury accommodation and facilities to compete for China's lucrative tourists, who are displaying an appetite for travel, gourmet food and gambling.

A third of Crown's Australian revenue last year, about $800 million, was generated from international visitors.

Most of this revenue comes from high rollers and other international customers. But the recent opening of two casino resorts in Singapore has affected Crown's business, especially in Perth.

The increase in gambling facilities in Perth would be phased in over the next five years subject to the approval of the Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia, Crown said.

Construction of the 500-room hotel on a property adjacent to the casino will begin early next year and take three years, according to Crown.

The development is expected to include restaurants, bars, resort and convention facilities.
The company's shares closed 2¢ higher at $8.47 yesterday.