Agents who attended the Aussie Specialist Conference in Brisbane were given the chance to move on from the business sessions to a post-convention visit to Western Australia. Agents explored Perth, took a cruise along the Swan River to Fremantle and headed out of the city in the Swan Valley to sample the wares of some of the region’s best wineries. We asked three agents to give their impressions before and after the trip.
Before: I love Australia. I had been there about six times before and I lived and worked in Victoria for a while. I find the people really friendly and helpful and I enjoy the lifestyle. Queensland is my favourite state but I had never been to Western Australia so I was interested to take a look. We were selling quite a lot of holidays to Australia and the only real hurdle to overcome was that of the long journey. The Aussie Specialist Scheme and previous educationals have given me plenty of contacts and knowledge and those are the best sales tools you can have so I felt I could sell Australia with confidence.
After: The tourist office wanted us to look at a lot of art galleries and cultural attractions but once I’ve seen one I’ve seen enough. Most of my clients are more interested in getting out and about, meeting the local people and absorbing the atmosphere so I skipped the galleries and went off in a hire car. It was very easy to get about and the people I met were extremely helpful. I was impressed with Western Australia. It wouldn’t be my number one destination in the country but Perth certainly makes an excellent starting point for a holiday and it is the nearest gateway from the UK. Many clients have relatives in Western Australia and others are looking for something really different so the remote, frontier feel of the Kimberleys has great appeal.
Clive Maltby, Owner, Adur Travel, Shoreham-by-Sea, Age: 65
Before: I had been to Australia once before – to Sydney and the Whitsunday region of Queensland. My previous trip made a big difference to my ability to sell Australia. I had never sold anything to the Whitsundays and then I began to sell a lot. We sell a pretty high number of holidays to Australia from here because people in Jersey are not scared to spend money. We also have a lot of clients from within the tourism industry who work hard here all summer and then take extended holidays to places like Australia in winter.
After: We spent our time in Perth and Fremantle which were both very nice but I came away from Western Australia wanting more – I felt I had only touched the tip of an iceberg. I wish I had been given more time to visit the Kimberley region and to see more of the unique sights of Western Australia because I think these are the state’s greatest appeal. Perth is certainly a beautiful place and I was surprised by the quality of the dining and by just how much there was to do close to the city. I have no difficulty recommending Perth and wouldn’t leave it off an itinerary now – especially as it is the nearest and often the cheapest Australian gateway. I’d recommend it as a destination instead of a stopover.
Julie Ralton, Manager, Executive Leisure Travel, Jersey, Age: 39
Before: I had been to Australia once before as a backpacker. I had enjoyed that trip. The hostels were more like homes than those in other countries and the people were really friendly. I visited Sydney, Cairns, Darwin, Alice Springs, Adelaide and Melbourne but had run out of time and money before getting to Western Australia. I was very keen to see more of Australia and find out some tips on selling it because it is much more interesting and profitable to sell a challenging long-haul destination than to stick to cheap packages all the time.
After: The people and the general lifestyle in Western Australia were similar to elsewhere in Australia but I really think Perth is now probably my favourite. The tourist authority spoiled us – five-star hotels instead of my previous hostel accommodation – so perhaps that helped but it is a great city with masses to see and do, great places to eat out and some fantastic sights. I took a day trip to The Pinnacles which were amazing and also went out to swim with the dolphins which was a really unique experience. I love Australia and sell it a lot. Since my trip, I made more effort to include western Australia and to sell ground content as I can now personally recommend it with ease.