Pictured left to right: Graeme Brett, of Westoe Travel, and Ken Garrity, of Ken Garrity Travel
Two travel agents are setting off on a month-long self-funded fam trip to Australia to gain up-to-date knowledge for the UK trade following the destination’s reopening earlier this year.
Ken Garrity, director of Ken Garrity Travel, and Graeme Brett, director of Westoe Travel in South Shields, not only hope to gain up-to-date knowledge on Australia following its two-year Covid closure but will also feed updates to the UK trade in a series of blog posts on Travelweekly.co.uk.
Both agents are recognised by Tourism Australia as Premier Aussie Specialists and have established track records of selling “significant” amounts of holidays to the destination.
It will be Garrity’s 18th trip to Australia and Brett’s 25th. Australia opened its borders to all vaccinated international visitors in February this year.
The pair depart on September 18 on what they are calling ‘The Great Australia Bite Tour’ and have a full itinerary, including lesser known areas such as Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula and Lizard Island. Accommodation varies from hotels to tented accommodation while they will also travel on The Ghan train.
Garrity, who last visited in 2018, said the idea for the latest trip was sparked by winning two tickets at a Tourism Australia event to travel on The Ghan, a luxury train which operates between Adelaide and Darwin.
“This is where it all started,” he said, adding: “This trip will give us information for the trade in the UK and our clients. We are revisiting places and going to new parts to see what’s happening post-pandemic.”
Brett, who pre-Covid travelled annually to Australia, initially to attend the Australian Travel Exchange (Western) trade show and then as part of a group who organised their own fam trips, said: “We do a significant amount of bookings to Australia. It’s such a vast country that we need to visit regularly to keep up to date with new product.
“Although there is a significant cost to us in organising the trips, it is worthwhile as it gives us the opportunity to see new products which is reflected in our sales to Australia.”
David Clifford, owner of Luxury and More Travel, was due to join the pair but can no longer make it.
The agents will post blogs, pictures and videos during the trip on Travelweekly.co.uk and Garrity will also record radio interviews for his weekly show on his local station Radio Alty.
“I’m really excited to be going but I am dreading the packing and unpacking!” he joked.