Still buzzing after big 'O' show
It has been nearly two months since Oprah Winfrey and 302 of her fans departed our shores and, despite the Queensland floods and cyclone, the buzz continues.
Traffic to Australian tourism websites jumped dramatically when Winfrey's Ultimate Australian Adventure aired in the US in January.
Hits on Tourism Australia's website from the US during January rose 39 per cent over the previous January and many of the tourism operators contacted by Smart Traveller have reported astounding figures.
Gaia, the Byron Bay health retreat owned by Olivia Newton-John, saw its web traffic jump 770 per cent when the four Ultimate Australian Adventure programs went to air in the US.
Newton-John was one of the stars of the Sydney Opera House program and the retreat got a big plug on air as a group of the fans travelling with Winfrey spent a day there. (The segment on the Gaia visit was dropped when Hugh Jackman bumped his head during his dramatic entrance but the full version, including Newton-John serenading the group, can be seen on oprah.com).
Harder to explain is the fact that Faraway Bay, the east Kimberley wilderness retreat, got a similarly spectacular response on its website and it wasn't even featured on the television programs.
There are no figures available yet on how the interest in Australia has translated into travel bookings but managing director Andrew McEvoy says Tourism Australia and its commercial partners, including the airlines and travel agents, are experiencing plenty of activity around the country.
Expedia and Qantas Vacations report strong and sustained interest in packages and quotes for trips to Australia from the US market. Qantas Vacations has seen web visits increase 250 per cent, phone calls rise 25 per cent and a 30 per cent to 40 per cent increase in requests for quotes following Winfrey's shows.
The managing director of Gaia, Gregg Cave, says while the initial wave of interest has subsided, the Gaia website is still unusually busy. ''But the great thing is now we are getting lots of direct queries about availability and pricing, which is the second step of the process of the journey that leads to an Australian holiday.''
Silver-service cruising
The sleek Seabourn Sojourn, which is currently making its way around the Australian coastline, is the latest example of an ''ultra-luxury'' ship.
For those people all at sea with the language of cruising, this means it has a raft of extras including 24-hour butler service, a choice of four restaurants, six bars and lounges and a private spa villa.
Launched in June, the Sojourn is in Australia as part of her 111-day maiden world voyage. She won't hold the title as youngest ultra-luxury ship for long because her sister ship, the Seabourn Quest, is due to be launched in June. The Quest will be a mirror image of the Sojourn, which in turn was a replica of the Seabourn Odyssey, launched in 2009. Each cost $300 million to build.
See seabourn.com.
In case of emergency
Given the problems that are being encountered by Australian tourists caught in the turbulence in Egypt, it's worth noting that the Australian government advises all travellers - irrespective of where they are going or for how long - to register their travel dates and destinations online with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at smartraveller.gov.au.
The information helps travellers to be located in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
See smartraveller.gov.au.
Local leanings
Lonely Planet is expanding into India. While the Melbourne-based company has been distributing English-language guidebooks in India since the early 1980s, the plan is to feature local content written by Indian authors across print and digital platforms for the Indian market.
''Our guides are currently written for an international, predominantly Western, audience and don't necessarily take into account the way Indians travel internationally and domestically,'' says Matt Goldberg, the chief executive of Lonely Planet.
This is the publisher's second foray into creating content for non-Western travellers.
In May, Lonely Planet launched its first locally produced guidebook series in China for Chinese travellers and sales have exceeded expectations, Goldberg says.
On the grapevine
Tourism Victoria has launched an iPhone app for the wine regions of Victoria. The app provides information on more than 240 wineries in Victoria's 22 wine regions.
Among its features are winery contact details, a winery locator and an itinerary planner.
It is free on iTunes and hard copies are available through the Victorian Tourism Information Service on 132 842.
Send news items to smarttraveller@fairfax.com.au.
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