Be Prepared For Tourist Scams

Getting an Australian tourist visa is definitely a great way to spend your vacation. The country has many sights and activities to offer, and you will definitely have a great time. However, you might want to be a bit careful, as there is always something sinister lurking around the corner.

As it is, Australia is not immune to the attacks of unscrupulous people. In fact, each year, many tourists have had their vacations ruined after falling prey to con men. Thus, it is important that you familiarize yourself with some of the most common scams, so that you can be prepared in case you encounter them.

You might not know, but a taxi is one of the most popular tools used by scammers. Since they would assume that you know very little about the country that you are heading to. Here, one of the most common tricks that they would employ is to use a much longer route in taking you to your destination, hence being able to collect a larger fair. Also, there are cons who equip their taxis with rigged meters.

The best way to deal with this one is to always get a legitimate taxi services. Many taxi companies in Australia offer online booking, so you can immediately be picked up by them the moment you arrive in the airport. In case you instead would want to only get a cab when you arrive, be sure that the driver looks honest. Also, get the details of the taxi before boarding to be sure. Carrying a road map with you will also be useful in ensuring that you are taking the right route.

Another common strategy used by a lot of scammers is that of a distraction. The con artist can use anything, from a handkerchief to gold rings, to catch your attention. He will then sweet talk you into a conversation and into a deal that would likely cost you your belongings. Sometimes, while you are still conversing with him, an accomplice of his will quickly steal your valuables without you knowing it.

The best way to deal with this one is to simply ignore the distraction. This might look snobbish on your part, but keep in mind that you are on a foreign land, so you need to be careful. In case you have no choice, then be sure that you are fully aware of your surroundings.

Lastly, always seek the help of the authorities in case you get scammed. Do this one immediately, so you will still get the chance to retrieve your items.

Australian Tourism On The Steady Rise

One of the areas that is closely being monitored by Australian migration officials nowadays is the tourism sector. Indeed, with Australia being a popular travel destination for a lot of people around the world, the tourism industry is likely to expand even more. And many people are closely observing the industry as it grows.

It should be noted that the tourism industry is still pretty much on the recovery stage after the financial crisis of 2007 to 2009. Because of the slowing down of the world's economies , travel for leisure also dropped significantly. And being one of the centers of tourist travels, Australia did significantly experienced the effects of reduced tourist arrivals.

However, with the world's economy now starting to recover, tourism travel is also beginning to go up back to it's previous levels. It is interesting to note that Australia was in fact, one of the first countries to start getting up from the crisis. And with that, it was also able to to quickly resume operation for its tourism activities.

Indeed, the country has actually posted some impressive tourism figures in the last few months. According to statistics released by the government, the number of tourist arrivals have increased by at least five percent in the last three months. And officials are confident that these will go up in the future.

With that, Tourism Australia, the country's foremost tourism promotion industry have embarked on several programs aimed to further encouraging foreign travelers to visit the country. One of this is the $30 million investment made by the agency last June to promote Australian tourism in China. Tourism Australia is hoping to capture the interest of more than 46 million Chinese travelers each year, which is worth more $2 billion in the market.

On the other hand, Tourism Australia is also hoping to attract more visitors from Southeast Asia. As a start of their campaign, they have launched an Indonesian language version of the agency's official website. Tourism Australia officials are hopeful that, through this, they will be able to encourage Indonesian tourists to learn more about Australia and eventually head there. It is interesting to note that Indonesian tourist arrivals have grown significantly since last year, posting a 24 percent increase last March.

With this impressive figures and efforts, Australian tourism officials are enthusiastic that they will be able to further expand the industry. However, they said that they are still not you going to slow down in their work and even strive more to attract more travelers.

Tony Abbott announced a cut to Australia's Immigration

The Coalition announced a plan to slash Australia's immigration programs in order to decrease the country's population.

Australia is said to be one the countries with the highest population growth rate. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics population clock, the country's population has increased by nearly a quarter of a million people to 22,397,892.

In view of this fact, Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott announced that the Coalition Government will cut the migration intake of the country for the next three years.

"The Coalition's population and immigration policy acknowledges the importance of immigration but reaffirms we will determine who comes to our country and the circumstances under which they come," Mr. Abbott told The Sunday Mail.

The said cut will mainly focus on family and Australia student visa programs, while Australian skilled migration would largely be quarantined. According to the opposition leader, the Coalition would keep skilled migration numbers up, but would put down the "dubious educational and family-reunion applicants". Although the Coalition doesn't put a figure on it, the policy would put Australia on track for a population in 2050 of well below 36 million.

Opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison uttered that rapid population growth must not rob future generations of the "quality of life and opportunities we enjoy". "We believe Australians are looking for payment up front on infrastructure and services before they will support a higher rate of population growth," he said.

The Coalition policy announcement will also commit the Government to population growth rates being set by the Productivity and Sustainability Commission, based on delivery of improved infrastructure and services. Also, two-thirds of the permanent migration program (which totals about 180,000 a year) will be reserved for skilled migration. While sponsored skilled-work visas and temporary skilled-work visas (457 visas) would be quarantined at existing levels, the humanitarian intake would also remain the same.

REFERENCES:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/tony-abbott-to-cut-immigration-levels-in-2010-election-pitch/story-fn5z3z83-1225896463479
http://www.news.com.au/features/federal-election/coalition-will-cut-immigration-says-opposition-leader-tony-abbott/story-fn5tar6a-1225896532324