Australia is fast becoming a favourite destination for the touring Indians. India’s visiting the land of kangaroos has leaped by 20 percent in the last few years. India features third in the largest source of visitors to Australia after China and Hong kong. For the year ended September 30, 2005, there were 63,800 visitors from India, an increase of 18 per cent over last year.

Tourism Australia, the travel and tourism department of the government of Australia, too, is keen on increasing the share of Indian tourists in Australia. For that, they have started a few programmes to facilitate easier travelling and access to visas for a tour to the country.

“In 2001, we launched an online programme called the Aussie Specialist Programme to bring prospective Indian tourists to our country,” said Maggie White, Regional Manager, South and South East Asia, Tourism Australia. White is on her second visit to the city.

The programme will educate travel agencies in India regarding matters related to travel-tours to Australia. Through this programme, Indian citizens seeking to spend a holiday in Australia, can contact these agents and proceed with matters thereon.

Tourism Australia, in conjunction with the Department of Immigration, has opened up 114 agencies in 23 cities all over India for a special Visa Training Programme. Of them, nine agencies are located in Kolkata.

“We have noticed that of the total tourists travelling to Australia from India, only five percent is from Kolkata. There is a need for increased awareness,” said White.

These agencies will be called Aussie-Specialists. Prospective tourists coming to these Aussie-Specialists will get a preference for faster visas for travelling to Australia.

A 14 day holiday in Australia comprising some of the main site seeing points will cost around 4,500 Australian dollars, which amounts to Rs 1.5 lakh in the Indian currency.

There is also a healthy reverse traffic of around 70,000 tourists from Australia to India, claimed White and the preferred destinations are Kerala and Rajasthan.

(http://cities.expressindia.com)