Air Canada & Goway bring Brisbane sun to YVR
All eighty-eight travel advisors who attended the recent “Show & Go To Brisbane” event last week in Vancouver got the benefit of travel product presentations by Goway Travel, Air Canada and Visit Brisbane – not to mention a great selection of food and drink.
But only one agent in attendance could win the grand prize of two Economy class return tickets on Air Canada to Brisbane from Vancouver, plus a four-night stay in Brisbane – including hotel accommodations, airport transfers and curated day tours by Goway.
That advisor was Gayleen Millard of Travel Best Bets in Vancouver, and she was understandably excited about with her win, which came at the end of two-plus hours of socializing and product descriptions by suppliers. The agents assembled in the Uber Lounge at the Steamworks Brewpub on Vancouver’s waterfront, and enjoyed cocktails and snacks while taking in the presentations.
Year-round service to Brisbane
Amongst the key pieces of info that agents heard were the facts that Air Canada is operating a successful year-round schedule of flights to “Brizy” (BNE) from YVR, with daily flights until June 21, and then six flights per week from June 22 to Oct. 24.
The schedule goes back to seven flights per week from October until April 2025. Air Canada is using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the route.
When they get to Brisbane, they will enjoy a generally sunny, warm climate in a sleek, modern city that is preparing to host the Summer Olympics in 2032.
Queen’s Wharf Brisbane coming soon
One thing helping them prepare for the Olympics is the newest entertainment and leisure destination in Queensland – the state in which Brisbane is located. The $3 billion-plus Queen’s Wharf Brisbane is taking shape on Brisbane’s river edge, transforming an under-used part of the city into a vibrant urban oasis.
Set for a staged opening starting August 2024, this development will change the face of Brisbane with a design reflecting the city’s subtropical climate and celebrating its Indigenous and European heritage.
The Star Brisbane, positioned at the heart of the precinct, will deliver a variety of new dining outlets, bars and entertainment options, four new luxury hotels and a state-of-the-art event centre. When completed, Queen’s Wharf Brisbane is expected to attract approximately 1.4 million additional visitors each year, with an estimated 1,000 premium hotel rooms, about 100 clubs and restaurants, world-class entertainment, luxury retail, public artworks, a collection of heritage treasures and a vast public space area at the centre of Brisbane’s CBD.
A Canadian connection
Brisbane is a favourite destination for Canadians, as demonstrated by recent stats. For example, in 2023, there were 69,000 Canadian visitors to Queensland, a 2.7 per cent increase on pre-Covid (2019) arrivals.
This is notable given that Canadian visitations to the whole of Australia are still down 17.5 per cent as compared to 2019.
Also, Canadian spending in Queensland is up 64.1 per cent compared with pre-Covid 2019, while the Canadian spend in Australia as a whole has increased just 13.7 per cent since then. (International Visitor Survey 2023, Tourism Research Australia).
