March 3, 2009
It pays to travel
With currencies in some countries falling, tourists from S'pore are getting more bang for their buck
By tan yi hui
On her trip to Australia in January, Ms Jessie Heng spent about $1,200 on shopping, more than three times what she normally budgets for her vacations.
'I went there with an almost empty bag and came back with it full of clothes,' she says, chuckling.
Even then, she did not manage to lug back all her holiday spoils.
Adds the 37-year-old business development director, who flew there with her mother to visit a sister: 'I came back first, so I had to leave some stuff with my mum for her to bring back later.'
The reason for her splurge: The dollar Down Under is weaker against the Singapore dollar.
With currencies in certain countries falling to new lows, travellers from Singapore like Ms Heng are finding they now have more bang for their buck.
Since the start of this year, the Australian dollar is close to parity with Singapore's - a drop of almost 20 per cent from August last year.
Also ailing is the British pound which has weakened by almost 30 per cent in the last four years against the Singapore dollar. The Sing dollar now stands at about 2.2 to the pound.
Celebrating along with the travellers are tour agencies, which have enjoyed a boom in bookings to these countries.
ASA Holidays has seen an increase of up to 17 per cent in bookings to Australia and Britain, compared with the same period last year.
Online travel site Quotient TravelPlanner reports spikes of 15 per cent and 10 per cent in bookings to the United Kingdom and Australia respectively, compared to the fourth quarter of last year which is peak travel period.
CTC Holidays says it expects to see bookings to Australia swell by as much as 15 per cent in the coming months especially the school holidays in June.
A CTC spokesman says: 'For UK, we've even created a mono-UK programme for group departures, featuring a tour package only to the UK as opposed to the usual joint London-Paris tours offered. '
Among those flocking there is Ms Lydia Lee, who travelled in January on a free-and-easy trip booked through Chan Brothers.
She says: 'My husband and I joined only one sight-seeing tour there. Most of our time was spent shopping.'
The 44-year-old, who works in the health-care industry, trawled the fashion boutiques of Bond Street, a famous upmarket shopping stretch in London's West End.
The couple also visited Westfield Mall, one of the largest shopping complexes in Europe.
Ms Lee says: 'You can take my word for it. Branded goods are a lot cheaper there. I paid $1,000 less for a Chanel handbag. I was shocked when I came back and checked the price here.
'Not only that, they have more variety over there. There are so many colours for one bag, whereas you can find only one colour here,' adds Ms Lee, who lost count of how much she spent, but says it was probably 'a couple of thousands'.
Even before her wallet has had a chance to rest from all that work in January, the cobblestone pavements and elegant shops of Bond Street are beckoning once again.
'Yes, of course I will go back soon!' she say. 'I'm thinking of going back in August, actually. That's the annual sale season in Europe.'
Familiarity with a city in another country does not breed boredom, especially not when the exchange rate is favourable.
Ms Rosalind Tham, who lived in Perth, Australia, for eight years during and after her university days, visited the place in January with her family and her husband.
The shopowner, who is in her early 30s, went on a self-drive tour with her husband to the outskirts of Perth, and found shopping havens along street-side market-places in quaint suburbs such as Leederville and Subiaco.
She spent about $2,000 on shopping and food for her trip.
She says: 'There are all kinds of cuisine in Australia, so my husband and I tried fine dining.'
According to her, a posh quality dinner for two can be 20 per cent cheaper than in Singapore.
Should the exchange rate remain low or drop further, Ms Tham and Ms Jessie Heng would like to make return visits Down Under.
Even less zealous travellers are finding the low exchange rates a welcome bonus.
Mr Pierre Lim, who went to the Gold Coast in Australia with his wife a month ago, says the weaker Australian dollar was not a major reason for his holiday.
But the 31-year-old engineer says: 'Since the rate was actually one-to-one when I was there, we did go out to have some fun at the casinos, lah.'
Other reasons to visit
Check out the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival which offers mouth-watering cuisines along the most unlikely alleys in town. --PHOTO: TOURISM AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA
Come Walkabout in Australia
What: This campaign was launched last week by Tourism Australia in collaboration with local travel agents and is on till September. Packages with romantic and adventure themes start from $308 (excluding airfare).
Call 1800-468-6287 to speak to an Aussie specialist travel agent or go to www.australia.com for details.
International Rugby Sevens
What: A total of 16 countries are taking part in this three-day rugby fest, a blue-ribbon event for the game.
Where: Adelaide Oval, in the heart of the city.
When: April 3 to 5
Barossa Vintage Festival 2009
What: The largest and oldest wine tourism festival in Australia showcases the rich diversity of the region and celebrates the food, wine and people. This is the only Australian destination on the New York Times' list of '53 places To Go To' last year.
Where: Barossa, South Australia
When: April 11 to 19
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
What: Featuring hundreds of food and wine events, from alfresco dining to barbecue bonanzas and river-side markets, this annual event attracts celebrity chefs, winemakers and food critics from around the world.
For details, go to is www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
Where: Melbourne, Victoria
When: March 7 to 23
Sculpture by the Sea
What: In its fifth year, this annual exhibition features more than 60 local, interstate and international artists, who will transform one of Perth's most popular beaches, Cottesloe Beach, into a stunning sculpture park which overlooks the Indian Ocean.
Entry is free and the event is expected to attract 100,000 visitors.
For details, visit www.sculpturebythesea.com
Where: Cottesloe Beach, Perth
When: March 5 to 24
BRITAIN
Cheap British Airways airfares
What: British Airways is offering return economy airfares from $1,260 to a choice of 88 European cities, including Manchester, London and Glasgow.
The promotion is valid for booking till March 16 for travel between March 1 and Aug 31. For details, visit ba.com
Homecoming Scotland
What: This is Scotland's first Homecoming year, featuring events such as the biggest-ever Clan Gathering in Edinburgh. And May is Whisky Month, with several whisky-themed events taking place across the country.
Manchester International Festival
What: A biennial cultural festival featuring new work and special events such as architectural displays. A highlight is Prima Donna, the first opera by Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright.
Where: Manchester
When: July 2 to 19
Artists' Open Houses
What: The annual Artists' Open Houses is the United Kingdom's biggest free arts event. More than 1,000 artists will exhibit their work in 200 artists' houses, gardens and studios.
Where: Seaside town Brighton, south coast of the United Kingdom
When: Every weekend this May
British Firework Championships
What: The 13th edition of the annual British Firework Championships, which is the biggest professional fireworks competition in Britain.
Where: Plymouth, south-west UK
When: Aug 11 and 12
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
What: The new season of plays is themed Young Hearts and will feature Shakespeare's plays Romeo And Juliet and Love's Labours Lost. For details, visit www.shakespeares-globe.org
Where: London, Bankside
When: Opens on April 23, William Shakespeare's birthday
The Queen's garden
What: After 300 years, Buckingham Palace has finally opened its garden to the public for guided tours. The entrance fee is £20 (S$44) for adults, £10 for under-17s.
Where: Buckingham Palace, London
When: Selected dates in April, May and June
No comments:
Post a Comment