Posted on 12/20/2005 7:30:21 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
SYDNEY's racial violence has not scared off American tourists from visiting Australia over the Christmas holiday period, the head of a major US tourism company said today.
Britain, Canada and Indonesia have cautioned their residents to be alert if in Sydney, particularly around some beach areas where the recent violence erupted. Ian Swain, the founder of Philadelphia-based Swain Tours, has about 800 Americans booked to travel to Australia over the next few weeks and not one has cancelled citing fears about the problems that have erupted on Sydney's southern beaches.
"Not one," the Australian-born opertor who has specialised in offering Americans trips to Australia for the past 17 years said.
"We haven't heard anything negative from any of our clients."
When news broke about the violence in Australia, Mr Swain instructed his staff to call their Australia-bound clients to fill them in on the situation, but he said most of the Americans had not heard about the unrest.
The first time they learnt about the violence was when his staff called.
The American media has covered the riots, but it has not been front page news and only snippets appeared on TV news bulletins.
Mr Swain said he wanted to ensure his clients did not learn about the tensions for the first time while they were sitting on their Qantas plane watching the inflight TV news bulletin.
"We have been proactive and actually calling our clients to tell them they may read or hear about these things, but it is quite isolated in the southern suburbs of Sydney," Mr Swain said.
"I think as long as you put their minds at ease, they are fine about it.
"It's the unknown that could be disturbing.
"I wouldn't want them to get on the plane and watch the news on their Qantas flight."
In 2005 Swain Tours organised trips to Australia for 11,000 American clients with each trip costing an average of $US4,800 ($A6,548).
Anyway, why bother going to Sydney when Melbourne is by far a superior city?
I've always wanted to go to Perth.
The riots wouldn't scare us.
What is scary is if the natives won't fight back against the jehadis, letting them rule the streets and burn cars at will. It is dangerous to be among cowards.
I will never, ever go to France, or knowingly buy a French product, for any reason.
I have always wanted to visit Australia, and if finances permitted, I would purposely go within the next few weeks.
Alas, thats my own personal problem, and all I can currently send is moral support, and my vow to buy Australian, instead of California wines.
I consider Australian wines a wiser use of my limited discretionary budget.
Australia woudl greatly increase tourism if they permitted visitors to operate wrecking balls and bulldozers at the hundreds of mosques in the country.
My sentiments exactly. They likely scared them in France because the people couldn't contain it. Seems like it ran out of steam on its own accord there. In Australia they raised the BS flag BIGTIME.
I hope by now the Aussies have started to ship those Muslims back to Lebanon in cardboard boxes.
Right on! It's also why those that are taken over often deserve it.
Or allow moose hunting.
That's the place! Having been in the W.A. Lobster importing business, that was my destination...beautiful, clean, relatively crime free (most isolated major city in the world..where are the bad guys gonna run to?) - but topping the list is the friendliness of the locals.
I'll never forget Australia Day 1998...I'd gotten in around 2:30pm and the Duxton Hotel had held me a Swan river-side room so this sole Americanese traveler could watch the fireworks in style.
I'd feel more secure on that beach than I would in Washington, DC.
We don't have THAT many mosques in Australia. Dozens, yes - but nowhere near "Hundreds".
Dasher -- when I visited Australia, I quickly became aware of the Sydney-Melbourne rivalry (although it seems to be a much bigger deal in Melbourne than in Sydney.) In any event, I'd advise any American to visit both of them and as much of Australia as you can. What a beautiful country, and what wonderful hospitable people (who can stick the needle in you and have you liking it.) I stayed in St. Kilda when I was in your neck of the woods. But I loved every minute of my trip (except for the few seconds I spent trying vegemite.)
I agree. I would only be "scared" if the Australians were NOT fighting back.
probably still too many. could be lucrative - supply and demand, you know...
I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed visiting us. I've never met anyone who didn't enjoy coming here - particularly Melbourne!
Can't understand why you didn't like Vegemite, though...
Don't worry, Speedy - some of us Aussies don't like vegemite either.
Why would these riots scare Americans? I would love to visit Australia. Even more so now.
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