Opinion
- Asia snaps up ‘emotion’ share from Aussie holiday destinations
  
  In this guest posting, TNS Director, Travel & Leisure, Carolyn Childs explains how Asia is attracting Australia’s domestic travellers.
  
  For years, many Australian travellers have viewed Asia as predominantly a ‘fly and flop’ destination, but no more. The region is sneaking up on the heels of Australian destinations targeting domestic travellers, with value-based offerings around sightseeing, adventure and immersive or transformational experiences. Read more »
- Cairns makes the most of Sydney’s woes
  
  Last week, I spent a fair bit of time on damage limitation after a tip-off from Rick Schindler (the real one) that the Daily Telegraph was about to publish a knocking story alleging backpackers were fouling Sydney pavements while trying to sell their vehicles on the streets. Read more »
- Will new Fraser Island legislation make for a more viable industry?
  
  Director of Frasers on Rainbow hostel and 4WD Greg Zammit discusses the effects the new Fraser Island 4WD legislation will have on the industry. Read more »
- Admit it: 2009 was a year to forget
  
  Speaking to operators during Melbourne Expo last weekend, it struck me that things must be getting better – because people were finally prepared to admit how bad the back end of 2009 was. Read more »
- Time to get in the face(book) of independent travellers
  
  News that a survey of UK Facebook users has found most prefer to book travel online is the least surprising thing I’ve heard since I was told I had passed my Australian citizenship test with a score of 100 per cent. Read more »
- Exhibit A: Proof that backpacking has a public relations problem
  
  My good friend Peter McMahon sent me an interesting link this week. Read more »
- Backpacking and English language schools – a match made in heaven or hell?
  
  News that all GEOS English language schools in Australia have closed with debts in excess of A$10 million comes at an unfortunate time for backpacking, which has recently started cosying up to an industry which brought 160,000 young people to Australia in 2008. Read more »
- Beware a hungry media pack on the scent of a good story
  
  If proof were needed that backpacker vehicle rental companies are now well and truly in the spotlight, look no further than yesterday’s Northern Territory News, which carries a story about two travellers left stranded in the Outback when their Backpacker Campervan broke down, allegedly due to poor maintenance. Read more »
- Wicked Campers’ problems could be the start of a crackdown on backpacker car rental companies nationwide
  
  Wicked Campers is back in the news after claims in the national media that the majority of its Queensland fleet has been withdrawn over safety concerns. Wicked owner John Webb has refuted the claims, stating only around 50 of the company’s Queensland-registered vehicles have been voluntarily removed from service with 611 still on the road. Read more »
- New year’s resolutions for 2010
  
  As new year is the time for resolutions, I thought I’d take the liberty of making a few on behalf of the industry. Unlike my own (to stop swearing), I’m hoping the following will last beyond the first week back at work. Read more »
- Don’t let a good story get in the way of the facts
  
  We’ve been copping a bit of flak this week for our alleged negativity in reporting the deaths of four young travellers in Australia and the headline on our story about the latest International Visitor Survey, which focused on the decline in backpacker numbers rather than the increase in spend and length of stay. Read more »
- King’s Cross Car Market remembered…
  
  The world famous King’s Cross Car Market that operated since 1991 from the King’s Cross Car park is sadly no longer. The old car market was an institution, a place where backpackers would arrive with the most amazing array of Aussie automotive buckets you were ever likely to see in one place. Good cars, cheap cars, outrageously over-priced cars, cars full of camping gear and outdoor gadgetry, cars on their last legs, cars that entered and never left, vans, bloody Kombi Vans, 4×4’s, and lots of Ford Falcon Stationwagons.
  
  Peter Burke, Travellers Auto Barn. Read more >>

Backpacking and English language schools – a match made in heaven or hell?

News that all GEOS English language schools in Australia have closed with debts in excess of A$10 million comes at an unfortunate time for backpacking, which has recently started cosying up to an industry which brought 160,000 young people to Australia in 2008.

The two industries certainly seem to have lots in common. They both cater for young people looking to broaden their experience through study, work and travel overseas. They both rely on agents in source markets to attract customers, often paying high commissions to keep them away from competitors. And they both employ staff on casual contracts and low wages, making them easy to get rid of when times are tough.

Looking at GEOS in Australia, it’s easy to conclude they also both have members capable of bringing bad publicity crashing down on everyone else’s heads.

According to The Age, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority had recently become concerned about GEOS following a financial audit, with allegations directors had been diverting revenue from its Melbourne school to support operations elsewhere in Australia and overseas.

Meanwhile, in a statement following the collapse, administrators Ernst and Young said: “The financial situation of the companies is such that the schools are not able to be re-opened. We are continuing to investigate the financial affairs of the companies and will report to key stakeholders in due course.”

With students and staff owed more than A$10 million, they are certainly entitled to ask where all their money went.

Fortunately, GEOS was a member of peak industry body English Australia, which will be working hard to ensure all its students are placed elsewhere.

But despite EA’s best efforts, this will play incredibly badly overseas, where prospective students are still digesting news of the collapse of Chinese-owned vocational college group Meridian in November 2009, which left more than 3000 students in Melbourne and Sydney stranded.

Following the recent bad publicity in India over student bashings, the seemingly unstoppable rise of international student numbers into Australia might soon become a thing of the past.

By Martin Lane · February 2nd, 2010 at 12:21 pm