Opinion
- From commissions to Koreans: ABiC debates continue
  
  After Sydney’s successful Adventure and Backpacker Industry Conference drew to a close last Thursday, operators took the rare chance of all being in town together to arrange an extra informal meeting to further discuss some of the burning issues to have arisen from the conference. Read more »
- ATA’s tribute to the newly retired Ken Hart
  
  Greg Zammit from Adventure Tours Australia bids farewell to his business partner of 22 years, Ken Hart, who retired two weeks ago. Read more »
- The widening gap between UK school-leavers and Australia
  
  Tom Griffiths, founder of Gapyear.com, argues that those students who miss out on a University place are also missing out on a gap year in Australia due to an industry system that fails them. Read more »
- Tourism? But Australia’s got mining…
  
  Scotty’s Beach House owner Boyd Scott argues Australia’s tourism industry is sinking into irrelevance while the country’s decision-makers are blinded by the mining boom.
  
  “And don`t forget to say “G`day” to `em: you wouldn`t want to make a liar of me, now, would you?” So ended an amiable Paul Hogan Tourism Australia ad, where he told us Aussies how to treat the hordes of international tourists that he`d lured over here with his famous “Shrimp on the barbie” ad campaign. Read more »
- It’s time for tough questions and positive leadership
  
  Destination Melbourne chief executive Chris Buckingham argues that James Packer’s uncomfortable home truths about Australia’s tourism industry should be listened to.
  
  James Packer was strident in his views on the state of the Australian tourism industry over the weekend. One of the richest men in the country did not have a lot of good things to say.
  
  Read more »
- A little help please Julia
  
  Honestly, I would rather eat a jar of Marmite than talk about politics so believe me when I say, this isn’t a political rant…
  Read more »
- Queensland fails tourism moment of truth
  
  Traveltrends.biz editor Martin Kelly says Queensland has a lot to offer – but the sunshine state must face up to a few home truths.
  
  The political thought police are back in action in Queensland – and the news is all bad for the state’s tourism industry, which needs honesty, not self-deception, in what is shaping as a pivotal period in its history. Read more »
- Beware of the beast
  
  After returning from a holiday in the US this week, I not only came back with the post-holiday blues, but a sense of frustration about what Australia is so desperately lacking – good service. Read more »
- BOA NSW lobbies for van-packer solutions
  
  BOA NSW president Katrina Greeves updates the industry on what the association has been doing about the thorny issue of illegal camping by backpackers.
  Thanks to Thumbrella readers for sharing your local van-packer experiences and meetings with local stakeholders. I thought I’d give the industry a quick update on what we’ve been doing here in Sydney with Randwick City Council, which is turning into a very positive consultation process. Read more »
- Slow and steady wins the race
  
  Top Deck director of global sales and strategy Lance Batty says it’s not all doom and gloom out there, but businesses must continue investing in their product ready for the day the dollar starts to fall.
  After reading all the dire press out there recently, I wanted to share some good news. Our new season trips started operating post April 1. The inaugural departure of our new City, South and Outback trip headed south on April 3 from Melbourne to Adelaide and on to Coober Pedy and Alice Springs, with a respectable 12 travellers. Not too bad for our first trip as our maximum load is 20. Read more »
- Australia – the new England
  
  Scotty’s Beach House owner Boyd Scott explains why Australia has become the new England and how operators must accept that it is now an expensive destination to travel.
  
  Some recent news articles in our papers and on BTN got me into a ruminative mood that culminated in a minor Eureka moment of major portent. Those of us directly involved in the Australian backpacking industry need to change mental gears and get our head around the new paradigm ASAP: we are the new England. Read more »
- Where’s the justice?
  
  Port Campbell Hostel manager Tony McAuliffe says when it comes to user reviews, the customer is not always right.
  
  My wife and I manage the Port Campbell Hostel, on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, which opened as a new-build facility in late 2009. It replaced a series of buildings offering backpacker-style accommodation since around 1983, which had, by all accounts, decayed past their best-before date several years ago. Read more »

Damian Green blames ‘bad weather’ for passport control queues

Immigration minister Damian Green has blamed ‘bad weather’ for the lengthy passport control queues seen at Heathrow recently.

Following a storm of bad press over long queues at immigration, with the UK’s major airlines predicting chaos at the airport over the Olympics, Green said delays had mainly been caused by severe weather disrupting flights.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has voiced “serious concern” over the potential for delays to damage the reputation of London.

But Green told MPs that the UK Border Force will make sure that all immigration desks are fully staffed over the summer.