A shortage of nightlife, exorbitant airfare prices and the emergence of more affordable options have seen Australia become an afterthought for international tourists, with the country’s tourism board launching a new ad campaign in a frantic endeavour to lure foreigners.
Despite borders reopening to the world in February, the appeal of heading Down Under remains considerably lower than pre-pandemic levels.
There were 326,000 international arrivals during July 2022, 59 per cent lower than the same month in 2019 (790,360).
Over the 12-month period ending in July this year, there were 1.5 million visitors to Australia, down an incredible 84 per cent from 2019.
With growing inflation and cost of living mixed with a declining cultural pull, Australia is at risk of losing its place as one of the world’s most beloved travel termini.
Sydney’s contentious lockout laws proved a sledgehammer blow to the city’s international attraction, with Australia’s most visited metropolis all but closing at midnight.
The 2014 legislation, brought in after a series of alcohol-related violence in the Harbour city, implemented nightclubs and bars to stop any new customers from entering past 2 am within designated regions of the NSW capital.
Venues outside the lockout area would then impose their own lockouts, unable to financially afford to remain open with less foot traffic.
The end result saw many of Sydney’s most treasured bars and clubs shut their doors permanently, while the international destination of Kings Cross became an unrecognisable ghost town.
A 2021 Committee for Sydney report found that 68 per cent of the population thought less of the metropolis because of its lack of nightlife.
Timeout released its index for international metropolia and their after-dark offering, with the website ranking Sydney 47th out of 48, beating out only Boston in the US.
Sydneysiders cited several reasons for the dwindling state of its nightlife, including excessive drink prices, rideshare costs, aggressive bouncers, and simply preferring to remain local.
Dating apps have also affected patrons, with people less likely to go clubbing to find a boyfriend or girlfriend because they can just swipe right on their phones.
Women, in particular, say they feel less safe visiting venues in the CBD, largely to do with having to catch public transport to and from the metropolis.
Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moor said the lockout laws had a profound influence on its international marketability.
Even Australians are finding out that they can’t afford to live there because it’s become one of the most costly countries on the planet altogether.
Australia is a wonderful country and the people are also great, but it’s become extremely pricey. It also has a lot of red tape bureaucracy and silly rules.
Australia was once a fantastic country. It was fun, there’s sunshine and beaches but now with all this COVID folly, it’s really gone downhill.
The trouble is we have been suffering from too much government interference, and it doesn’t matter what country you live in, it affects all avenues of life. Our economy is whipped and now it’s destroying our spirit.
Australia isn’t the lucky country it once was. Now, it’s one of the most costly places to live and visit with new laws made on a daily basis with so many rules and regulations, policies and procedures, and now it’s been over-governed to the brink of madness, and it seems that at the moment you need a licence to scratch your neddy in Australia.
Australia is beautiful, but compared to other countries, it’s expensive to eat out, drinks are extremely costly, and far too often the service there is a lot to be desired, it’s also an extremely expensive place to get to from most other countries.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 