Australia Attracting A Lot Of Travelers From Asia

In Australia, travel visa holders are one of the largest group of people that arrive yearly. Indeed, the country has been a top tourist destination for many people for the past few years. And with the country's economy is now on a boom, experts believe that travel in the country will also increase great in the years to com.

And one interesting to take note of the people arriving here for a vacation is that they are now not only coming in from the West. In fact, in recent years, the number of of visitors from Asia are also steadily on the rise, as well as those coming in from other countries. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship welcomes these changes and said that this indicates just how popular Australia is for a lot of travelers.

Of the bulk of those traveling for a vacation, a large number of these are coming in from China. In fact, much of the Chinese tourist population choose Australia as their top destination pick. And it is interesting to note that a lot of these Chinese travelers are those coming from the new middle class group that is rising in China. These are the ones that were able partake in the economic boom that the country is experiencing, and thus, have the funds to travel with.

Since a lot of these Chinese travelers would want to experience the beaches, many of them head to Queensland, particularly the Gold Coast. In fact, more than a hundred thousand Chinese visitors flocked to the city in the first three months of this year alone. Melbourne and Sydney are also two of the most popular spots for many Chinese Tourists.

Aside from Chinese vacationers, Australia is also a popular destination for a lot of students coming from Asia. Of these, Indians are the most numerous, well within the thousands. This one is rather a bit surprising, considering all the changes that were made in the student migration program last year. However, these did not deter the arrival of more foreign students from Asia, who consider an Australian education one of the best they can get. And another interesting thing to take note of is that more and more of these foreign students are taking up higher level course, which indicates a greater preference for these.

So what makes Australia so attractive for a lot of foreign travelers? Aside from the ones mentioned above, another big thing that draws in a lot of travelers is the country's culture. Australia's relaxed lifestyle means that they will have no worries here and will be able to enjoy their stay at the most.

Finding Your Way Into Australia

For those thinking of an emigration to Australia, finding the best way to get in is certainly a must. After all, the country's immigration policies have tighten up a bit, so you do need to find yourself the best way to enter the country. And so, here are two suggestions that you can try out.

The Worker Visa

Perhaps the most popular way to get into the country is by getting a working visa. Since the country's economy is now finally recovering from the economic crisis of last year, it will be needing a lot of workers. Thus, Australia has once again opened its doors to those interested in working in the country.

However, you should be warned this early on that, though this one is indeed the most popular means, it is by no means the easiest. If you are reading the news, you have probably known about the host of changes made by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on the skilled migration program by now. Thus, you need to be prepared for the tighter application process that you need to go through.

One thing that you need to familiarize yourself with is the new Skilled Occupation list. This is the list of all job positions in Australia qualified for a worker visa. The Australian Government has recently released the newest batch of the list, so you might want to check that one out first. Also, be sure to read the new set of qualifications in order to be sure that you do fit in with the job you are applying for.

The Student Visa

This is yet another popular means of getting into the country. However, you should also note that this one is also not an easy route. Just like the skilled worker migration program, the student program also went through several changes in its policies. Better read up on these first in order to be sure that you are on the right track.

Here, you actually have two choices on how to use the student visa as your entry to Australia, one is that you can proceed with your studies in the country and then apply for permanent residency when you have completed your course. On the other hand, you can move out of Australia after completing your education and then apply for a working visa afterward. One thing that you do need to take note is that, because of the changes done with the student migration program, the former method is not going to be any easier than the latter one, unlike before.

Australian Films On A Boom

For those visiting Australia, culture is one of the things that they often would want to know more about. And with Australian culture as diversified as the people living in the country, there are countless things to get to see here with regards to the topic. Thus, you are sure to have a great time in learning more about them.

And of all the cultural aspects of Australia, films are perhaps the most popular here. This one is, of course, not that surprising, since films are indeed very much popular all over the world. And with the Australian film industry now on a boom, film buffs are sure to have lots to watch out for.

But before that, it is interesting to note that Australian cinema's history is in itself a notable one to learn more about. The country was actually home to the first feature length film (that is, over 60 minutes long) ever made. The “Story of the Kelly Gang” debuted in Australia in 1906 and was also released in the United Kingdom a year later. However, only about 17 minutes worth of scenes have been recovered today from the original film.

Australia was also one of the birthplaces of the modern studio system of film making. For those who don't understand the term, the studio system is a method of film making in which everything that the movie needs, including props, lighting and scenery are located in one building, as opposed to location shoots. Some of the earliest movies shown in the country were religious films done by the Limelight Department studio.

Despite being only a far second behind American films for most parts of its history, the Australian cinema begun to boom in the 70's and 80's. These are the periods where Australian films, like “Mad Max” and the highly popular 'Crocodile Dundee”, first became well known to audiences outside the continent. It is also the time when Australian actors first began penetrating foreign markets.

Today, Australian producers regularly collaborate with Hollywood studios to make films. Some of these, such as “Australia” and “Moulin Rouge”, have since became a resounding success, both critically and financially. Also, many actors of Australian descent are now well received by a wider audience. One example of is Hugh Jackman, who became popular as Wolverine in the “X-Men” film series.

And it seems that Australian cinema is bent on reaching more audience in other countries. Just recently, the Australian government, through the Ministry for Sport, Youth, Early Childhood Education and Childcare, has signed up an agreement with the South African Ministry for Arts and Culture for the recognition of joint film production of the two countries. This, paves the way for more collaboration between the Australian film industry and other countries.

Immigrants From New Zealand On The Rise

As Australia's economy continues to grow, more and more people are opting to once again move into the country. Thus, Australian migration officials are now on the rush to accommodate all of those wishing to enter the country. And this development is actually welcomed by a lot of people in the country.

One country where a large number of people traveling to the continent come from is New Zealand. In fact, the number of people coming to the continent from across the Tasman Sea annually has been posted to be around 15,200. And this one is actually increasing, with a growth of 1,698 arrivals from the islands posted in May.

These travel figures highlight the close relationship that the two countries have maintained for more than a hundred years. And this one is actually not that surprising, as the two counties actually share a long history together. Both have been discovered by the same people, Abel Tasman explored the coast of what is now the island of Tasmania before moving on to New Zealand during the 1600's. On the other hand, after founding the Australian colonies, James Cook also went on to also explore the islands.

In recent years, the two countries have also worked together in various projects and have provided each other with various benefits in acknowledgment of this close bond. One of these benefits is with regards to travel. Residents of both countries can freely travel to the other one without having to secure a travel visa first. Aside from that, several other benefits allow Australians and New Zealanders to freely transact in each other' s country with having to go through a lot of documentation.

Because of these perks, a lot of people from both countries travel regularly in between them. And here, temporary tourists are not the only ones going through the route. In fact, a lot of permanent migrants also shuffle back and forth to live in either country.

However, some are worried the this lax migration attitude might actually do more harm to both countries in the long run. Experts are worried that the sudden influx of immigrants coming from New Zealand, along with those coming from other countries, will take its toll on Australia's limited resources. On the other hand, New Zealand officials also voiced their concerns that the exodus of residents to Australia will lead to their own labor shortages.

Though the two countries have yet to decide on the measures to be done to deal with these scenarios, these are unlikely to affect the ongoing exchange of people between them any time soon.