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Australia will warn tourists about surf
Source: Agencies |
September 17, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TOURISTS visiting Australia often worry about deadly spiders and sharks but a new campaign on flights coming into the country hopes to warn them about a greater danger - the surf.
Overseas tourists entering Australia are to be given safety instructions after a rise in drownings involving foreigners at the country's famed beaches, surf life saving officials said yesterday.
Eighty-two people drowned on Australia's beaches last year, and more than a quarter of these, 26, were foreigners, ill equipped to deal with the strong currents and surf. This was up from nine overseas visitor drownings in 2006.
"This high risk group has limited English skills, a lack of knowledge about the beach, overestimate their swimming ability, inadequate swimming skills and a general lack of surf safety awareness," said Brett Williamson, Chief Executive of Surf Life Saving Australia
In a bid to curb the rise, six international airlines - Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Air New Zealand, China Airlines and South African Airlines - have agreed to screen a coastal safety video on inbound flights.
Tourists will be warned to swim between red and yellow safety flags on popular beaches, read safety signs and swim with a friend. They will also be told to stay calm and attract attention from lifeguards if they run into trouble.
"To many Australians these rules seem like second nature, but they are not to international visitors," said women's world surfing champion and SLSA spokesman Stephanie Gilmore.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics said international tourism accounted for A$23.5 billion (US$22 billion) in the A$1.2 trillion economy in 2008-09.
Overseas tourists entering Australia are to be given safety instructions after a rise in drownings involving foreigners at the country's famed beaches, surf life saving officials said yesterday.
Eighty-two people drowned on Australia's beaches last year, and more than a quarter of these, 26, were foreigners, ill equipped to deal with the strong currents and surf. This was up from nine overseas visitor drownings in 2006.
"This high risk group has limited English skills, a lack of knowledge about the beach, overestimate their swimming ability, inadequate swimming skills and a general lack of surf safety awareness," said Brett Williamson, Chief Executive of Surf Life Saving Australia
In a bid to curb the rise, six international airlines - Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Air New Zealand, China Airlines and South African Airlines - have agreed to screen a coastal safety video on inbound flights.
Tourists will be warned to swim between red and yellow safety flags on popular beaches, read safety signs and swim with a friend. They will also be told to stay calm and attract attention from lifeguards if they run into trouble.
"To many Australians these rules seem like second nature, but they are not to international visitors," said women's world surfing champion and SLSA spokesman Stephanie Gilmore.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics said international tourism accounted for A$23.5 billion (US$22 billion) in the A$1.2 trillion economy in 2008-09.
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