VOA常速英语2007-Australia Welcoming More Arab Gulf Tourists

By Phil Mercer
Sydney, Australia
01 October 2007

Tourism officials in Australia say the number of visitors from Arab Gulf¹ nations is increasing.  Airlines are scheduling more flights between the Middle East and Australia to accommodate the rising popularity.  Phil Mercer reports from Sydney on where the Arab tourists are going and why.

Australia's tourism authority says arrivals from Arab Gulf states have increased by 25 percent so far this year - mostly from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The northern Australian state of Queensland is a top choice for many Arab travelers.

Paul Buggy from Tourism Queensland says they are headed to the state's beach resorts.

"They are stopping off in Sydney and Melbourne and having a couple of days there, but primarily their number one destination is the Gold Coast. They like staying in apartments, of which the Gold Coast has plenty to offer," Buggy said. "You have theme parks and shopping centers who have put in prayer rooms.  The access to Halal food is a lot greater."

Looking after the cultural needs of Arab visitors also includes placing arrows in hotel rooms that point toward Islam's holy city of Mecca.  Facing the city during prayers is essential for Muslims.

Arab vacationers like to escape the scorching² summer heat of their homelands, visiting Australia most in July and August - winter in the southern hemisphere.

Tourism officials here expect the strong growth in the Arab market to continue.

Etihad Airways³ - the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates - plans to increase the number of weekly flights to Sydney early next year and introduce new services to Brisbane.

The number of Arab visitors has been rising sharply since 2002, as many abandon destinations such as the United States and Europe.

Arab tourists have complained of hostility⁴ in the United States and are wary⁵ of tighter U.S. visa restrictions⁶ imposed after the attacks in New York and Washington in September 2001.

Travel agents say Australia's reputation as a safe and friendly alternative is growing.

It's estimated that tourists from the Arab Gulf states spent more than $12 billion last year on overseas vacations.

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

3 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

4 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

5 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制