Travel and Tourism

Options for the new Spirit of Tasmania ship to "ease the housing crisis" in Scotland or accommodate "displaced residents" in California were passed over in favour of it being docked at a cost to Tasmanian taxpayers of around $600,000 a month, documents reveal.

Queensland's planning minister could take over the approval process for a major expansion of Dreamworld, including a hotel, an eco-tourism venture, and residential housing.

Tasmania recorded its highest number of visitors for the June quarter on record — but what attracts tourists to a colder climate?

The small Victorian town of Nelson has endured tough times over the past five years, but now a small group of friends plans to revive an event that attracted huge crowds up until the 1970s.

How can we keep exploring without leaving such a heavy footprint? And where should we go if we want to travel green? 

Virgin Australia has apologised after passengers on a flight from Bali to Brisbane overnight were left without any working toilets during what one described as "a filthy, humiliating nightmare".

More than 100,000 international tourists — including almost 10,000 Australians — travel to Antarctica each year. But a new study shows that getting there creates a significant carbon footprint.

Qantas reports a 28 per cent rise in net profit as boss Vanessa Hudson says the company will "learn from" the fallout of its unlawful outsourcing of ground handling, which resulted in a $90 million fine and $120 million in compensation.

One of Australia's best-known divers, Richard Harris, was among those given a rare glimpse below Mount Gambier's major water source and tourist attraction.

Five months after the algal bloom was first detected on the Fleurieu Peninsula, residents along parts of the SA coast say it is continuing to impact their physical and mental health, with a new survey revealing feelings of worry and anxiety.

A dolphin tour operator is backing the state government's new algal bloom tourism relief scheme, but says he will not benefit because the mammals have disappeared from his usual visiting sites.

The ship will stay in Hobart for about two months, then it will be moved to Victoria until it's ready to be used on the Bass Strait crossing in a year's time.

A dive tour operator already grappling with the impact of the state's algal bloom says his business will not survive if the government does not repair the old Rapid Bay jetty and reopen the "world-class" dive site surrounding it.

Queenstown's beauty attracts about 3 million overseas visitor nights each year, making tourism the backbone of the town's economy. But it has its consequences, and now locals are speaking out. 

Spirit of Tasmania IV has at last arrived in the state, eight years after the Tasmanian government embarked on a project to replace the two ships currently in operation. The other new ferry remains in Finland, where they were built.

A US scientist invited to South Australia for his algal bloom expertise, says modified clay could be an effective small scale mitigation measure — but warned there is no way to predict when the bloom will disappear.

Albany police tell an inquest into the likely suicide of a 24-year-old man at The Gap, on WA's South Coast, that a support line at the location may help reduce the potential for further deaths.

Pressure is mounting on the federal government to strengthen consumer protections in the aviation sector after a budget airline left travellers stranded and out of pocket when it abruptly cancelled services to a popular holiday destination. 

Protests and blockades against mass tourism have sprung up across Spain with furious locals demanding action to quell the massive hordes of tourists taking over their cities and homes. Europe Bureau Chief Mazoe Ford travels to two of the major hotspots - Barcelona and Ibiza.

An idea over a cup of coffee between two South Australian mates has turned into a grand event, with scores of veterans, a former ADF chief and a rock legend attending the opening.