STA Travel to Offer Flights to Australia for GBP10

    LONDON, ENGLAND, July 10, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- STA Travel in association with Tourism Australia and Qantas today announced the return of the GBP10 Pom - almost four decades after the last post war GBP10 Pom set sail for Australia under the government's assisted passage scheme.

The ten-pound tickets, released in celebration of STA Travel's 30th birthday, will be available at selected branches on 5th August and provide anyone with a valid Working Holiday Visa the chance to get to Australia for just a tenner - less than the price of rail ticket from London to Brighton.

The new generation of GBP10 Poms will be able to fly into one of five Australian cities - Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide and unlike the original GBP10 Poms of the 1950's and 60's who had to remain in Australia for at least two years, the STA Travel GBP10 Poms can return any time they like.

This year has seen a 21% rise in the number of Australian Working Holiday Visas granted*. With the lowest graduate recruitment levels since the 1980's, it is the ideal time to take a year out in Australia. In fact, STA Travel research** shows that almost one in four (24%) of 18-34 years olds plan to travel in the next 18 months to get away from the stresses of Britain.

John Constable, Group Managing Director, STA Travel, says: "In the current climate, everyone is looking for great value and it doesn't come much better than Oz for just a tenner! We're launching this incredible fare to celebrate our 30th birthday and give customers the chance to live and work in Australia for less than the price of a guide book.

As the UK's leading Gap Year specialist we pride ourselves on offering customers the ultimate travel experiences at affordable prices. The GBP10 Pom is an opportunity for Brits to experience all that Australia has to offer from working at a vineyard in Margaret River to learning to surf on Bondi Beach. There's never been a better time to escape the UK and head down under."

Rodney Harrex, Tourism Australia, Regional General Manager UK/Europe, adds: "The original GBP10 Pom assisted passage scheme resulted in a British fascination with the faraway land of Oz that has endured ever since and today over 35,000 young Brits travel on the Working Holiday Programme every year to live the Aussie lifestyle for themselves. The visa offers them the opportunity to travel all over Australia for an extended period of time, giving them the freedom to supplement their travel funds with incidental work. STA Travel's GBP10 Pom promotion will further raise awareness of the WHV Programme, at a time when increasing numbers of young Brits are looking to head Down Under for a real Australian adventure."

Tickets will be available from 8am on the 5th August at selected STA Travel branches in Belfast, Glasgow, London Victoria, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Southampton.
Tickets are fully inclusive of all taxes and charges and available on a first come first served basis. Anyone wishing to apply for a GBP10 Pom should register at www.statravel.co.uk/10poundpom to receive extra goodies on the day.

For more information please contact Deborah Hitchcock or Carly Gibb at the STA Travel Press Office on [email protected] / 0207 413 3147
*Source: Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenships: 34,673 Working Holiday Visas have been granted in the period 1 July 2008 - 30 April 2009, representing a 21.17% increase on the same period 2007/8.
**Source: Future of Independent Travel, a Future Laboratory report commissioned by STA Travel to mark its 30th Birthday.

Notes to editors:

The GBP10 Pom tickets are one-way fares. Return flights are bookable through STA Travel at a special promotional rate from the carrier Qantas.

The term 'ten pound pom' was originally coined to describe British citizens who migrated to Australia after the Second World War under an assisted passage scheme established and operated by the Australian Government. The "catch" of the Ten Pound contract meant that migrants had to stay for at least two years or pay back the full fare. With the STA Travel GBP10 Pom you can come back whenever you like.

The first Working Holiday Visa is available for British citizens aged 18-30. The applicant must be outside Australia when the application is made and also when the visa is granted. The second Working Holiday Visa is available for British citizens aged 18-30. However, applicants can either apply in Australia or outside of Australia. To qualify for the second visa, the applicant must have completed at least three months 'specified work' (such as fruit picking) in a regional area. See http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday for more details.

About STA Travel
STA Travel is a global travel specialist with 30 years experience advising young people on holidays and adventures abroad. They offer a unique range of flights, accommodation, tours and expeditions in 90 countries and send over 6 million passengers away each year. STA Travel has over 400 branches worldwide. Visit http://www.statravel.co.uk for details on all product and services.

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