Ask any couple why they haven’t taken a getaway lately, and the answers are likely to be “time” and “money.” Destination NSW is working with Westfield to get around those two problems, though. Time isn’t nearly as much of a factor when you’re travelling within your own country, after all, and money? Well, that’s where Westfield comes in.

For spending $30 or more at a participating Westfield retailer, shoppers are treated to an “Our Time” scratch card. This takes them to VisitNSW.com, where they can enter their code while being led to all sorts of deals that encourage them to make a little ‘Our Time.’

For their troubles, there are 5000 vouchers for NSW getaways to be had, worth $200 toward New South Wales accommodations each. Should make getting away from it all just a little bit easier.

To encourage shoppers along the path of tourism, several Westfield centers are hosting a unique opportunity to play with some of Australian locals: kangaroos, dolphins, pelicans and humpback whales. Of course, most of those won’t fit into a shopping center comfortably, but they have a way around that little problem: augmented reality. Check it out right here.

We’re a day out from the premiere of Breaking Dawn, the first part of the final Twilight film. Young women everywhere are in the midst of losing their heads, and Stonebriar Centre is helping build that anticipation with its Twilight Trivia Contest.

It and other General Growth Properties centers are offering up short Twilight quizzes on their Facebook pages. The questions are tough, but they’re the sort that any true Twilight fan could answer. Or any newsletter editor who may have read the series over the summer a few years ago, apparently.

But only true fans need apply, because the prize is something that will make them squeal — but might not be that exciting for most others. The grand prize is a round trip for four to Seattle, Washington. From there, the winners will take a limousine to Forks, Washington, the city where the books take place. Considering Forks is described as miserably wet for most of the year in Twilight, this isn’t a vacation for the beach-going sort.

The winners will spend three days in Forks, staying in “Cullen House,” the Miller Tree In Bed and Breakfast. They’ll take a guided tour organized by Twilight Tours, which takes tourists through the sights from the book, like the city of Forks, LaPush Beach and the Hoh Rain Forest.

Finally, the lucky fans will get $500 to spend at a GGP center. We hear that can buy one quite a bit of Twilight swag.

Natural disasters are not only devastating for those directly affected, they can also be awful for anyone reliant on the tourism industry. Brisbane’s floods earlier this year were hard for the city and its inhabitants, but it’s hard at work to make sure the world knows that it’s ready for tourists.

Come Together Brisbane is a huge campaign that centers around telling the world that Brisbane is better than ever. It’s also about bringing the city together.

A big part of the campaign is the Together Brisbane interactive website. Visitors can create messages and videos to share with the world, to tell their great Brisbane stories and to celebrate their city. The web gallery includes some great stories, reminding everyone that it’s a great city to shop, play, visit and live.

A number of malls have gotten behind the campaign. The centers at Queen Street Mall are getting ready for Brisbane Festival in September, and the success of Come Together Brisbane could have a huge impact.

Here’s the launch video for the campaign:

Want to make travelers feel welcome? Raffles City in Singapore put together a summer tourism package that had foreign shoppers feeling right at home.

From the first of July through the end of this month, travelers who stop to shop at Raffles City can take advantage of a great package of deals. By being one of the first ten people in a day to present a boarding pass or travel documents to the center’s concierge, shoppers are rewarded with a host of travel privileges. Those privileges include 5% off at a number of retailers, $5 – $30 vouchers for other retailers, 30% off salon services (for the traveler that feels a little deflated by their journey), and 15% off food at partnered hotels.

Thanks to the limited numbers, the package gets shoppers into Raffles City as their very first stop of the day, before conferences, family obligations or business meetings fill up their hours. It’s the perfect excuse to stop and shop.

Travelers headed to London for a shopping experience are in luck with the launch of Shop and Dine London.

Working with tour operators and travel agents around the world, Anderson Retail Tourism Marketing has put together a package to entice even the most reluctant shopper. When booking a trip or tour with a destination in London, travelers are presented with a voucher for the Shop and Dine London program (the voucher is also available online). They can take that voucher to Burlington Arcade, Harrods or the Regent Street Association office to pick up a Shop and Dine London card and travel guide. The card is their key to the deals arranged with participating retailers and restaurants, and the travel guide directs them to those featured locations.

A number of shopping centers and high street retailers are currently represented in the program, which is looking to grow in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympics. Time limited events and promotions are also being added when available.

Anderson Retail Tourism Marketing has also launched Luxury London, which follows a similar format but gives visitors the opportunity to take in unique experiences, like tea at Asprey in a private room, or viewing Grace Kelly’s diary or Sir Wintston Churchill’s suit block.