SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- The Australian state of New South Wales said Monday it will treat 25 New York firefighters and police officers to a vacation Down Under.
The emergency workers and their families will be flown free to Sydney in February for some rest, state Premier Bob Carr said. Carr said the visitors would not carry out any official duties.
The offer is meant to show solidarity with New York emergency workers following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, which killed more than 3,000 people. Hundreds of firefighters and police also died.
New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who had also been invited, accepted the offer on behalf of the personnel but had not yet decided if he would join them, Carr said.
``It's a warm, generous offer from the people of New South Wales to families who've been under enormous pressure,'' Carr told reporters.
United Airlines said it would provide free flights from New York to Sydney. New South Wales Tourism Minister Sandra Nori said offers from hotels, tour operators and car rental companies had been flooding in for the visitors.
``We all know that the tourism industry is going through a tough time, which in fact makes these offers that much more generous,'' Nori said.
Related:
