| | | | | | | |  | | TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE | | I have just landed in China to reconnect in person with our Tourism Australia team on the ground, and to play our part in driving tourism demand back to Australia. I will be heading to Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai to meet with strategic partners including major airlines Air China and China Southern Airlines. China is going to be key to the recovery on our industry. Pre-COVID, China was our leading visitor market where we welcomed 1.4 million visitors from China, contributing $12.4 billion in visitor spend.
We are also dialing up our campaign activities reminding Chinese travellers why there is nothing like Australia and to capitalise on the visiting friends and relatives market, as well as the pent up demand. Tourism Australia’s Destination Australia Conference is taking place in just over two weeks and the full agenda for the day has just been released. With the theme of ‘Come and Say G’Day’, and a focus on the year ahead, we encourage you to register now. You can read a little bit more about what will happen on the day below. Finally, in case you missed Tourism Australia’s Industry Webinar last Friday, you can watch a recording and download the slide deck here. Our next Industry Webinar will be held on Friday 31 March, register to attend here. Phillipa Harrison | |
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| | | Tourism Australia ACTIVITY |
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| |  | | Luxury Showcase in New Zealand | | Last week, for the first time, Tourism Australia’s Signature Experiences of Australia team and its partners hosted educational and networking events with travel advisors, business events planners and media in Auckland. Whilst there is a strong sense of familiarity between Australia and New Zealand, attendees were impressed to discover the innovation in experience development that has occurred over the last three years. The Signature Experiences program highlights over 700 export ready experiences that resonate with the premium traveller. In 2019 New Zealand was the second largest for arrivals into Australia and December ABS arrivals figures indicated New Zealand arrivals are back to 68 per cent, compared to the same month in 2019. |
|  | | Destination Australia Conference 2023 program released | | As we invite the world to ‘Come and Say G’day’, Destination Australia 2023 will inspire you to celebrate the opportunities for the future of Australian tourism. With Karl Stefanovic on hand to guide the day, Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell, Tourism Australia’s Chair Michael Issenberg and Managing Director Phillipa Harrison will be joined by an array of industry leaders including marketing expert, Mark Ritson, Head of Macroeconomic Forecasting at BIS Oxford Economics, Sean Langcake and Friend of Australia and radio, television and podcast host Hamish Blake. Find out more and register to attend here. |
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| | |  | | Indigenous Cultural Storytellers | | Tourism Australia has released a collection of Indigenous Cultural Storytellers which includes pioneering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders changing and challenging the face of Australia’s cultural scene. Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities represent 65,000 years of history and culture, preserved and treasured by Traditional Owners – and retold today through all manner of mediums. Diverse and dynamic, Indigenous custodians welcome travellers to Australia to take a deep dive into the oldest continuous culture on Earth, whether that’s through theatre and films, art and dance, events and music, fashion and food. Download the guide here. |
|  | | Sydney WorldPride in Hong Kong | | To celebrate Sydney/Warrane hosting the first WorldPride in the Southern Hemisphere, and Hong Kong hosting the first Gay Games in Asia, the Australian Consulate-General Hong Kong in partnership with Tourism Australia and Gay Games Hong Kong hosted a Sydney WorldPride Mardi Gras Parade Party on 25 February. More than 150 guests including 30 Hong Kong media attended. The event also livestreamed the Gay Games Hong Kong float in the Parade that connects the two cities together. |
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| | |  | | Aussie Mate Trade Dinner in Hong Kong | | In February, Tourism Australia hosted an ‘Aussie Mate’ trade dinner for over 100 valued Key Distribution Partners, Airlines and State and Territory Organisation Partners in Hong Kong, excited to collaborate and support 2023 opportunities in the year ahead. |
|  | | February Hot List released | | Tourism Australia has released its latest travel 'Hot List' for Febrruary 2023, available now on its corporate website. The guide to the latest news and tourism offerings across the country is updated monthly. The 'Hot List' contains a wrap-up of new places to stay and experiences to enjoy around Australia. Check it out here. |
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| | |  | | IMEX Frankfurt | | Registrations are now open to join the Australia stand at IMEX Frankfurt. Held from 22 to 25 May 2023, IMEX Frankfurt is a key business events exhibition where international planners from the conference, convention and corporate events industries gather to do business. Find out more and register here. |
|  | | A new way to Discover Aboriginal Experiences | | Tourism Australia has a new website dedicated to promoting the extraordinary Aboriginal guided experiences on offer around Australia that make up the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective. The website brings together more than 160 experiences from over 45 businesses, all led by Aboriginal guides. The site also features a dedicated Trade and Media Portal to assist partners. To complement the site the collective has introduced social media channels on both Instagram and Facebook. |
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| | |  | | International market update videos | In the lead up to this year’s Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE23), Tourism Australia is providing market update videos prepared by our international team. The videos provide insight into the state of play in each market.
Industry is encouraged to view the video updates here. To support the market updates, Tourism Australia’s Industry Relations team will host two live Q&A sessions with our in market regional managers. The first session on 3 March at 4pm (AEDT) will cover the United Kingdom, Europe, India, New Zealand. The second session on 10 March at 11am (AEDT) will focus on the Americas, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea. Register to attend the sessions here. |
|  | | Register for National Experience Content Initiative participant training Webinar | | Tourism Australia is calling on industry who took part in the National Experience Content Initiative (NECI) program to sign up for a free content upskilling program. The practical and dynamic one-hour training session facilitated by Tourism Tribe walks attendees through lessons on how to upload and optimise NECI video content to YouTube, owned channels and the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse. The webinar will take place on 8 March at 2pm (AEDT). Find out more and register here. |
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| | | |  | | Priority support for tourism apprenticeships | | Tour guides and travel consultants have been included on the 2023 Australian Apprenticeships Priority List. This will allow both employers and apprentices to receive financial support. Some apprenticeship courses have fee-free TAFE places available, providing further support for recovery in these critical visitor economy roles. Find out more here. |
|  | | First Nations Tourism Mentoring Program | | Applications are open for experienced First Nations tourism industry professionals and community leaders to become mentors with the First Nations Tourism Mentoring Program (FNTMP). Mentors will have an opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise and actively contribute to the growth and sustainability of the First Nations tourism sector. Organisations or individuals who are interested in becoming a mentor can register interest on the FNTMP website. Applications close 11 April 2023. |
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| | | |  | | Koorie Heritage Trust to house retrospective exhibition celebrating late artist | | A retrospective exhibition celebrating the work of the late artist Josh Muir will be housed at the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) in Melbourne/Narrm from 19 August to 19 November 2023. Co-curated by Josh’s partner Shanaya Sheridan, his mother Justine Berg and the curatorial team at KHT, Josh Muir: Forever I Live will take up residency in the newly refurbished gallery. Honouring Muir’s cultural identity as a Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Barkindji man, the exhibition will feature a range of media utilizing the artist’s vibrant use of colour and geometric patterning. |
|  | | Leading Sydney/Warrane hospitality duo to open venue in Chippendale | | Ex-Hartsyard owners and hospitality duo Jarrod Walsh and Dorothy Lee (Dot) are launching Longshore in Sydney’s Chippendale. Designed and executed by GURU Projects, the 100-seat venue will bring an approachable and sustainable dining experience, with a menu combining coastal ingredients with Asian cooking techniques. Key dishes include glazed green lip abalone crumpet, guanciale, sansho pepper and steam sand whiting, xo pipi butter, green garlic, native greens. |
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| | |  | | SATC launch flood relief recovery plan and voucher program | | The South Australian Tourism Commission has announced the River Revival Voucher program. Part of the $4.6 million river tourism recovery plan, the program is expected to inject millions into the communities hit hard by the Murray River flood. More than 25,000 vouchers will be released over three rounds this year for experiences and accommodation in the Riverland and Murray River, Lakes & Coorong regions. The plan is supported by the Rise Up for our River marketing campaign showcasing flood impacted regions. |
|  | | Surry Hills welcomes boutique hotel, 202 Elizabeth | | The heart of Surry Hills on Elizabeth Street is now home to the boutique and impeccably styled 38-room hotel 202 Elizabeth. A stone’s throw from some of the best cultural and culinary experiences in Sydney/Warrane, the dog-friendly, adults only (+16) six-floor intimate venue provides plush guestrooms with expansive balconies, luxury amenities and striking designs. An inner-city oasis, on arrival guests receive a seasonal welcome drink and access to an outdoor courtyard, wine-tasting room and rooftop. |
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