| | | | | | | |  | | TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE | | Last week Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell, announced a new business events data dashboard from TRA (accessed here) to help the sector better understand and plan for business events travellers. Business events continue to be a key focus for us at Tourism Australia, and the new data shows the sector contributed $20.9 billion to Australia's economy in 2023. Our signature Business Events incentive showcase, Australia Next, previously known as Dreamtime, will open registrations next week for Australian industry sellers to participate. If you are involved in this sector, please keep your eye out for an email from our event’s team with all the details. Australia Next will be held in Cairns / Gimuy, Queensland from 8 to 10 September 2024, providing the Australian business events industry with the opportunity to connect with qualified incentive buyers from around the world, while showcasing Australia’s best incentive experiences and products. View the results of the 2023 event here. Last week also saw the release of Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey results for the year ending December 2023. The data confirmed that international visitation and total trip spend continues to steadily recover back to 2019 levels, at 76 per cent and 95 per cent respectively. For the year, the top five markets were New Zealand, the USA, the UK, China, and India. It’s good news for the year ahead, as we look towards full recovery and moving beyond comparisons to 2019. Phillipa Harrison | |
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| | | Tourism Australia ACTIVITY |
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| |  | | China’s Grace Chan explores family friendly Queensland | | Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland hosted Hong Kong-born television host, Ms Grace Chan and her family in Queensland during the recent Lunar New Year celebrations. With 750,000 followers on Instagram and more than 380,000 followers on Chinese social platform, RED, Grace’s influence is strong amongst audiences in mainland China and Hong Kong. Grace, her husband and two children visited the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Tangalooma Resort, highlighting the fun family experiences on offer. Grace posted two vlogs on her social media platforms; showcasing how Australia is the perfect destination for family travel and touching on the welcoming nature of its people. Grace’s trip generated an Equivalent Advertising Value of A$292,442. |
|  | | Cond Nast Italia – Australia Content Special | | Tourism Australia partnered with South Australia Tourism Commission, Tourism Northern Territory, Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Western Australia, Visit Victoria, and Cathay Pacific to develop a 24-page Australia supplement which was included in Vanity Fair Italia and Cond Nast Traveller print editions in Italy with a circulation of around 60,000 potential travellers to consider Australia. Copies will also be available at major tourism and honeymoon fairs, and distributed via key tour operators’ travel agency networks. The mini-Australia guide, which is also available online VanityFair.it, is part of a content series with Cond Nast in Italy and involves a multichannel online campaign across the group's platforms to benefit from broad visibility towards its high-yield target. |
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| | |  | | Tourism Australia reconnects with Malaysians with a return to MATTA Fair | | Last month Tourism Australia returned to the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair, Malaysia’s largest consumer travel fair held in Kuala Lumpur. Visitors to the Australia Pavilion enjoyed a slice of Australia through different experiential activities which included sampling Victoria’s artisan Cottle Coffee and meeting a ranger from Queensland’s Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to learn all about unique Australian wildlife. Friendly Aussie Specialists were also at the pavilion to assist visitors with planning their next Aussie adventure. The fair was held across eight halls, covering 37,000 sqm of exhibition space and attracting nearly 150,000 visitors. The event marked an opportunity to reconnect with Malaysian travellers at a travel event with one of the highest footfalls, and to showcase the diverse experiences awaiting in Australia – from brand-new openings to timeless favourites. |
|  | | Inspiring product planners in Singapore with Australia’s strong offerings | | Last week Tourism Australia organised the Singapore Product Development Forum 2024 to enhance the development of Australian tourism products through product planners and trade marketers. All eight Australian states and territories were invited to present their latest product updates and new travel ideas, inspiring the trade to create more exciting packages for Singaporean travellers to Australia. The forum also shared more information about ATE24, to support current ATE delegates while promoting the event to potential delegates for next year. More than 40 agents attended the event, including newly engaged travel partners with many sharing that the event motivated them to refresh their Australia packages after learning about new products. |
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| | |  | | Australia on Tour in the United Kingdom | | Last month the UK ASP Trainers travelled to Edinburgh, Newcastle, Birmingham and Bath for ‘Australia on Tour’. Over 150 travel agents attended in total throughout the week to hear about Aussie road trips. Suppliers in attendance included Qantas, Journey Beyond, THL Apollo, Tourism Northern Territory, Tourism Western Australia, Visit Victoria, Destination New South Wales, Tourism & Events Queensland and South Australia Tourism Commission. Each night, one agent was in the running to win a trip to Australia, inclusive of return flights with Qantas, a journey on board The Ghan from Adelaide to Alice Springs, a 5-day Maui Motorhomes rental and more. Find more information about the event here and prize details here. |
|  | | Save the date – Destination Australia 2025 | | Thank you to everyone who attended Destination Australia 2024. Based on your feedback on the value of the day, Destination Australia 2025 will be held on 19 March 2025 in Sydney / Warrane. Save the date and keep an eye out for more details soon. To watch a recap video of Destination Australia 2024 click here and check out images from the day here. |
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| | | | |  | | d’Arenberg | | In 2023, d’Arenberg achieved key sustainability milestones, becoming certified sustainable in both the winery and vineyard. They initiated efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, commenced a Reconciliation Action Plan with Reconciliation Australia, and embarked on a journey to gain recognition for sustainable tourism. Proudly leading towards a sustainable future, the d’Arenberg Cube is the first South Australian business and the first winery cellar door nationally to complete the EcoTourism Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard, scoring an impressive 93%. d’Arenberg’s traditional winemaking methods, organic, and biodynamic practices support the dedication to sustainability and environmental responsibility, marking significant achievements for the respected family-owned winery. |
|  | | Save the date - Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference | | The 2024 Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference will be held in Melbourne / Narrm from 29 to 31 October. The conference is presented by the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council (WAITOC), together with the Victorian State Government and the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions. The conference presents a platform for Aboriginal tourism businesses to meet, learn from and forge new partnerships with wholesale and retail operators, including airlines, accommodation and media as well showcasing their product through a globally recognised tourism forum. Find out more here. |
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| | | | |  | | Embark on a seven-day tour of WA’s Wheatbelt and Great Southern region | | Great Southern Outback Tours and Accommodation have announced a new seven-day Wheatbelt Down Under Bremer Canyon Tour starting from Perth / Boorloo. Accommodating up to 12 people, the tour has been curated around providing travellers with the best opportunities to view Killer Whales and other marine life on the Bremer Canyon. Other highlights include a stay at Bremer Bay Beach Resort, Premier Mill Hotel, Sandalwood Shop, Stirling Range, National Anzac Centre, Discovery Bay Whaling Station and the Public Silo Trail. This tour will leave some long-lasting memories! |
|  | | Shell House appoints Brad Guest as its new head chef | | One of Sydney's / Warrane’s most prestigious restaurants, Shell House has appointed Brad Guest (ex- Rockpool and Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay) as head chef of the Dining Room and Terrace. With over a decade of experience leading and managing exemplary kitchen teams, Guest brings a proven track record of culinary excellence to his new role. His appointment underscores Shell House's commitment to the craft and dedication to offering guests one of Sydney’s most unique dining experiences in a fun and lively way that embraces its feeling of laidback luxury. Highlights from Brad’s inaugural menu include scampi with pumpkin, brioche and pepita salt; sourdough orecchiette with mushroom and almond; risotto with ebi prawn and roasted butter; linguine with urchin, caviar, lemon; whole roasted flounder, almondine, curry leaf. |
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| | |  | | New local design-led hybrid hotel brand to launch in Byron Bay | | Local accommodation operator Leisure Accommodation Collective will launch Drifter, a new design-led hybrid hotel brand in Byron Bay later this year. Set to open three Australian properties (alongside a Christchurch product) before the end of 2025, Drifter is positioned as a lifestyle brand targeting free-spirited travellers both young and young at heart. Offering an innovative design and design-centric aesthetic, the Drifter properties will house diverse rooms ranging from superior private suites to premium shared bunk rooms, workspaces, buzzing bars, dining areas, wellbeing studios, and a rotating roster of social and cultural events. Opening in the heart of Byron Bay on Lateen Lane, the Byron Bay property will feature 52 rooms alongside the range of share-style amenities and spaces. |
|  | | Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate Wiggly Adventure | | Royal Caribbean and beloved Australian children’s performers The Wiggles, are coming together for the ultimate Australian family holiday. Across the summer of 2025-2026, family adventurers can join the cast of Wiggly Friends on the family-friendly Wiggles Sailings. Cast favourites will be joining the adventures on board and ashore as they island hop from Sydney / Warrane and Brisbane / Meeanjin. In addition to The Wiggles line-up, other highlights include the award-winning Adventure Ocean kids’ program, family friendly dining spots, bumper cars and surf simulators, indoor and outdoor pools, kids splashpads; and show-stopping original entertainment for all ages to enjoy. Holidaymakers can be one of the first to book when the new line-up is fully revealed on 10 April. |
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