Gary Barlow’s Australia journey premieres on screens in the United Kingdom

Last week saw the United Kingdom premiere of Gary Barlow’s ‘Food and Wine Tour: Australia’ on ITV. Tourism Australia marked the airing with an event that turned the basement of Australia House into a cinema, offering around 100 guests a special preview screening of the series. The evening was opened by Deputy High Commissioner Elisabeth Bowes while Gary himself spoke about his passion for Australia’s culinary offering and winemaking, before being inducted into the Friends of Australia program. The six-part series was produced by Tourism Australia in partnership with six state and territory organisations and sponsored by Hays Travel. The tour follows Gary across the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia where he learns about winemaking and pairing local food and wine from chefs and wine producers.

Melbourne / Narrm shines in Japan's popular drama 'Solo Katsu’

The popular Japanese drama series ‘Solo Katsu’ featured the beautiful city of Melbourne / Narrm, with two episodes on TV Tokyo in early April, supported by Tourism Australia, Visit Victoria, and Qantas Airways. Season 5 sees Megumi Saotome, played by the star Noriko Eguchi, celebrate her birthday in Melbourne. Via the series viewers are taken around the city's renowned coffee culture, world-class wines, breathtaking scenery, State Library Victoria and Indigenous art at NGV. With highlights including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, and Healesville Sanctuary, the series targets high-yielding travellers in their 40s and 50s. TV Tokyo has produced location maps and developed a special ‘Solo Katsu’ tour in line with the drama locations. Additionally, the episodes will be available on streaming platforms such as U-NEXT, Lemino, and Netflix in the future. Research indicates that the number of solo travellers is increasing, and they tend to spend more on average during their trips. This initiative highlights what Melbourne has to offer to Japanese consumers while capitalising on the trend of rising independent travel, and it is expected to attract even more visitors to Australia.

Australia promoted as a wellness destination for Koreans

With the growing interest in wellness travel for Koreans, Tourism Australia recently highlighted five unique wellness destinations in Australia. The promotion of these experiences has been picked up by media outlets including Maeil Business Newspaper and Digital Chosun. To date they have been featured by a total of 16 media platforms and continue to gain additional coverage from other top tier media outlets. From hiking in nature and indulgent spa experiences to gourmet offerings, sustainable restaurants and luxury wellness hotels, the piece showcases the diverse range of wellness offerings across the country, strongly positioning Australia as an appealing destination for recovery and rejuvenation.

KAYAK Germany - Come and say G’day zu Australien!

Meta-search site KAYAK in Germany now features Australia. With suggested itineraries, this highly conversion driven content will connect travellers in Germany to relevant online travel agencies, discount suppliers, other search engines and the flight/hotel/rental car’s own website. Furthermore, a social and display ad campaign will drive traffic to the sites to deliver incremental visitation on the sites. Come and say G’day zu Australien!

Australia Marketplace South East Asia and Australia Marketplace India 2025

Applications are now open for Tourism Australia’s Australia Marketplace South East Asia and Australia Marketplace India events. Each event will provide opportunities for representatives from the Australian tourism industry to establish and maintain business relationships with key qualified travel agencies and tour operators from either South East Asia (specifically Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), or India. Both events include two and a half days of pre-scheduled appointments between buyers and sellers as well as networking opportunities.

Australia Marketplace South East Asia will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from Wednesday 30 July to Friday 1 August. View the event website here and start your application.

Australia Marketplace India will be held at Fairmont Jaipur, India from Sunday 3 August to Wednesday 6 August. View the event website here and start your application.

Applications close Friday 9 May 2025.

Tourism Australia - Youth Sector Scholarship 2025

Tourism Australia, in conjunction with the Backpacker & Youth Tourism Advisory Panel (BYTAP) and the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC), are again sponsoring a youth-sector focused development scholarship, designed to increase distribution engagement, and developing the capability of a future leader in the sector. Based around ATEC’s ELITE program, the successful candidate will receive:

• 1-year ATEC membership for the employer organisation (dependent on organisational suitability).
• One place in the ELITE program for a young emerging leader within the organisation, including mentoring by Kristy Malapa, Industry Relations Manager and youth sector specialist at Tourism Australia.
• Participation in ATEC Meeting Place on in October 2025 including participation fees, flights, and accommodation.

The winning submission will be judged by BYTAP, with the ATEC membership and ELITE mentoring program to commence in June/July 2025. Apply online here. Please note the application form is intended to be completed by a senior member of the organisation with appropriate internal approvals. Applications close 23 May with the successful candidate to be announced on 29 May.

Connect to Country digital magazine - latest issue

Issue 9 of Connect to Country digital magazine, dedicated to telling the stories of members of Discover Aboriginal Experiences, is out now. This edition features unforgettable family-friendly adventures, top coastal locations for cultural immersion and sustainable adventures designed with care for the environment and a deep respect for Country. Readers also have the chance to win an original artwork by Sarah Robinson, a third-generation artist from Central Australia. Read the magazine here.

Webinar Series by the Next-Gen Visitor Economy CRC

Running fortnightly on a Thursday until 10 July, hear from a range of tourism and technology partners, working towards supercharging a sustainable visitor economy through AI and smart technologies, to create world-leading visitor experiences and destinations, as we head towards the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. Recently launched at the March QTIC Tourism Leaders Breakfast, the Next-Gen Visitor Economy Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is currently in the first stage of the bid process through the Australian Government Program – with an opportunity to secure substantial multi-million-dollar funding, collaboratively supported by business, industry, university and government levels. The next webinar will be on Thursday 17 April listen in online to learn more about the CRC opportunities. Register here.

A month-long food festival returns to Mary Valley, Queensland

One of Australia’s most loved food festivals GourMay Mary Valley Food Festival returns from 1 May with a comprehensive month-long program of food and drink events that showcases the distinctive tastes and character of Queensland’s Mary Valley. Only a 45-minute drive inland from Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, Mary Valley is well known for its fertile soil and microclimates, allowing farmers to grow a rich assortment of produce for restaurants, markets and consumers. Program highlights include: a Vintners lunch at Dingo Creek winery, Bushfood Long Lunch with Peter Wolfe, a sunset walk along the Mary Valley Rail Trail for a deluxe soup kitchen style dinner featuring local Mary Valley produce, a Seasonal Long Table Dinner with Matt Golinski at Kandanga Farm Store, wild macadamia discovery walks, open farm days, workshops, and Festival Day returns on 10 May with its market, competitions, and cooking demonstrations. Discover more information and a detailed event program here.

See the Blue Mountains in a new light

Running from now until 11 May, Nocturnal 2025 returns to the Blue Mountains, transforming the World Heritage listed site into an unforgettable after-dark sensory experience. This year’s extended season of Nocturnal welcomes an all-new mesmerising sensory experience curated by LASERVISION to celebrate the native animals and plants of the Blue Mountains and Scenic World’s 80th anniversary in 2025. Nocturnal 2025 is a sensory journey inspired by the unique landscape and wildlife of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains and Gundungurra Country and celebrates the engineering marvels of Scenic World’s iconic rides such as the world’s steepest railway and Australia’s first cable car. More information, including ticketing, is available here.

Remarkable new four-day walk in the lush New South Wales Hinterland

A spectacular new 42km four-day, 3-night walk is now open in the Tweed Byron Hinterland in Northern New South Wales. The Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk, located on Widjabul Wia-bal and Minjungbal Country, part of the Bundjalung Nation, offers a hiking experience through some of the region’s most striking natural landscapes. Delivered by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the walk winds through the ancient Gondwana rainforests and volcanic terrain of Mount Jerusalem National Park, Whian Whian State Conservation Area, and Nightcap National Park, finishing at the dramatic Minyon Falls lookout. Experienced hikers can book a self-guided 3-night camping package, carrying their own gear, while a shuttle service offers convenient access from nearby towns and airports. Those looking for a more supported journey can join guided tours to learn about the area’s flora, fauna and history. Shorter sections and side trails are also available, catering to a range of interests and fitness levels. More information about the walk can be found here.

Subi Blooms Festival joins forces with Gather: A Floral Community

Perth / Boorloo’s premier floral event Subi Blooms is returning from 9 to 11 May and is set to transform the suburb of Subiaco into a captivating wonderland of colour and natural art. This year, the festival features a collaboration with Gather: A Floral Community for a unified theme ‘Roots to Bloom’. More than 30 of Perth’s top florists will explore and express their cultural, spiritual, and physical connections to the world, while reflecting on the deeper bonds that link us to nature and heritage. The floral trail will be made up of 15 free installations that will transform Subi streets and local shopfronts. The nationally acclaimed Sydney / Warrane artist ACID.FLWRS will create a show-stopping large-scale, interactive installation available for viewing from April 25 to May 25. Enjoy more floral fun with exciting new attractions, including a fresh flower vending machine, floral workshops and artist talks. More details can be found here.