#25MillionMates encourage Brits to holiday Down Under

Tourism Australia has partnered with two key distribution partners in the UK to promote the friendly and welcoming Aussie personality over the next three months. The 25 Million Mates promotion introduces some of the friendly Australian locals who are all potential mates just waiting to share their inside knowledge with British visitors. Flight Centre and Trailfinders are also providing a range of two-week itineraries to inspire Brits to come Down Under for their next holiday.

National tourism strategy

Consultations are open until this Friday, 8 March, on a draft report for Australia’s next national tourism strategy developed by the Beyond Tourism 2020 Steering Committee. To assist industry with key points from the Report, an on-demand webinar has been published.

Travel agent training sessions held across France

Tourism Australia hosted two major training events in France last month with over 140 agents attending an Australia Roadshow in Lyon, Paris and Nice and a further 50 agents attending a training day with Air France and Qantas in Paris. The Australia Roadshow – which was hosted by Tourism Australia and partners from the NT, SA, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, WA, NSW and Qantas – included a quiz with a prize of return tickets Down Under with Qantas. The training day in Paris educated agents about the travel options available through the renewed partnership between Qantas and Air France as well as destination news from the NT, SA, Queensland, Tasmania, WA and NSW.

Tourism Australia and partners update German media

More than 30 German journalists attended an evening function hosted by Tourism Australia in partnership with all states and territories in Hamburg last month. The event started with a Q&A session followed by one-on-one conversations with the states and territories and concluding with a screening of Crocodile Dundee. The next day Tourism Australia and representatives from all states and territories attended a meet and greet day with Germany’s most important publishing house, Gruner+Jahr, where they updated editorial staff from 14 major titles on news and story angles from Down Under.

Australian tourism goes walkabout in Japan

Forty Australian tourism businesses attended Tourism Australia’s Walkabout Japan 2019 event last week. The annual trade event provided an opportunity for the operators, which included 13 businesses who attended for the first time, to build and maintain relationships with 38 Japanese travel buyers through individual appointments. In 2018, Australia welcome 469,200 visitors from Japan, up 7.9 percent on the previous year and marking five consecutive years of growth from the market which is currently Australia’s fifth largest for arrivals.

Exclusive Opera Australia performance at Uluru, Northern Territory

For the first time ever, Opera Australia will perform an exclusive concert in the spiritual heart of Australia. With Bruce Munro’s Field of Light as the backdrop, 50,000 glass spheres will light up the stage at Kata Tjuta National Park Saturday 2nd November for Opera Australia’s finest singers as part of this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Tickets and packages to the Opera Gala at Uluru are available online now.

Go beyond the cellar door at family owned Shaw Wines, New South Wales  

Family owned and operated Shaw Wines has introduced a new immersive vineyard experience which promises to take guests beyond the cellar door and learn how a vineyard operates. Running throughout the month of March, embark on an educational tour through the vineyard before heading for a private tasting in the cellar door and finishing with an impressive lunch in the Olleyville Restaurant. Located in New South Wales’s Murrumbateman region, Shaw Estate is easily accessible via car from Canberra or is a three-hour drive from Sydney.

Feel Grounded in Tropical North Queensland

Tropical North Queensland is inviting Australian travellers to re-connect with nature in their latest domestic campaign, Feel Grounded, in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland. Encouraging holiday-makers to leave the stress of busy city living behind, the campaign showcases the raw beauty and tropical vibes of the region, from the Great Barrier Reef, to the Atherton Tablelands and the tranquil surrounds of the tropical rainforests.

Embrace the natural wine movement at South Australia’s d’Arenberg winery

South Australia’s award-winning winery d’Arenberg has released their first wine blend labelled with a fully organic certification. The vegan friendly, biodynamic wine is produced in the family-owned vineyards and is a product of d’Arenberg’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability. Located in McLaren Vale, 45 minutes from Adelaide’s city centre, visitors can experience private tastings, wine-making sessions and museum tours inside the iconic d’Arenberg Cube.

Australian tourism the winner at National Awards in Launceston

Tourism operators from around the country were celebrated for outstanding innovations and commitment to quality tourism experiences at the industry’s premier awards ceremony, the 2018 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Launceston last week. The Irwin Family were awarded the prestigious title of Australian Tourism Legends, recognising for their continued contribution to the Australian Tourism Industry through the promotion and influence of Australia as a destination of choice. The Awards, which showcase the best in outstanding customer service, innovation and ongoing business excellence, were presented in front of 800 industry peers and officials from across Australia.

Australia Marketplace – United Kingdom and Europe

Applications will open in May for Australian tourism operators to attend the inaugural Australia Marketplace - UK & Europe which will be held in London in the week commencing 28 October. The event is an opportunity to establish relationships with travel agencies and tour operators from the UK and Europe and includes two days of pre-scheduled appointments as well as a dinner and awards night. The event replaces the European Product Workshop as well as Tourism Australia’s presence at World Youth and Student Travel Conference and World Travel Market. For sellers interested in the Youth market, this event will also coincide with a Youth Roadshow.

Destination Australia Conference 2019

Registration is open for Australia's top tourism marketing conference to be held on Thursday 14 March at the new Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane. Tailor-made for Australian tourism businesses serious about attracting high yield international travellers, an impressive  line-up of experts have been hand-picked for the Destination Australia Conference to delve into the big issues and tackle today’s most important tourism marketing questions. Tickets are $450 including GST.

Ecotourism Australia and the UN World Tourism Organization have signed a partnership agreement for increased collaboration between the two organisations.

Tourism and Events Queensland has published findings from market research conducted in China in 2018 to better understand travel behaviours and preferences of Chinese travellers.

The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) and Wine Australia have released their schedule of Growing Wine Tourism workshops for new and experienced wine businesses starting in March.

The Western Sydney International Airport has been named in honour of one of Australia’s great pioneering aviators, Nancy-Bird Walton.

Registration is open until 8 March for the Local Government NSW’s Tourism Conference on the 17-19 March at the Crowne Plaza Terrigal.

Registration is open until Friday 15 March for the Queensland on Tour Europe and UK 2019 roadshow from 27 November to 4 December.

Registration is open for the Northern Territory's Tourism: Towards 2030 Conference on Wednesday 27 March in Darwin and on Friday 29 March in Alice Springs.

Applications are open until Monday 1 April the first round of funding to support 2019 as the Year of Outback Tourism in Queensland.