Tourism Australia announces Aussie Specialist Ambassadors

After a rigorous judging process, nine frontline travel sellers from the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Indonesia and New Zealand have been chosen as their region’s first-ever Aussie Specialist Ambassadors.  The Ambassadors will join a tailor-made trip Down Under in March to experience and share incredible Aussie experiences with other international travel sellers. Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said frontline travel sellers are a critical part of the travel distribution system and the Aussie Specialist Ambassadors will create peer-to-peer advocacy amongst their colleagues.

Qantas Australian Tourism Awards

Tourism Australia wishes all the finalists at this Friday’s Qantas Australian Tourism Awards the best of luck. The awards will bring together over 800 people to celebrate the diversity and quality of Australia’s tourism offering.

Japanese social media influencers #UnDiscoverAustralia

Ten Japanese influencers who travelled around Australia last November have posted their experiences on Instagram and a compile of the photos and videos are available through GENIC media, a Japan-based lifestyle magazine that features photos from Instagram influencers. The visit was part of Tourism Australia’s UnDiscover Australia campaign in Japan in cooperation with Qantas, which aims to challenge travellers’ perceptions and stereotypes of Australia and introduce new destinations beyond the gateway cities. The GENIC magazine will also feature a six-page spread covering their visit in the March edition.

UnDiscover campaign continues to surprise and delight in SSEA

Tens of thousands of people in Singapore and Malaysia got the message to #UnDiscoverAustralia at major travel fairs last week from Tourism Australia and key partners. More than 100,000 people attending Singapore’s largest biannual travel fair last week where Tourism Australia and five key distribution partners stole the show with great offers and quirky content. In Penang at the MITM Travel Fair, attended by more than 32,000 people, Tourism Australia and State Tourism Organisations from South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania used the campaign to showcase new and unexpected itineraries.

Tourism Australia media kit 2019

Tourism Australia has updated its guide for international media with the latest information about Australia’s outstanding tourism products and destinations. In addition, the 2019 media kit also contains updates on ‘what’s trending’, major events, Signature Experiences of Australia and more. Tourism Australia engages with thousands of media across key international markets each year to inspire stories about travel in Australia. Tourism Australia has also published a highlights video from its international media program which hosts up to 1,000 journalists, broadcasters, opinion leaders and digital influencers each year.

Refresh for events on Australia.com

Tourism Australia has launched a new digital calendar to promote major events and festivals from across the country at www.australia.com/events. The refreshed design makes it easier for international visitors to find an event that matches their holiday itinerary. Tourism Australia’s events marketing activities aim to build travel intent and reinforce that Australia is a vibrant and exciting destination to visit. To be featured in the calendar, major events must be listed in the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse.

Fly to Moreton Island and cast a line from its shores

Go Fish Australia has launched new heli-fishing experience on Queensland’s Moreton Island. Departing from Brisbane, enjoy a private helicopter transfer over the crystal-clear aqua waters of Moreton Bay before landing on the white sands of Moreton Island. There, cast a line from the beach under the guidance of a local fishing expert whilst also sampling fresh produce from the region.

Go Beyond Broome offering unforgettable Kimberley Adventures

Go Horizontal Falls Tours have launched Go Beyond Broome, the first Kimberley cruise-tours accessible in under four-days and operating from Cockatoo Island. Departing from Broome, explore some of the Kimberley’s most famous places like the unforgettable Silica Beach or opt for an adventurous itinerary through diverse landscapes of the Red Centre. Tours operate seasonally from March – November.

Never be alone with Opera for One in Sydney and Melbourne

Opera Australia has introduced a new experience for opera loving solo-travellers in search for like-minded company. Be greeted by a host and mingle with other solo-guests over pre-show canapes and drinks before being escorted to the theatre to be seated with your new companions to enjoy the show. Opera for One is available for selected Sydney performances now and will expand in to Melbourne later in the year.

WOMADelaide to transform the ‘festival state’, Adelaide

From 8 – 11 March, WOMADelaide will transform the inner-city Botanic Park of Adelaide for a four-day celebration of music, art and dance. The iconic open-aired and internationally recognised festival features performances and workshops from the world’s best contemporary and traditional musicians, dancers, DJs, street theatre and visual artists, all set around an array of food, retail and charity stalls. Known as Adelaide’s ‘Mad March’ season, WOMADelaide is held simultaneously with Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival.

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.

National tourism strategy consultation

Consultations are open until Friday 8 March on Australia’s next national tourism strategy, with industry stakeholders encouraged to have their say on a draft report developed by the Beyond Tourism 2020 Steering Committee. To assist industry with key points from the Report, an on-demand webinar has been published and registrations are currently open for a consultation meeting on 1 March in Launceston ahead of the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.

Federal, state and local governments have come together on a 10-year $1.43 billion Hobart City Deal to open the city up by tackling congestion bottlenecks, boosting tourism and making the airport an international gateway.

Tourism Accommodation Australia Chair Martin Ferguson praised the organisation’s outgoing CEO Carol Giuseppi, who resigned from the position last week, noting that under her leadership TAA had “more than doubled its membership and become the leading advocacy body for the tourism accommodation sector nationally.”

Through Screen Territory, the NT Government is partnering with SBS Food to fund "Delicious Darwin", a series of eight half hour television episodes that will showcase the vibrancy of Darwin’s culinary scene.

The Gold Coast will be promoted as the ultimate family-friendly destination to ‘come and play’ as part of a $2.5m marketing campaign designed to entice Aussie families this Easter and beyond.

Tourism and Events Queensland is hosting a Great Barrier Reef forum in Brisbane on Thursday 28 February and engage directly with tourism operators to share consumer insights as well as TEQ’s strategic focus.

Applications are open until Thursday 28 February for Business Victoria's International Mentoring Program designed to give selected Victorian tourism operators the tools and knowledge to develop and market their product/s internationally.

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.

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.

The City of Sydney and Asialink Business are offering China tourism masterclasses for Sydney businesses on using digital platforms to engage with Chinese visitors, discovering the best products and services for the market and exploring new ways to boost revenue.

Key information for international students considering studying in Australia has been published in the Overseas Students Guide 2019.

Victoria University has launched a School for the Visitor Economy to rejuvenate its focus on the tourism, hospitality, and event management industries in Australia and around the world.