BuzzFeed Mateship applications rolling in

More than 100 applications have been received in the first two weeks of Tourism Australia’s quest to find visual story tellers in the UK, France, Germany and Italy to join the first ever BuzzFeed Mateship program. Eight ‘Mates’ will participate in the ultimate road trip around Australia visiting awesome, diverse destinations. The content created by the BuzzFeed Mates will be shared with the world on dedicated BuzzFeed social feeds to encourage more young people to consider coming Down Under to travel and work. Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP noted the importance of the youth segment to Australian tourism, representing a quarter of all international arrivals to Australia and 44 per cent of visitor spend. Applications for the BuzzFeed Mateship program are open at buzzfeed.com/jobs until Friday 18 August.

Latest international visitor statistics

Australia welcomed 8.5 million international visitors in the 12 months to June 2017, up 8.9 per cent, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released yesterday. Growth was driven by the leisure segment, up 9.3%, in particular by holiday arrivals which were up 11.3% over the year.

Survey data reveals Australian attitudes to tourism

Tourism Australia has published a summary report of a study it conducted in September 2016 into the perceptions held by Australian consumers with respect to the size and value of Australia’s tourism industry. A presentation with detailed findings from the ‘mood of the nation’ survey are also available. The survey found that three-quarters of respondents underestimated the value of tourism, over 60% underestimate the number of people visiting Australia and overall 94% of Australians believe international tourism is good for the country.

Australia’s culinary young guns recognised at awards

Tourism Australia was a sponsor of the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Awards in Noosa this week celebrating the next generation of talented Australian chefs, waiters and restaurateurs. The program is also supported by many of Australia’s culinary heavyweights including Friends of Australia Peter Gilmore and Luke Mangan. Now in its 12th year, the program supports young talent through educational opportunities, unique experiences and prizes.

Industry content submissions featuring on Australia.com

Tourism Australia’s content team is receiving a consistent flow of new submissions for the popular Australia.com website. Articles are featured across the site, showcasing new products, events, beautiful locations and unique itineraries. Tourism Australia is encouraging industry to submit content which is original, specific and consistent with its content templates. A set of guiding principles for creating content as well as helpful guides, story templates and examples have been published by Tourism Australia to support submissions.

Tourism Australia updates corporate website for industry and media

Tourism Australia has updated its corporate website, www.tourism.australia.com, a valuable resource for Australian tourism businesses and international and domestic media. The website is now easily viewed on mobile devices as well as desktop computers to make it easier for industry and media to access content on smartphones and tablets. The site features a range of content including research and information on the international markets Tourism Australia targets as well as further resources for industry and the latest news and resources for media.

The Ultimate Guide to Driving the Great Barrier Reef

The five precincts of the Great Barrier Reef have partnered to produce 'The Ultimate Guide to Driving the Great Barrier Reef', featuring a collection of drives across the Queensland coast. The guide are available in English, German, French, Japanese and Chinese.

Blue Mountains Grand Traverse joins Great Walks

Great Walks of Australia has announced the Blue Mountains Grand Traverse as the second NSW walk in the collection. During the walk, guests will explore waterfalls, canyons and subtropical forests; and stay two nights at Echoes, a boutique property overlooking the Jamison Valley.

The Tailor launches bespoke luxury day tours

Luxury travel specialist The Tailor has curated a list of day tours, designed to showcase exclusive experiences across Australia. The initial list includes tours through Barossa Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and the Great Ocean Road, with more destinations to be added in the coming months.

Australia’s most instagrammable vegan treats

Australia’s vegan dining scene has undergone a revolution in recent years. From high-end degustation to fast-food takeaway, plant-based and animal-free options are increasingly available – and very Instagram-worthy.

Dreamtime 2017

Registrations are open until Friday 25 August for Australian Industry to participate in Dreamtime 2017, Tourism Australia’s signature business events showcase. Held every two years in a different Australian destination, the Dreamtime program consists of business to business sessions between Australian industry and international incentive agents. Presented in partnership with the Brisbane Convention Bureau, Dreamtime 2017 will take place from 3 to 6 December in Queensland’s state capital.

Walkabout Japan 2018

Seller applications will open in early September for Walkabout Japan 2018 to be held from 27 February – 1 March in Karuizawa, 70 minutes by fast train from Tokyo. Walkabout Japan is Tourism Australia’s premier trade event for Australian tourism businesses to engage with key Japanese travel agencies from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Thirty Australian tourism businesses will be selected to represent cross-section of Australian experiences that are attractive to the Japanese market. State, Territory and Regional Tourism organisations will also attend.

World Youth and Student Travel Conference 2017

Tourism Australia is inviting Australian businesses either who are either confirmed to attend or interested in attending the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC 2017) from 26 – 29 September in Montreal to participate on the Australia stand. WYSTC is the leading trade event for the global youth, student and educational travel industry and the Australia stand will feature a variety of meeting spaces surrounded by exciting and inspiring Australia imagery. Businesses that are interested should contact Tourism Australia’s Industry Relations Manager Kristy Carstairs.

Internationale Tourismus Borse 2018        

Seller applications are open until Thursday 14 September for Internationale Tourismus Borse 2018 (ITB18) to be held in Berlin, Germany, from 7 to 11 March. Tourism Australia will host an Australia stand and a wide range of participation options are available, such as sole and share booths, and day passes for three or five days. In 2017, ITB hosted 10,000 exhibitors from more than 185 countries and 196,000 visitors of which 120,000 were trade.

What Chinese guests want from Australian hotels

Chinese travellers have identified key areas where Australian hotels could improve their services, according to the sixth annual Chinese International Travel Monitor released by Hotels.com. These include: Chinese payment facilities at hotels; in-house Mandarin speaking staff; on-site Chinese restaurants; and translated travel guides. Despite some areas for improvement, Australia was deemed the third most welcoming country to Chinese travellers, up one place from 2016. For more research and trends related to international and domestic tourism and travel visit Tourism Australia’s Insight Files.

China Destination Development Mission

Expressions of interest are open until Friday 25 August for Australian businesses to join Austrade’s first-ever Destination Development Mission to China. The mission will be of interest to Australian tourism consultants, education and training providers, hotel and other operators looking to deliver goods and services into China. It will provide opportunities to engage with government officials, industry players and customers as well as opportunities for business matching, networking events and participation in the Australian Tourism Education showcase.

Tourism Australia’s fourth annual Destination Australia Conference (DestAus18), the top tourism marketing conference Down Under, will be held in Melbourne on Thursday 15 March 2018. Register your interest for DestAus18.

Registration is open for the Tourism & Transport Forum's (TTF) 2017 Leadership Summit to be held on Wednesday 13 September at Parliament House in Canberra.

Registration is open for the Modern Travel Media Summit in Sydney on Friday 22 September.

Registration is open for the 2017 Whitsundays Tourism Exchange in Airlie Beach on Wednesday 22 November.

Registration is open for ATEC Meeting Place 2017 in Perth from Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 November.

Registration is open for the Victoria Summit 2017 Forum, this year focusing on liveability and the visitor economy, to be held on Tuesday 22 August in Melbourne.

Registration is open for the DestinationQ 2017 Events Conference in Toowoomba on Wednesday 30 August.

Registration is open for the 2017 WA Regional Tourism Conference on Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 September in Albany.

John Hart has been appointed as Executive Chair of the Australian Chamber – Tourism.

Voting is open until Sunday 15 October for the RAA People’s Choice Tourism Award as part of the 2017 South Australian Tourism Awards.

Tourism Australia is amongst the finalists for the Australian Event Awards with the winners to be announced at the awards ceremony on 13 September on the Sunshine Coast followed by the Australian Event Symposium, a two-day conference.

Tourism WA’s consumer-facing website, www.westernaustralia.com, has made the list of Skift’s Top 25 Best Tourism Board Websites for 2017.

Tourism WA has published updated factsheets about visitation to areas within Western Australia based on the results of Tourism Research Australia’s International and National Visitor Surveys.

Event organisers across NSW are invited to apply for grants under the NSW Government’s 2018 Flagship Event Fund, with expressions of interest now open.

The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) has partnered with TAFE NSW to develop a new training program aimed at increasing the number of bilingual tour guides and improving the quality of service for Chinese visitors to Australia.

The South Australian Tourism Commission has created a new carefully curated 'hot list' of images in its Media Gallery for trade and industry to use.

The National Farmers’ Federation has developed a guide for Working Holiday Makers on Australian farms which includes what to expect, what to be aware of, and who to contact if there is a problem.

Melbourne is #1, Adelaide #5 and Perth #7 in the world's top 10 most liveable cities according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Global Liveability Index out today.