Australia generating interest on Chinese social media

Australia has been recognised as the destination that has generated the most interest on Chinese social media at an awards ceremony last month hosted by Chinese microblogging site Weibo and video hosting service Youku. It’s the second year Tourism Australia has won the award based on the reach of its destination content. Sina Weibo, one of the most popular social platforms in China, covers over 297 million monthly active users and 132 million daily active users. Youku is one of China's top online video and streaming service platforms.

Destination Australia Conference 2017

Tourism Australia has opened registration for the Destination Australia Conference on Thursday 16 March 2017 in Sydney. The conference includes top speakers from leading organisations including Skift, Facebook, Google, Mastercard and more. Download the agenda and register at www.tourism.australia.com/DestAus17.

International Media Marketplace USA

Leading North American media were updated on the latest destination news from Down Under at International Media Marketplace (IMM) USA on Australia Day, 26 January, in New York. Tourism Australia and state tourism organisations met with many of the 245 media in attendance including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal Magazine, National Geographic, USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Afar, The San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times. Tourism Australia also served flat whites by Australian cafe Bluestone Lane for media and guests to celebrate Australia Day. (Photo: @MonicaSuma).

Etihad campaign rolls out in France

Tourism Australia and Etihad Airways have rolled out the latest phase of their European campaign in France with flight offers starting from 949 EUR. The French campaign, which is supported by Visit Victoria and features Melbourne as a gateway to a great Aussie holiday, is live until the end of February. Tourism Australia and Etihad Airways launched a joint campaign in Germany at the end of last year and will also roll out a promotion in Italy soon.

Australia Day 2017 Honours List

The outstanding contribution to tourism from eight inspiring Australians was recognised in the Australia Day 2017 Honours List as part of Australia Day celebrations last week. Those honoured were: John Borghetti, Susan Blundell, Janette Davie, Robert Kennedy, Christopher Pye, James Service, Terry Hewett, Ian Klug and Ian Hill. His Excellency General, The Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC congratulated and thanked all recipients of honours and awards, past and present.

Friend of Australia recognised in India

Friend of Australia Sanjeev Kapoor has been granted a Padma Shri award for his culinary contributions in India. The Padma Award is one of the highest civilian honours in India awarded in three categories - Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. Sanjeev Kapoor is one of India’s most renowned chefs and television personalities. Mr Kapoor has spent considerable time in Australia and visited as a guest of the International Media Hosting Program in 2014 and 2016, filming his television series Out of the World Australia for Food Food Channel.

Wild Pedder tours, South West Tasmania

Starting and ending in Hobart, the new multi-day wilderness experience offers guided hiking and kayaking, Tassie produce and beverages, as well as overnight accommodation at the comfortable Pedder Wilderness Lodge.

New $110 million five-star hotel for Glenelg

A new $110 million luxury hotel will be built in Glenelg. The 12-storey, five-star waterfront development, to be named Langham Place, will replace the Comfort Inn Hotel on Adelphi Terrace and is expected to be completed by the middle of 2019.

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, 17 February – 5 March 2017

The largest LGBTQI celebration in the Southern Hemisphere is back this year with a full program of events including Mardi Gras Fair Day, performances by Australian sister duo The Veronicas, and the festival’s highlight event, The Parade.

Queensland’s Daydream Island to get a $50 million makeover

Daydream Island Resort and Spa  will close in early 2018 for a $50 million renovation, which will see significant infrastructure upgrades. Located on the Great Barrier Reef, over 100,000 guests stay on the Island each year.

Jin Air flights to Cairns snapped up

Bookings for Jin Air’s direct flights from Incheon, South Korea to Cairns are nearing capacity according to the latest reports from the airline, agents and wholesalers in Korea. Tourism Australia in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland entered into a deal with the South Korean airline to secure a new seasonal service to Tropical North Queensland. The flights have been popular with a wide audience including Koreans in their 40s, families as well as young independent travellers. (Photo: Vlasoff Sand Cay, GBR Cairns)

Indonesia Australia Business Week

Registrations are open for Indonesia Australia Business Week (IABW) 2017. The tourism stream in IABW 2017 includes two sub-sectors: tourism promotion and a tourism destination development for tourism consultants, planners, operators, developers and investors. The IABW program will include opportunities to engage with Indonesian government officials, key industry players and customers over four days in the week commencing 6 March.

ATE17 Media Program

Registration is open until Friday 3 February for exhibitors wishing to attend the official ATE17 Media Program in Sydney from 12-15 May this year. The event offers Australian tourism operators and organisations the opportunity to meet exclusively with international and domestic media for one-on-one appointments and attend valuable networking functions.

TA briefings in Darwin and Melbourne

Tourism Australia will host free-of-charge industry briefings in Darwin on Friday 24 February ahead of the national Qantas Australian Tourism Awards and Melbourne on Monday 6 March alongside the Victorian Tourism Industry Council’s 2017 Forum.

Top cruising trends of 2017

According to The Cruise Lines International Association latest industry outlook report, the top cruising trends for 2017 include greater uptake by Millennials and Generation X, increased usage of travel agents and greater demand for river cruising. For more research and trends related to international and domestic tourism and travel, visit Tourism Australia’s Insight Files.

Australia Tourism Summit 2017

Registration is open for the Australia Tourism Summit 2017 in Los Angeles on 27-28 February. This year the Summit will focus on ‘The Future of Travel’ with an impressive line-up of speakers. The annual event brings together around 300 attendees including wholesalers, retailers, airlines and media.

Qantas has unveiled a new inflight safety video featuring some of Australia’s most stunning landscapes and locations. Qantas worked with Tourism Australia and state tourism organisations to make the film across a 12 day period. The new video will begin screening across Qantas domestic and international flights from 1 February.

The South Australian Tourism Commission is hosting an Understanding China workshop on Thursday 9 February in Adelaide. RSVP to chelsea.clack@sa.gov.au by Monday 6 February.

The South Australian Tourism Commission is offering a new free online PR training program in 2017 for South Australian tourism operators.

Registrations are open until Wednesday 8 February for the Destination Canberra Conference on 16-17 February in Canberra.

The City of Melbourne is opening applications for its 2017/18 Business Event Sponsorship Program on Monday 13 February.

Destination Melbourne is hosting a presentation by experts from the Alibaba Group to provide insights into two technology platforms: Alipay, China’s most popular e-wallet and Fliggy of Alitrip, a Chinese travel booking service.

Tourism WA’s draft Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2017-2022 is now available for comment.

The NSW Government is calling for expressions of interest for grants of up to $300,000 to develop and enhance arts and cultural facilities.