| | | | | | | |  | | TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE | | ATE20 - This week, many of us were meant to be at the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in Melbourne. ATE is Australia’s largest travel trade show and an incredibly important week for building business relationships and connecting with key contacts, as well as friends and colleagues from the industry. Whilst it is sad that we cannot be together, we look forward to providing more updates shortly on next year’s ATE. Live from Aus - Tourism Australia is inviting people to start dreaming and planning for their next Australian holiday with Live from Aus – a curated live streamed program set to inspire people for life and travel after lockdown. Promising exclusive access to the best of Australia, between close-up animal encounters, food and drink masterclasses, sunsets over Uluru and even a classic pub trivia night, there’ll be something for everyone. Live from Aus is kicking off this Friday night at 7:30pm with the Network 10 special, 'The Love Australia Project', supported by Tourism Australia. Then over two days on 16 and 17 May, there will be over 30 events live streamed on Tourism Australia’s Facebook and YouTube channel. The full weekend schedule is available on Tourism Australia’s Facebook Live From Aus Event page. Find out how to get involved here. Webinar - Tourism Australia’s next webinar will be held on Friday 15 May at 9am. I will be joined by the Chair of Tourism Australia and Experience Co, Bob East to talk about the state of the tourism industry, investment as well as challenges and opportunities ahead. Eva Seller, Tourism Australia’s Regional General Manager for Continental Europe will be joining the webinar to give an update on the state of play in Germany, France and Italy and John Hart, Executive Chairman of the Australian Chamber of Commerce – Tourism, will be providing an update on the Tourism Restart Taskforce and some insights into how business can approach reopening. Register here.
Phillipa Harrison | | | | |
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| | |  | | New Planning tool to help businesses reopen and be COVIDSafe | | The National COVID-19 Coordination Commission has created an online tool to help businesses develop a plan to keep their workers, customers and the community safe as they reopen or increase their activities in the weeks and months ahead. The tool which can be downloaded here complements the Safe Work Australia online hub, which remains the definitive source of information for businesses to understand their work health and safety obligations. |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | Tourism industry activity |
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| |  | | ‘With Love from Aus’ in China | | Tourism Australia launched the ‘With Love from Aus’ social media campaign in China, calling on over 1.7 million followers to share their travel memories and wish lists for Australia. The campaign aims to keep Chinese travellers dreaming of Australia during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A series of articles, interviews and video content featuring tourism operators will also be released across Tourism Australia’s social media channels in China. Tourism Australia also launched a series of short 'With Love from Aus' videos on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. To follow Tourism Australia on Douyin, download the app and follow SeeAustralia. |
|  | | Over 2,500 American Advisors Trained | | In the United States, Tourism Australia is continuing to host a series of webinars to inform and inspire the North American travel industry. Held each week over the past two months, the ‘Wednesday Walkabout’ webinars have taken advisors on virtual journeys around Australia. Virtual experiences have included a livestream from a Tasmanian Wildlife Sanctuary featuring wombats and Tasmanian devils and a visit to Australia's wine regions. The most recent webinar, held with Travel Weekly, shared the personal experiences of North America’s Aussie Specialist Program Ambassadors and reached a record 2,244 registrations. 'Wednesday Walkabout' is held weekly and advisors are invited to join by registering through the Aussie Specialist Program. |
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| |  | | Travel trade and media webinars in Italy | | In April, Tourism Australia hosted a series of seven webinars for around 1,400 travel agents in Italy. The webinars were co-hosted by State and Territory Tourism Organisations and featured guest speakers from the Aussie Specialist Program as well as attendees of Corrobboree West, who shared their familiarisation experiences first-hand. The Tourism Australia team in Italy also hosted a webinar for 30 consumer media representatives. The webinar provided an update on Australia as well as inspiration for future trips. |
|  | | Tourism Australia hosts cooking class for Chinese Aussie Specialists | | Over the past two months, Tourism Australia has been hosting a series of webinars for Aussie Specialist agents in China. To keep the audience engaged and to stand out from the many online training programs that are now available, Tourism Australia and Destination NSW live-streamed a training session combined with a cooking class and a raffle. Over 900 Aussie Specialist Agents tuned in. You can watch the training videos on the China ASP WeChat mini-program. |
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| | | |  | | Supporting Tourism Businesses in Commonwealth National Parks | | To support the tourism industry through coronavirus (COVID-19) and to support businesses to rebuild their operations, the Australian Government is waiving and reimbursing the cost of permits and licence fees for commercial tourism businesses operating in Commonwealth National Parks for the period of 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2021. Parks Australia will be contacting relevant businesses. Find out more here. |
|  | | National Bushfire Recovery Agency announces extra funding | | The Australian Government has announced a new $650 million package to support locally-led bushfire recovery with additional funding and support from the Commonwealth. Part of the $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund, this package is focused on reviving and strengthening local economies, ensuring community wellbeing for the long-term, rebuilding infrastructure, and nurturing the environment and native wildlife back to health. For more information on the new measures visit the National Bushfire Recovery website. |
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| | |  | | China Host Recovery Program | | The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is partnering with Austrade to develop and deliver a national China Host Recovery Program for the Australian inbound tourism industry. This is in direct response to the current travel ban on inbound visitors due to coronavirus (COVID-19). The purpose of this program is to ensure that trade relationships are supported and fostered during these challenging times, enabling the positive resumption of trade. The program also aims to support the tourism industry so it is ready to actively engage the market when the borders re-open and ensuring they have the tools, resources and information to do so effectively and efficiently. Register interest here. |
|  | | South Australia welcomes back intrastate travel | | With restrictions on intrastate travel and outdoor dining eased this week in South Australia, the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) is working to spread the ‘Welcome Back’ message. SATC is focusing on nature-based experiences, road-tripping and camping, aligning with stage one in the state’s roadmap to recovery. It all kicked off on Monday at Adelaide Oval with SATC Chief Executive Rodney Harrex, and SA-icon Hans, as well as a countdown video featuring notable South Australians celebrating the easing of restrictions. Consumers can go to southaustralia.com to explore how travel restrictions have been lifted and start planning their next trip in South Australia. |
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| | |  | | Exceptional Kangaroo Island weekly live stream | | Owner and operator of Exceptional Kangaroo Island, Craig Wickham, is interpreting wildlife and surroundings on Kangaroo Island each Monday morning at 7:30am local time (GMT +9.5). To view these sessions live or see all of the videos to date, please join the 'Live From Kangaroo Island' Facebook group here, or subscribe to their YouTube channel here. Exceptional Kangaroo Island provides wildlife encounters which leverage knowledge gained through years of observation as well as published research. |
|  | | “Buy Something Tasmanian” online marketplace | | The Tasmanian Government has launched an initiative that allows Tasmanian businesses to list and sell their products and services to a new and wider range of customers. Since launching just five days ago, more than 760 Tasmanian businesses have created listings, and there have been around 72,000 total page visits. To join the marketplace visit here. Further support for Tasmanian businesses has been set out in the Government’s Social and Economic Stimulus Package. |
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| | | | | | Weekend Guide to Live from Aus |
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| |  | | Learn the tricks of the trade from Australian drink connoisseurs | | Join the team from Unico Zelo as they blind taste their way across Australia via wine bottles with ‘Wine For The People: Australia Uncorked’ live from the Adelaide Hills on Saturday 16 May at 5PM, before celebrating World Whisky Day with a ‘Tassie Whisky Waffle’ hosted by Bill Lark and Chris Thomson, live from Distillery in Hobart at 9PM. On Sunday 17 May, learn about Australian coffee culture and how to make the perfect cup at home with a ‘Coffee Masterclass’ from ONA Coffee live from Canberra at 7AM. Then at 3PM, spend some time inside the eclectic mind of d’Arenberg Chief Winemaker Chester Osborn on a personal tour through the amazing d’Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale with ‘Wine & Art Pairing’. |
|  | | Transport your tastebuds across Australia with Australia’s favourite food experts | | On Saturday 16 May, tune in for a ‘Bondi Brekkie Bowls’ class with Bondi Harvest Chef Guy Turland at 9AM and then at 11AM, learn about Australia’s ancient food culture with MasterChef Judge Jock Zonfrillo with ‘Indigenous Ingredients’ live from his Melbourne garden. At 1PM, live from Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley, learn ‘Cheesemaking with Jo Barrett & Matt Stone’, before an evening ‘Mate Date Dinner Party’ with famed Chef Matt Moran, live from Sydney at 7PM. On Sunday 17 May, 10AM try your hand at creating ‘The Great Aussie Brunch with Three Blue Ducks’, live from Sydney, Byron Bay and Melbourne before popping on ‘Sunday BBQ Lunch’ with MasterChef favourite Hayden Quinn at 1PM. |
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| | |  | | Fun for the whole family | | Grab your dancing shoes and get a front row seat to an exclusive performance by ‘The Wiggles’, live from Sydney on Saturday 16 May, 10AM, then at 12PM join Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for ‘Koala-ty Time’ hosted by Candice Dixon, live from the Gold Coast. In the afternoon at 3PM, tune in for ‘Questacon: Behind the Scenes’ live from Canberra for an exclusive tour of the museum, but be warned… things have been getting a bit weird and whacky with no visitors around for the team to talk to. On Sunday 17 May, 8AM get ready to brush up on your knowledge of Aussie animals and join Zookeeper Chad live from Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park for a look into ‘Australian wildlife’. At 4PM there is ‘Kangaroo Feeding’ with Chris Barns live from Alice Spring’s Kangaroo Sanctuary and before bed, tune in for ‘Penguin Parade Bedtime Stories’ from Phillip Island at 6PM. |
|  | | Hear the stories of the world’s oldest continuous living culture | | On Saturday 16 May, 6PM witness a spectacular ‘Uluru Sunset Session’ live from Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and accompanied by a First Nations Soundtrack curated by Sounds Australia which features Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists with ties to the Central Desert region. On Sunday 17 May, 9AM discover where two World Heritage sites meet – the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef – and learn about the environment from an Aboriginal perspective on a ‘Mud Crabbing on Walkabout’ tour with Juan Walker live from Cooya Beach. Then at 9PM, join ‘Dreamtime Stories’ with Darren Capewell, live from Shark Bay. A descendant of the Nhanda and Malgana people, learn the secrets of this beautiful land and the deep spiritual connection between the people and this amazing saltwater country. |
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