| | | | | | | |  | | End of year message from Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison | | As we near the end of 2019, on behalf of Tourism Australia, I want to take the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude and to say thank you to all of our tourism industry partners for your ongoing support. You are the front line in delivering the visitor experience and your passion and hard work continues to inspire us when we are inviting the world to come and experience Australia’s world-class tourism offering and our uniquely Australian way of life. We will endeavour to continue delivering strong results for Australian tourism. I would also like to extend our heartfelt wishes to those who have been affected by the recent bush fires. I hope you and your families are safe and we wish you a swift recovery. Have a happy holidays. We look forward to working with you again in 2020. Phillipa Harrison | | | |
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| |  | | Philausophy campaign update | | Tourism Australia has released another industry video as part of the Come Live our Philausophy campaign. The video features Brenda Miley from Let’s Go Surfing in New South Wales. There are a number of ways to get involved in the campaign, find out how here. |
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| | | |  | | AUSTRALIA WINS BIG IN CHINA | | Australia was awarded the Most Favoured Outbound Destination by Chinese families at the Global Times ‘Outbound Tours Most Favoured by Chinese families’ award ceremony in Beijing. Global Times is a top Chinese newspaper that focuses on global news and provides latest tourism trends to readers. Australia was also awarded the 2019 Most Influential Brand award from MaFengWo, Tourism Australia’s long-term strategic partner and a leading travel platform in China. Tourism Australia was also awarded 2019 Best Destination Partner by TongCheng, which is one of the top three online travel agencies in China. |
|  | | BEST PARTNER PROGRAM WOWS HONG KONG AGENTS AND CORPORATES | | Sixty business events agents and corporates recently attended Tourism Australia’s Best Partner Program event in Hong Kong. Held in partnership with Singapore Airlines, the networking event featured a series of interactive experiences including blending wine, a showcase of Australian craft beer and virtual reality experiences to demonstrate why there is nothing like Australia for business events. |
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| | |  | | AUSTRALIA RECOGNISED IN FDI TOURISM LOCATIONS OF THE FUTURE 2019/20 AWARDS | | Australia has been named Top Tourism Location of the Future 2019/20 – FDI (foreign direct investment) Strategy, in recognition of the success of Tourism Australia and Austrade’s tourism investment partnership and strategy. Australia also won specialist awards for eco-tourism, health and wellness tourism and regional tourism. In addition, Australia was recognised for the Hotel Development and Investment, Incentives and Rapid Growers categories. The awards are a ranking of tourism locations across the world pulled together by the fDi intelligence division of the Financial Times. |
|  | | TOURISM AUSTRALIA PRESENTS AT TRAVEL LEADERS GROUP EVENT IN USA | | Tourism Australia recently attended Travel Leaders Group’s exclusive luxury-focused travel trade show ‘Elevate the Journey’ in Los Angeles and New York. The events brought together 1,000 top advisors from premium brands with leading suppliers of premium product and destinations. Tourism Australia presented to travel advisors from Flight Centre brands and approximately 60 advisors from across the United States received training on Australia’s tourism experiences with Aussie Specialist Ambassador content. Advisors also learnt about the Come Live Our Philausophy campaign and enjoyed Australian food and wine. |
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| | |  | | AUSTRALIA WAS SELECTED AS THE BEST DESTINATION IN ASIA-PACIFIC | | Australia was chosen as the Best Destination in the Asia-Pacific region at the 17th annual Readers Choice Awards held by Travel Weekly on 12 December in New York. The honour was awarded after an open ballot nomination and two rounds of voting by a pool of more than 10,000 Travel Weekly readers, including US industry executives and travel advisors. Winners in other categories included hotels, tour operators and airlines, all representing the best of the best in travel. |
|  | | CHINESE ACCOLADES FOR AUSTRALIA | | Tourism Australia won seven business events awards in China in 2019, including three awards in December. The most recent awards include ‘The Most Influential MICE Destination’ at the China Exhibition & MICE Industry Awards, ‘The Best Model Tourism MICE Destination’ at the China Direct Selling Marketing Today Awards and ‘The Best Overseas Meeting & Incentive Destination’ at the China Travel Industry Awards. |
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| | | | | | |  | | WILD SAND SCULPTING EXHIBITION HEADS TO PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC | | Head on a sand safari this summer with the launch of WILD Sand Sculpting at the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island. In partnership with Phillip Island Nature Parks and commencing on Boxing Day, the exhibit will transport visitors into the wild as they discover more than 60 animals brought to life through intricate sand sculptures. Visitors are invited to uncover hidden puzzles in the sand to find out how they can help these endangered animals, whilst learning about sustainability and responsible wildlife tourism along the way. A two-hour drive from Melbourne, the WILD Sand Sculpting exhibition will run from 26 December to 26 April 2020. Tickets are on sale now. |
|  | | THE 75TH ROLEX SYDNEY HARBOUR YACHT RACE RETURNS, NSW & TAS | | Sydney and Hobart are preparing to host the 75th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race from 26 to 31 December. The iconic 628 nautical mile yacht race, which is described as one of the most gruelling ocean races in the world, will set sail from Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day to finish in Hobart. Visit the Sydney Race Village or Hobart Race Village to take part in the action with live music, food and drink stalls, interactive information, video games and more. Tickets to the 2019 Sydney Harbour Yacht Race are on sale now. |
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| | |  | | PROGRAM ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 MELBOURNE COCKTAIL FESTIVAL, VIC | | Cocktail experts and enthusiasts are expected to unite for the inaugural Melbourne Cocktail Festival (MCF), taking place 26 February to 1 March 2020. An immersive, five-day cocktail journey through Melbourne's bars, restaurants and spaces, the MCF will showcase Melbourne’s thriving and innovative cocktail scene. With a program catering for industry professionals and cocktail lovers alike, the festival will host a line-up of workshops, guided tours, tastings, seminars, art installations and activations - all centred around the art of the cocktail. Information and early-bird tickets are available online now. |
|  | | AUSTRALIA PREPARES FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES IN 2020, NAT | | Get ready for dragons, fireworks, fantastic food and spectacular song and dance, as Australia celebrates Lunar New Year from 25 January to 8 February 2020. Home to a plethora of colourful, exuberant events across the country, Australia is a fantastic place to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Celebrations in Sydney are usually centred around Chinatown, while in Brisbane you'll see Fortitude Valley come to life. In Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, head to the hub of excitement in each city's respective Chinatown for street parades, dances and games. No matter where you are in Australia, there are plenty of ways to welcome the ‘Year of the Rat’ in style. |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | AUSTRALIAN TOURISM EXCHANGE (ATE) 2020 | | Exhibitor applications are now open for the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) 2020 International Media Marketplace to be held in Melbourne on 10 May 2020. The ATE20 Media Program International Media Marketplace will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and provides an opportunity for media delegates to meet one-on-one with Australian tourism businesses, special interest operators, attractions and accommodation providers. Applications close 3 February 2020 – apply now. |
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| | | NEWS IN BRIEF | | The Australian and New Zealand Governments have launched a joint bid to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. | | | The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics results show that international arrivals to Australia grew 2.8 per cent to 9.4 million for the year ending October 2019. | | | | Jetstar’s new direct flights from South Korea to the Gold Coast began last week. The flight will run three times a week and is expected to bring an additional 156,000 seats into the Gold Coast over the next three years. | | | |
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