Gold Coast Tourism week kicks off

The inaugural Gold Coast Tourism Week has kicked off with the city’s Mayor Tom Tate officially launching the program on Monday. The program, which runs from 1 – 7 July, celebrates the significance of tourism to businesses and residents of the Gold Coast economically, culturally, socially and historically. A series of events including Conversations with Industry, which is being held in conjunction with Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland, will provide opportunities to connect with industry colleagues and find out the latest insights, research and trends for each region. Tourism is crucial to the Gold Coast economy, injecting more than $5 billion annually and employing some 46,000 people.

Virgin launches Sydney to Hong Kong

Virgin Australia has launched its inaugural Sydney to Hong Kong service, offering another key gateway to visitors from China and North Asia. The non-stop service is the airline’s second to Hong Kong, following the launch of its Melbourne to Hong Kong service last year. In celebration of the Chinese Year of the Dog, popstar Dannii Minogue helped to mark the occasion by leading a group of lion dancers and drummers through Sydney airport before take-off. Flights will depart Sydney daily on the Airbus A330-200.

Australian wildlife turns heads in Singapore

Tourism Australia has launched a new out of home campaign in Singapore, swapping the ‘wow’ factor for the ‘aww’ factor with images of iconic native wildlife showcased around one of Singapore’s busiest train stations, City Hall. In a first for Tourism Australia and the media owner SMRT Media, the campaign also includes a unique holographic diver and whale shark installation, offering an innovative twist to the campaign. The installation aims to amplify Australia’s warm and welcoming spirit and connect with Singaporeans emotionally to get them thinking about their next holiday to Australia.

Tourism Australia recognised at Mumbrella Awards

Tourism Australia has taken home two gongs at the Mumbrella Awards in Sydney, including Ad Campaign of the Year for the Dundee campaign and Social Idea of the Year for the Aussie News Today campaign. The prestigious marketing awards, which are now in their eighth year, celebrate the best, bravest and brightest work across the industry. More than 150 senior industry figures judged work in 30 categories across media, PR, marketing, advertising and production.

The Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment

The Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP, has shined the spotlight on Australia’s tourism and trade ties with Japan during a visit to Tokyo this week. As part of the trip, the Minister met with the head of JTB, one of Tourism Australia’s key distribution partners in market; as well as with Japan Airlines to discuss aviation opportunities between the two countries. Japan is a key tourism market for Australia and has the potential to be worth between $2.7 billion and $3.3 billion by 2020.

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Brae takes top spot in Australia’s Top Restaurant Awards

Dan Hunter’s ultimate farm-to-table experience Brae has won best restaurant in Australia at the 2018 Top Restaurant Awards this week. The 2018 list saw a resurgence from Adelaide and South Australia’s wine-growing regions, plus more restaurants from Tasmania than ever before. Regional restaurants in the top 100 list increased from 14 in 2017 to 18 in 2018, highlighting the growing tourism potential of Australia’s top wine-growing regions. Australia’s Top 100 Restaurants are chosen by Australia’s top chefs and restaurateurs from an overall list of 500 restaurants compiled by The Financial Review’s top critics and editors.

Message in bottle found on Long Island beach after long trip at sea

A message in a bottle has been found on a beach on Long Island in the Whitsundays, after travelling 793 days and more than six thousand kilometres since it was dropped in the South Pacific over two years ago. A staff member of Long Island’s Elysian Retreat, Charlton Craggs, stumbled across the exciting find while walking along the island’s beach. After reading the message, Mr Craggs tracked down the message’s author, Tom Love, a Canadian man who had been travelling with his wife Dora on cruise ship in the South Pacific in January 2016.

First luxury eco-accommodation for Christmas Island now open

Christmas Island’s first luxury eco-accommodation Swell Lodge welcomed its first guests last week. Positioned on a sea cliff with floor-to-ceiling glass and luxury appointments, sustainably-designed Swell Lodge is set along the uninhabited, rugged west coast of Christmas Island, renowned as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean. Swell Lodge is the first ecologically-sustainable accommodation to be approved in an Australian Federal National Park.

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair

Queensland’s vibrant Indigenous arts and culture will be on show at Cairns waterfront from 12-15 July when Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) celebrates its ninth annual season. From the length and breadth of Queensland and the Torres Strait, 150 artists and 300 performers will converge upon Cairns for CIAF’s four-day program of exhibitions, performances and cultural sharing activities held at Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal as well as key arts and cultural hubs across the city.

IMEX America 2018

Registration is open until Friday 6 July to join the Australia stand at IMEX America 2018 from 16 to 18 October. IMEX America is one of the world's biggest exhibitions for the meetings, incentives, conferences and events sector. It attracts international business events planners, media, destinations and suppliers from around the world. Business Events Australia has produced an IMEX America 2018 event prospectus which provides an overview of the program and participation costs. Space on the Australia stand is limited and applications are on a first-come first-served basis.

Tasmania’s Krakani lumi campsite scores top design awards

Krakani lumi, a unique standing campsite located on the Wukalina walk along Tasmania’s north-east coast, has taken home several awards at this year’s INDE Awards in Singapore, including in the “Best of the Best” category and "The Building" category. The INDE Awards celebrate the work of architects and designers across the Asia Pacific region, with over 400 entries from 14 countries this year. Poppy Taylor and Matt Hinds of Taylor and Hinds Architects were behind the campsite’s striking design, which includes individual pavilions constructed with charred Tasmanian timber. The Wukalina walk is the first walk of its kind to be entirely owned and operated by the Aboriginal Land Council.

Ex-HMAS Tobruk now top Queensland dive site

Ex-navy ship HMAS Tobruk has become a world-class dive site and local tourist attraction after being sunk off the coast of Bundaberg and Hervey Bay in Queensland. The ship underwent eight months of preparations and alterations to provide better diver access and improved lighting as part of a joint project by the Queensland state government and the Bundaberg and Fraser Coast Regional Councils. With the ship sitting at a depth of between around 18 and 25 metres, the site will appeal to divers of all levels and ability.

Entries are now open for the 2018 Australian Event Awards. Entries can be completed online until 27 August.

Submissions are open until Friday 31 August for the Queensland Tourism Industry Council's Prize for Innovation in Tourism.

Applications are open for Destination NSW's Japan Roadshow 2018 from 26-28 September.

Tourism Tasmania is calling for Expressions of Interest from Asia-ready tourism businesses to participate in its Asia Mission 2018 to China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore in September.

Expressions of interest are open until Monday 16 July for the $2 million Victorian Regional Events and Innovation Fund for events to be delivered between September 2018 and June 2019.

Applications are open until Sunday 29 July for the NT Government's new Recreational Fishing Grants Scheme. One million dollars has been set aside for the scheme with $500,000 available in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years.

Registration is open for ATEC Meeting Place 2018 which will take place from 19-21 November in Darwin.

Registration is open for the VIC Tourism Conference to be held on 30-31 July at the RACV Cape Schanck Resort.

Recordings of the presentations from ATEC and Tourism Australia’s China Payments Opportunity Forum have been published on Tourism Australia’s website.

Industry are invited to register their interest for the Destination Australia Conference 2019 to be held on Thursday 14 March in Brisbane.

Registration is open for Destination Southern Tasmania’s annual summit to be held on 7 August 2018.