World’s top content creators to capture the beauty of the Kimberley as GoPro summit kicks off

Some of the world’s best content creators are currently in Australia showcasing the unique and spectacular Kimberley region to their millions of followers as they take part in the annual GoPro Creator Summit. More than 40 talented content creators and adventure athletes have descended on the region to take part in the Summit which kicked off this week. “This is the first time that the GoPro Creator Summit has come to Australia, providing an exciting opportunity for Australia’s Kimberley region, which is renowned for its spectacular beauty and breathtaking tourism offerings, to be showcased on the world stage,” Australia's Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said.

Wellness Tourism Initiative survey

Industry are invited to provide feedback via Global Wellness Institute’s Wellness Tourism Initiative survey. The survey will help the industry understand and better cater to wellness travellers globally. Complete the survey and go into the draw to win a platinum ticket to the Wellness Tourism Summit next year.

Australia targets business events technology industry in the US

To raise international awareness and consideration of Australia as a business events destination, Tourism Australia attended the annual invitation-only IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Convene event for over 120 IEEE volunteer leadership, conference organisers and key decision-makers in Washington DC last week. The conference  was the perfect opportunity to highlight Australia’s business events capabilities to IEEE planners, with the aim of attracting some of the 1,900 meetings and conferences the industry organises annually to Australia. Business Events Sydney and Melbourne Convention Bureau also participated, helping to strengthen the Australian message.

Australia’s cutest koala joey crowned

An eight-month-old koala joey from the Gold Coast has been crowned the country’s cutest following a nation-wide search by Tourism Australia. More than 70 cute and cuddly snaps of koala joeys were submitted by wildlife parks and photographers from around the country, before putting it to a public vote on Facebook. The album of shortlisted entries reached over 1 million people and received thousands of comments and shares. After 24 hours of voting, koala joey Tallow from Paradise Country on the Gold Coast was named the winner, securing the most likes in the period.

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley launches ‘Wolgan Warrior Adventure Challenge’, NSW

This August, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, will launch the first ‘Wolgan Warrior Adventure Challenge', an exclusive 21-kilometre trail run for passionate runners. Available to only 10 guests each month, the course has been mapped by an expert team of guides to allow guests to experience Wolgan Valley unlike ever before. As part of the challenge, trail runners will be able to explore rarely accessed parts of the resort’s extraordinary wilderness setting while building fitness and endurance. The 5-star property Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley is located a three hours’ drive from Sydney.

Australia’s first underwater hotel  to open on the Great Barrier Reef, QLD

Guests heading to Queensland’s iconic Great Barrier Reef will now be able to stay in the region’s first luxury underwater suite. The ultimate room with a view, Reefsuites will offer guests the chance to spend a night in a submerged suite with floor-to-ceiling views of the coral reef and its vibrant marine life. Reefsuites is just one part of a $8 million redevelopment of the iconic Reefworld pontoon. Floating in the waters of Hardy Reef off the coast of Airlie Beach, the pontoon will reopen in summer 2019 and accommodate up to 300 daily visitors for a range of reef activities.

Gorman collaborates with Indigenous artists from Mangkaja Arts Centre, WA

Australian fashion label, Gorman has announced a collaboration with the Mangkaja Arts Centre in Western Australia. The range combines Gorman’s signature style with some of the country’s best Indigenous artists including Ngarralja Tommy May, Sonia Kurarra, Daisy Japulija, Nada Tigila Rawlins and Lisa Uhl. The first collaboration of its kind, the collection is an important amalgamation of Indigenous art and modern fashion. A selection of Mangkaja x Gorman accessories are available for purchase from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney with the full fashion range stocked in Gorman stores nationally.

AO Chef Series returns for the third year with an all-female line-up in 2020, VIC

An all-female line-up of food icons has been announced as part of the AO Chef Series at the Australian Open 2020. Celebrating the achievements of some of the hospitality industry’s most talented women, Australian culinary icon Donna Hay, Indian based restaurateur Sarah Todd, Hobart restaurant Franklin head chef Analiese Gregory and Thai Michelin Star chef Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava will each host two lavish dinners during the tournament as part of the series. The Australian Open 2020 will take place at Melbourne Park from 20 January to 2 February.

Australia’s Wellness Tourism Summit

Noosa will be the backdrop for Australia’s Wellness Tourism Summit in March 2020. The Summit is being convened by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a non-profit organisation, whose mission is to empower wellness worldwide and is aimed at showcasing the rapid growth in the wellness sector and the opportunities for tourism businesses in Australia. The two-day program will reveal the latest research, consumer trends and best practice in wellness travel and tourism, with more than 20 leading wellness travel experts invited to share their insights into the growing wellness tourism sector. Research carried out by GWI values the wellness tourism sector at an impressive $639 billion a year in global visitor spend, with Australia receiving 10 million wellness trips a year from local and international visitors. 

The judging panel of the Australian Event Awards named the 38 Best Events in Australia together with a host of achievements, companies and individuals who collectively make up the nominees for the 2019 Event Awards. Registrations and tickets are now on sale at www.eventawards.com.au. Early bird discounts end 13 August 2019.

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has announced the launch of a new series of special interest forums that will provide greater opportunity for year-round engagement for members to exchange valuable industry knowledge and address the key issues facing the industry.

Nominations are open for the QTIC Prize for Innovation, which recognises tourism businesses in Queensland that have introduced an innovative product, service or process. Nominations close 16 August 2019.

The NT Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture is expanding visitor offerings on the Territory Arts Trail, a tourism initiative raising awareness of the Territory as a premier global destination to visit for distinctive art and culture experiences.

Last call for papers for the Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference. The Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference, which is Ecotourism Australia's premier event, will be held in Cairns from 2-4 December 2019. Deadline for submissions is Friday 16 August 2019.

Nominations are open for the Brolga Northern Territory Tourism Awards (Brolga Awards), the official tourism awards program for the Northern Territory. The Brolga Awards recognise and encourage tourism businesses that strive for excellence in every area of their operation.

As part of the Turbo2 action plan, the Northern Territory Government is providing a further $3 million over two years through the Visitor Experience Enhancement Program, to assist the tourism industry to undertake projects that will improve the on-ground visitor experience in the NT.

Registration is open for the 2019 WA Regional Tourism Conference from 16 to 18 September in Karratha.