China boosts record international visitor spending in 2017

Spending by Chinese visitors to Australia now exceeds $10 billion with a record $41.2 billion spent in Australia by international visitors overall according to the International Visitor Survey released this week. Australia's Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP, said the 2017 China-Australia Year of Tourism, an open capacity aviation agreement with China and significant visa reform, have contributed to the growth. Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Keith Pitt MP, will represent the Australian Government at the official closing ceremony of the China-Australia year of Tourism in Guangzhou tonight. At the same time, Tourism Australia’s is also leading a delegation of 65 Australian sellers at the Greater China Travel Mission and 31 Australian Sellers at the Greater China Premium Travel Showcase.

Tourism Australia 2017 highlights

In this short video, Tourism Australia’s Managing Director John O’Sullivan looks back at highlights from 2017 and ahead at what is planned for 2018. This is the last edition of Essentials until Wednesday 10 January and Tourism Australia’s Sydney offices will be closed from 22 December to 2 January.

Global youth campaign gathers momentum

Tourism Australia’s latest youth campaign, Aussie News Today, has already reached over 20 million 18-30 year-olds in Australia’s key youth markets via social media with more than 10 million views of the content recorded since launch. The news channel’s roving reporters Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins, Teigan Nash and Lincoln Lewis are in South Australia this week sharing many of the unique attractions and life-changing experiences available to young travellers and working holidaymakers. Industry are encouraged to get involved in the campaign by sending in or tagging content with #AussieNewsToday. Australia was also voted Best International Youth Destination at the British Youth Travel Awards last week.

Restaurant Australia on the menu for international visitors

Food and wine continues to be an important driver for international visitors and a major part of Tourism Australia's marketing through the ongoing Restaurant Australia campaign. With the holiday season approaching, tourism operators around the country are being encouraged to share their stories using #restaurantaustralia for Tourism Australia to promote through its popular Instagram, Facebook and Twitter profiles. Tourism Australia has also published a series of industry case study videos showing a variety of ways creative businesses around the country are tapping into this exciting opportunity.

American travellers encouraged to ‘Explore Australia Now’

Tourism Australia has launched a new campaign in the US and Canada, Explore Australia Now, with Travel Leaders Network. Now in its fifth year, the partnership will promote why there’s nothing like Australia to consumers as well as 35,000 travel advisors through training events. The Travel Leaders Network represents one third of leisure travel agencies in the US and Canada with nearly 7,000 locations producing over $17 billion in annual sales volume. The promotion comes at a great time for Australia which is currently ranked sixth for top luxury travel destinations in 2018 in a recent Travel Leaders Group survey of its luxury travel agents.

Swiss travellers see ‘Australia’s Wild Side’

Lesser known self-drive itineraries as well as Indigenous and natural wildlife experiences are featuring in a major promotion in Switzerland this month. Two major Swiss consumer magazines, Anabelle and Tagesanzeige, are carrying a 36-page supplement on ‘Australia’s Wild Side’ which is being accompanied by online advertising, content on the German language version of Australia.com as well as promotional offers through leading Swiss wholesalers Knecht Reisen and Travelhouse. The activity is being run in conjunction with Tourism Northern Territory, Tourism Western Australia and the South Australian Tourism Commission as well as Singapore Airlines.

The d’Arenberg Cube opens its doors

The highly anticipated d’Arenberg Cube in South Australia will open its doors to the public tomorrow. The five-storey building has the optical illusion of floating in a vineyard with unique folding origami doors. Each level has spectacular views overlooking the rolling hills of Willunga. Inside is the winery’s new cellar door, a restaurant, private function areas and numerous artworks.

Noosa Food and Wine Festival program

The Noosa Food and Wine Festival 2018 program will feature more than 35 events showcasing some of Australia's best chefs in beautiful locations throughout Noosa from 17-20 May 2018. Events will take place at the new Festival Village, under the Noosa Tipis on Noosa Main Beach, along Hastings Street for the Long Lunch, in signature restaurants and throughout the Noosa hinterland with produce and brewery trails.

Crystalbrook Collection to invest in fourth site in Cairns

Australian tourism and hospitality group Crystalbrook Collection has announced its intention to develop a fourth site in Cairns, which is to include a 3.5-star hotel as well as commercial facilities and a multi-level residence. The site joins three 5+ star projects set to open in Cairns over the next three years.

ReefSleep relaunched in the Great Barrier Reef

Cruise Whitsundays  has relaunched its popular Great Barrier Reef under-the-stars experience. The unique experience provides travellers with the chance to sleep under the stars on a pontoon located 40 nautical miles from shore on the Hardy Reef. Guests will also spend the afternoon snorkelling the Outer Reef Guests before being treated to sparkling wine and fresh seafood by sunset.

Gowings at QT Sydney to collaborate with Nomad New York

Acclaimed chef Jean-Paul Lourdes from Nomad in New York will take on the role of guest chef at Gowings Bar and Grill this summer. Chef Lourdes, along with the Gowings team, is developing dishes with a focus on local produce and a diverse range of textures. Menu additions include Rangers Valley 1kg New York Bone, Roasted Snapper served with Slipper Lobster and Persian Saffron, and Portuguese Octopus served with flavours of Chorizo.

Field of Light to honour the Anzacs in Albany

Bruce Munro’s signature light installation Field of Light will form part of Albany's commemoration in 2018 of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Field of Light: Avenue of Honour will feature more than 13,000 illuminated glass spheres representing the national flowers of Australia and New Zealand. The installation will run from October 2018 through to April 2019 and is expected to attract more than 28,500 attendees including 8,500 visitors from outside the Great Southern region.

ATE18 Media Marketplace

Applications are open until Friday 12 January for Australian tourism products and experiences to attend the ATE18 Media Marketplace from 13 to 14 April 2018 in Adelaide. ATE18 Media Marketplace provides an opportunity to meet exclusively with international and domestic media for one-on-one appointments and networking events. Media and influencers who generate editorial, or create content on Australian tourism products, destinations and experiences for consumers will attend.

Australia Tourism Summit 2018

Early bird rates are available until Monday 8 January for the Australia Tourism Summit to be held from 29 to 30 January in Los Angeles, California. Now in its sixth year and to be held during G’day USA, the Summit will bring together North American industry leaders for a day of discussions and presentations around creating the future of Australian tourism. Tourism Australia will host senior executives from US and Canadian wholesalers, retailers, media, airlines as well as Australian product at an opening reception on Monday 29 January followed by the Summit the next day. Early bird rates are USD$199 per person and standard pricing is USD$299.

Air China commences new direct service from Beijing to Brisbane

Brisbane has welcomed its first ever direct flight from Beijing with Air China commencing a new service operating four times a week. The new route is expected to inject more than $191 million into the Queensland economy over the next four years. Queensland's Tourism and Major Events Minister Kate Jones said the flights were a major coup for the State, with more than 170,000 Chinese travellers expected to take advantage of them and travel to Queensland. “We could not have acquired these flights without our valuable partners via a Consortium including Tourism and Events Queensland, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Gold Coast Tourism, Brisbane Marketing, Tourism Whitsundays and Tourism Australia,” she said.

Victoria Tourism Industry Council has appointed Felicia Mariani as its new Chief Executive starting mid-January.

Tourism NT has published its 2016-17 Annual Report.

Tourism and Events Queensland recently celebrated the milestone of over one million pieces of #thisisqueensland content shared on Instagram.

Tourism Western Australia has appointed Elite Representation Asia Pacific as its trade marketing engagement representative on Australia's east coast.

Hainan Airlines will commence a twice-a-week, direct service from Shenzhen in China to Cairns on Wednesday 20 December.

Tourism and Events Queensland has created a guide, How Tourism Operators Can Encourage Online Reviews, to offer practical advice for operators for online reviews.

The South Australian Tourism Commission has published a video highlighting South Australia’s presence online and how the industry can get involved.

The 2018 G’Day program will include events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington DC, Austin and Palm Springs. Find out more at www.gdayusa.org.

Tourism Australia’s fourth annual Destination Australia Conference (DestAus18), the top tourism marketing conference Down Under, will be held in Melbourne on Thursday 15 March 2018. Register your interest for DestAus18.