New direct flight from Japan touches down in Perth

The inaugural All Nippon Airways (ANA) Tokyo-Perth direct flight touched down in Perth on Sunday 1 September. ANA is the first airline to fly direct between Perth and Japan since 2011.
The flights have been promoted in Japan via a campaign featuring popular Japanese singer and actor, 'Nissy'. A collaboration between Tourism WA, Tourism Australia and ANA, the campaign features the Pinnacles, Kings Park, Rottnest Island, Fremantle and the Swan Valley and is currently running on ANA's website and social media channels. ANA daily service between Narita and Perth is the 11th direct flight to be introduced to Australia from Japan in recent years and is the only flight to the west coast of Australia. As at the year-ended June 2019, Australia had welcomed 485,000 Japanese visitors, a 9.5 percent increase on the previous year, making it the country’s fifth largest inbound market for visitor arrivals.

Flights between Australia and Tokyo to triple

The number of flights airlines can operate between Australia and Tokyo Haneda Airport will triple after Australia and Japan expanded their air services arrangements. The arrangements allow for two new return flights per day for Australian airlines and two for Japanese airlines. Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham said that this announcement represented a significant win for Australia’s aviation and tourism industry and is a reflection of the strong, longstanding relationship that Australia maintains with Japan.

Driving business from North America at 2019 Australia Marketplace

Over 100 North American buyers met with 100 of Australia’s leading tourism products from 26 to 29 August in Los Angeles, California. Presented by Destination NSW, the South Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Northern Territory, Tourism Tasmania, Visit Victoria and Tourism Western Australia, in partnership with Tourism Australia the 2019 Australia Marketplace event gave Australian product owners and managers the chance to meet with US- and Canada-based key wholesalers, product managers, and preferred travel advisors. Over the three days of appointments and networking events, suppliers introduced travel tours and experiences, accommodation options, and more to buyers, while strengthening working relationships and establishing new business opportunities.

Travel advisors sharpen their Australia sales skills

Tourism Australia’s ‘There's Nothing Like Australia’ campaign and Aussie Specialist Ambassador program were featured at the ASTA Global Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on 26 August. One hundred and ten travel advisors attended a lunch presentation by Tourism Australia to learn about Australian tourism experiences. Tourism Australia also participated in the trade show, providing information and tips on selling the destination. ASTA, the world's largest association of travel professionals, attracted 1,000 attendees to their annual event focused on educating travel advisors and teaching them how to grow their business.

Tourism Australia industry update on US and Canadian travel markets

Over 300 key partners and stakeholders from the Australian tourism industry attended the Americas update on 26 August in Los Angeles, California. The evening opened with an economic forecast and tourism insights from US-based economist Alan Beaulieu. Tourism Australia provided an overview of their initiatives in Partnerships & Distribution, Business Events, and the Consumer Marketing sectors of Tourism Australia, as well as the results of last year's programs and campaigns. The 2019/2020 key priorities and events for Tourism Australia, Americas were also introduced.

UK Aussie Specialists learn at the London Zoo

In the UK, 45 Aussie Specialists from STA Travel took part in a youth focused training event facilitated by Tourism Australia at London Zoo last week. With Kangaroos and emus in close proximity, Tourism Australia along with five State and Territory Tourism Organisations (STOs) provided destination training on the Aussie Specialist Program showcasing new product and experiences from across the country. The training session was well timed to capitalise on the noise in market following the launch of the  Working Holiday Maker focused Australia Inc campaign earlier this year.

Celebrate the inaugural Rottnest Island ‘Quokka Birthday’, WA

An event celebrating all things quokka is set to take place on Rottnest Island on Sunday, 15 September. The inaugural ‘Quokka Birthday’ celebration will allow visitors to learn more about these much loved mammals with free family-friendly activities, walking tours, music and entertainment. Visitors will have the opportunity to get behind the scenes with quokka experts, take a quokka walking tour and find out tips for the perfect quokka selfie, plus much more. Rottnest Express, SeaLink and Rottnest Fast Ferries, all have 'ferry' special promotional fares to help visitors get to the party. 

Lizard Island pairs with Penfolds for an exclusive wine-lovers weekend, QLD

Tropical North Queensland’s Lizard Island has partnered with Penfolds to host an exclusive wine-themed weekend from 15 to 17 November. Celebrating 175 years of innovative winemaking, the Lizard Island Penfold Collection Weekend is an all-inclusive, luxury getaway for wine-lovers. Hosted by Penfolds winemaker, Andrew Hales, the event will take place on the Great Barrier Reef and includes two nights at Lizard Island Resort, various tastings, sunset champagne drinks, wine masterclasses and exclusive degustation dinners. Guests will travel from Cairns to the luxury lodge via air-transfer. Limited reservations are available now.

Program released for Adelaide’s OzAsia Festival 2019, SA

Set to take over Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens from 17 October to 3 November, the 2019 OzAsia Festival line-up and program has been announced. The inaugural Asia-focussed arts festival will bring contemporary Asia to life through theatre, dance, music, visual arts, literature, film, food and cultural events. Promising something for everyone, the exciting program will feature 850 artists from several countries, with over 60 free experiences and ticketed events to choose from.
The full program and tickets to OzAsia festival are available online.

Cabarita Beach welcomes new beachfront glamping village, NSW

Bringing a new beachfront glamping village to Australia’s East Coast, Hideaway Cabarita Beach is set to open on 20 September. The new luxury outdoor bell tents will offer a unique, authentic and sustainable overnight experience amongst the natural surrounds. Guests are invited to fall asleep under the stars and awaken in comfort to the sounds of crashing waves, chirping birds and the fresh ocean breeze. Hideaway Cabarita Beach is a 30 minute drive from Byron Bay or 15 minutes from Gold Coast. Bookings are available now.

Australian Tourism Exchange 2020

Applications to attend the Australia Tourism Exchange 2020 (ATE20) open early next week. Organised by Tourism Australia in partnership with Visit Victoria, ATE20 will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 10 to 14 May. The event will bring together Australian tourism businesses, and tourism wholesalers and retailers from around the world through a combination of scheduled business appointments and networking events. It also provides international travel buyers with the opportunity to experience Australia’s tourism offering first-hand through pre and post-event familiarisations.

Seller applications closing – ITB 2020

Applications are closing  to join to the Australia stand at the Internationale Tourismus Börse (ITB). ITB20 will take place in Berlin, Germany, from 4 to 8 March 2020. The event brings together prominent people from the tourism industry to network, negotiate and do business. Tourism Australia will have an exclusive stand at ITB Berlin and invites industry to participate as stand partners. A wide range of participation options are available, such as sole and share booth options, and day passes for the trade days. In 2019, ITB hosted 10,000 exhibitors and 160,000 visitors of which 113,500 were trade. Overall, more than 185 countries were represented. Applications close Friday, 13 September.

Tickets are available to attend the 2019 Youth Tourism Conference and Adventure Tourism Awards on the Gold Coast on 14 November 2019. Exclusive to the youth and adventure tourism industry in Australia and New Zealand the one-day conference focuses on addressing the challenges and opportunities that affect youth tourism.

The 2019 WA Regional Tourism Conference will be held in Karratha from 16 to 18 September 2019. The conference provides delegates with opportunities for professional and business development, networking and engagement with industry colleagues, and the chance to hear from industry-leading speakers on critical industry issues and innovative ideas.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is conducting a survey to learn how small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are using digital technologies. The insights from the survey will feed into research on how to foster the digital transformation of SMEs in the tourism sector. The survey closes on 11 September.

The 2019 Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference, Ecotourism Australia’s premier event will be held in Cairns from 2 to 4 December 2019. The conference will explore topics including green destinations, ecotourism on protected areas, indigenous business across the Asia-Pacific, responding to overtourism and ecotourism in World Heritage Areas.

An Edutourism and Study Tours Workshop is being held on the Gold Coast on Tuesday 10 September 2019. The workshop aims to help industry navigate the recently released toolkit and opportunities guide.

Registrations for the 2019 Australian Regional Tourism Convention (ARTC), to be held in Devonport in Tasmania, from 21 to 23 October are currently open. This year’s theme is 'Getting ready for the spotlight - Is regional Australia finally a genuine part of our national tourism agenda and are we ready?’.