Sydney secures World Pride 2023

Sydney has won a competitive bid to host the international marquee Pride event, WorldPride 2023. The event will be held over 17 days in February and March 2023 to coincide with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and is expected to attract significant numbers of international visitors. This will be the first time WorldPride has been held in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia-Pacific region. Australia's Tourism Minister, Simon-Birmingham, said, "it is absolutely fitting that Australia and particularly Sydney celebrate our diversity through such a symbolic event that will also deliver a huge boost to our tourism industry”. The bid was led by Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, with Tourism Australia providing support through its Business Events Bid Fund Program as well as participation in the Bid Committee.

Tourism 2030 consultation

Australia’s Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham, has launched a consultation process on the development of the next long-term tourism strategy, Tourism 2030, and wants to hear from a range of tourism industry stakeholders. Join this webinar on 31 October 2019 to hear more about the strategy. Complete this survey to provide feedback on what you think needs to be done for Australia's tourism industry to continue to grow and prosper into the next decade.

TA wins bronze award for UnDiscover

Tourism Australia won the Bronze award for Excellence in Advertising at the recent Marketing Excellence Awards 2019 in Malaysia for the UnDiscover Australia campaign. The campaign was also a finalist in two other categories. The Marketing Excellence Awards celebrate, recognise and reward Malaysia’s outstanding marketing campaigns. In September 2018, Tourism Australia launched its 'UnDiscover Australia' campaign in Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Singapore to challenge perceptions and stereotypes of what Australia offers travellers as a tourism destination. The campaign targeted high value travellers by showcasing unusual, unfamiliar and unexpected attractions and experiences across Australia.

Regional tourism report released

The report, commissioned by Tourism Research Australia, highlights the importance of regional tourism. Australia’s Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham said “our major cities will always be essential gateway attractions, but we also want visitors to venture out beyond our major cities and get a taste of the unique experiences and attractions on offer across regional Australia.” Key recommendations include addressing time and distance barriers, developing tailored itineraries and promoting what’s on offer in surrounding areas.

Conversations with Industry in Tropical North Queensland

Tourism Australia attended and spoke at the annual Conversations with Industry event in Cairns last week, which was held alongside Conversations with China. Both events were hosted by Tourism and Events Queensland and provided industry with updates on the direction of the tourism industry, consumer trends and insights, and showcased marketing campaigns and initiatives.

G’Day19 conference

Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, was among the keynote speakers at the G’DAY19 conference last week in Adelaide. G’DAY19 is an annual conference for members of Top Parks and Discovery Parks, two of the largest holiday park networks in Australia. The conference connects service providers with suppliers as well hosting a series of master classes for park owners and operators.

Working holiday maker showcase in France

Together with Tourism NT and the South Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism Australia participated in the second edition of the Working Holiday Maker showcase. Hosted by French platform, PVTistes.net, more than 1,300 young people attended the event in France to learn about the different working holiday maker opportunities in Australia. Spend from French working holiday makers to Australia has recently increased, growing by nine per cent in the year ending June 2019.

Tourism Australia promotes Australia to leading travel distribution network in France

Tourism Australia recently launched a promotion with tour operator Asia Voyages in France. The campaign features Australia and targets Selectour customers. Selectour is the leading travel distribution network in France with a network of 1,200 travel agencies with 4,000 travel agents. Exclusive tailor-made tours are on offer including a selection of “dream experiences”. Face-to-face training and webinars, to promote the Aussie Specialist Program, complement the campaign.

Connect with nature on new Freycinet walking tour, TAS

Visitors to the Freycinet Peninsula can now experience the national park at its finest on a five-and-a-half-hour guided walk operated by Experiential Tasmania. Departing from Freycinet Lodge, guests will be accompanied by an experienced guide where they can connect with natural environment and learn about the history of the national park. Beginning with a 45 minute climb to Wineglass Bay viewing platform, the experience also includes a tea break at Wineglass Bay beach before walking along the Isthum Track to Hazards Beach. Located on Tasmania’s East Coast, Freycinet Peninsula is a two and a half hour drive north from Hobart or a two-hour drive south from Launceston.

Bailey, a Crystalbrook Collection hotel, coming soon to Cairns, QLD

Crystalbrook Collection will welcome a new luxury hotel, Bailey, set to open in Cairns from 2 November 2019. Modern and innovative, the five-star hotel features 225 spacious rooms showcasing a true appreciation for art, originality, individuality and attention to detail. A food lovers haven, Bailey brings three onsite restaurants and bars including Crystalbrook Station’s signature steakhouse CC’s Bar and Grill, a Milk Bar and a Latin-fusion venue named Pachamama. A 10 to 15-minute drive from Cairns International Airport, Bailey is now taking bookings.

Bathers Pavilion reopens after major transformation, NSW

Bathers Pavilion has reopened after a significant transformation bringing a 1920’s Mediterranean charm to Balmoral’s popular beachfront location. Promising to deliver the best of coastal dining on Sydney’s north shore, the reformed Bathers Pavilion offers everything from beach snacks through to fine dining. Highlights include two new private dining rooms, a panoramic terrace and a Chefs Table for 12. Located on The Esplanade at Balmoral Beach, Bathers Pavilion is a
20-minute drive from Sydney’s city centre.

Tickets released to MONA FOMA, TAS

Tasmania’s annual MONA FOMA festival has released tickets for its 2020 event, set to take place in Launceston for the first time from 11-20 January 2020. Operated by Hobart’s Museum of Old & New Art (MONA), the boundary-pushing festival has announced an exciting line-up featuring more than 400 artists across 25 venues. A unique celebration of music and art from around the world, MONA FOMA 2020 promises to be bigger and bolder than ever before. Tickets to MONA FOMA are on sale now.

Register now for Industry Briefings in Adelaide and Hobart

Tourism Australia is holding free of charge industry briefings in both Adelaide and Hobart on Friday, 8 November 2019 alongside the State Tourism Awards. The briefings offer industry the opportunity to hear about Tourism Australia's strategic and creative direction as well as resources and support available for tourism businesses.

The Australian Government’s Indigenous Tourism fund will help new Indigenous tourism businesses start-up and already established businesses to expand. A public consultation on the design of the fund is now open.

Perth will host the National Rugby League Nines tournament in February 2020, with all 16 premiership clubs participating. This will be the first time the Nines tournament has been played in Australia.

GoPro launched its new camera, GoPro Max, in Cairns last week, one of the first locations in the world to unveil the company’s newest camera. Tourism and Events Queensland is hosting 20 content creators from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Netherlands, using the new camera to capture content to share with a combined audience of more than five million people.