| | | | | | | |  | | TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE | | The announcement this week of the re-opening of the New South Wales (NSW) border to Victoria and Queensland to NSW and Victoria is fantastic news for our industry. Pre-COVID, Sydney to Melbourne was one of the busiest air corridors in the world, and the rapid ramping up of flights between the two state capitals is vital as we continue to plot a course towards recovery. With NSW and Victoria also being top source markets for Queensland, this is great news as we head into the holiday period. The obvious uncertainty and ongoing challenges around the resumption of international travel means our recovery approach needs to vary by each market, and we will need to flex to meet the needs of a post-COVID travel environment. We have already developed a strategic framework, the Green Light Project, to aid us to identify the best approach and optimum timing to step up re-investment in our key international markets. We are also drawing upon the expertise and insights of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to help focus Tourism Australia’s efforts and resources towards the most promising opportunities. As part of this work, we are asking BCG to develop a range of scenarios to inform the development of recovery strategies that can be updated quickly as circumstances change, as we know they will continue to do so. This week Tourism Australia was named Marketing Team of the Year at the B&T Awards, and won the Bravery Award for the Live from Aus campaign. After an incredibly challenging year, it was great for the team and the business to be recognised by our marketing peers. I would like to invite you to join our final webinar for 2020 on Friday 4 December 2020 at 11am AEDT. The focus will be on sustainability, and we will also talk about what 2021 has in store from a Tourism Australia perspective. Register to attend here. Phillipa Harrison | | |
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| |  | | International sentiment tracker report | | Tourism Australia has released the latest International Travel Sentiment Tracker report. This report tracks the confidence and travel indicators for international travellers in Tourism Australia markets. Download the report here. |
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| |  | | Virtuoso Travel Week on Tour Australia | | Last week Tourism Australia sponsored Virtuoso Travel Week on Tour Australia. The event took place from 19 to 20 November, and showcased domestic opportunities and Australia’s premium offerings through continued trade engagement and education. The Signature Experiences of Australia collectives shared latest news and inspirational experiences through dedicated training sessions, while preferred on-site partners and the new regional preferred Virtuoso partner network hosted one-on-one advisor meetings. Team Australia connected with 200 Virtuoso owners, managers and frontline travel advisors during two one-day events held virtually and in Sydney face to face. |
|  | | Australia sends love to Parisians | | Tourism Australia is warming the hearts of Parisians, sending them some Love from Aus with the latest mega-banner outside the premises of the Australian Embassy in Paris. For the next six months, Parisians will have the chance to admire the colourful Heart Reef next to the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris. The banner is highly visible with around 19,000 people passing by every day. The symbolic image and high profile placement is a way to thank the French for their heartfelt support during the bushfires and to show solidarity during these challenging times. Photo credit Australian Embassy Paris. |
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| | | | | | |  | | Destination Gold Coast announces new CEO | | Destination Gold Coast (DGC) has announced the appointment of Patricia O’Callaghan as the new Chief Executive Officer, effective 23 November 2020. Ms O’Callaghan joins DGC following six years as CEO of Townsville Enterprise, where she was instrumental in attracting major investment to the region and achieving economic growth for her hometown. “Whilst we have many challenges ahead, there are also opportunities that can help us come out of this crisis even stronger than before,” Ms O’Callaghan said. |
|  | | Insider’s guide to the Top End, Red Centre and Tasmania | | The Travel Corporation (TTC) has announced a new program of free live virtual events - The Travel Inspiration Series – launching on 2 December. Viewers will be taken through Tasmania and the Northern Territory on a 45-minute immersive journey to the nations’ most magnificent, close-to-home destinations. Home-grown experts from AAT Kings, Insight Vacations and Inspiring Journeys share information, inspiration, insider tips and exclusive deals to help travellers rediscover the joy of travel and get excited for what’s ahead in 2021. Learn more and register here. |
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| | |  | | Welcome to Country National Launch | | Welcome to Country is the first not for profit marketplace showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences and products across Australia. Soft-launched in the Northern Territory in 2019 with 20 experiences Welcome to Country now has more than 95 experiences across Australia. The marketplace will officially launch nationally online on Wednesday 2 December 2020 at 7.30pm AEST. The launch begins a week-long program of free events including, Rhoda Roberts in conversation with Bruce Pascoe, Joe Williams, Marcia Langton and Victor Steffensen. Find out more here. |
|  | | National Geographic Travel names Lord Howe Island in Best of the World 2021 | | National Geographic Travel has nominated Lord Howe Island among its picks for the top 25 travel destinations for 2021 in its Best of the World list. Inclusion in the prestigious list is a real boost for the tiny World Heritage-listed island situated some 600 kilometres off Australia’s east coast, which reopened in October following a seven-month closure this year due to the threat of the Coronavirus pandemic. |
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| | | | |  | | Xplore Eyre by AWA | | Enjoy exquisite seafood and stunning coastal scenery on the new, three-day Seafood Lovers Tour from Adelaide to Australia's seafood frontier with Xplore Eyre. In partnership with EP Cruisers the tour showcases seafood and the great Australian coastline. Highlights include embarking on a 4-hour cruise to a deserted island for a seafood luncheon, learning to shuck fresh Pacific oysters on the new Smoky Bay Oyster Tour, being entertained during an in-room seafood cooking masterclass with a local Ceduna identity and a four-wheel driving adventure. This small group tour departs Adelaide every Tuesday until the end of March. Xplore Eyre new Seafood Lovers Tour includes return flights from Adelaide, accommodation, meals, beverages and all experiences with a local passionate guide. |
|  | | Opera Australia returns to Uluru for 2021 | | After captivating audiences with its inaugural concert in November 2019, Opera Australia will return to Uluru in September 2021 with four huge performances planned across one weekend. Partnering with Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, guests will have the opportunity to hear some of the world’s finest music performed with the spectacular Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Bruce Munro’s Field of Light Uluru as the backdrop. In 2021, guests can curate their own musical journey by choosing from a range of packages and stand-alone concerts – from an evening performance of Mozart coupled with an open-air dinner at Sails in the Desert, special sunrise performances, a string quartet performing Brahms love songs and a recital by accomplished cellist, Taryn Fiebig. The event will be held from 17 to 19 September 2021. For more information visit Ayers Rock Resort. |
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| | |  | | HeliSpirit has landed in Esperance | | West Australian aviation operator HeliSpirit has launched a new helicopter base offering scenic flights from the Esperance foreshore. Visitors can now see the region’s pristine coastline and the famed pink Lake Hillier on Middle Island from high up in the sky. Other scenic highlight flights include the Recherche Archipelago, Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid National Parks, including Frenchman Peak, Lucky Bay, Hellfire Bay, Blue Haven and Twilight Bay. HeliSpirit have also partnered with Woody Island Eco Tours to offer scenic helicopter transfers out to the island to allow guests to join day tours or self-explore the island. A range of different flights in Esperance are now available and can be booked online at HeliSpirit. |
|  | | Tweed Artisan Food Weekend | | Discover a range of bespoke foodie delights across a four-day long weekend of events that showcase the outstanding culinary flavours, local producers, chefs and farmers of NSW’s Tweed coast and hinterland. Events taking place at the Tweed Artisan Food Weekend range from pasta-making classes to long table luncheons, Trawler-To-Plate-Seafood Cruises, coffee plantation tours, farm visits and farmers markets. The Tweed Artisan Food Weekend will take place from 27 to 30 November. For more information on events throughout the weekend visit Destination Tweed. |
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