Essentials this week… | HICAP | Tourism Investment Monitor | Adventure Travel World Summit | Rocky & Mayur’s Offbeat Australia | and more…

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25 October 2017     Australian tourism investment opportunities promoted to global investors Global investors attending the largest annual hotel investment conference in the Asia Pacific region were updated on Australian tourism investment opportunities last week. Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP, conducted one-on-one meetings with key investors to encourage them to expand their investments in Australian tourism infrastructure. Tourism Australia and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) jointly hosted an investor lunch event with 70 international and Australian investors and industry. This was the sixth consecutive year Australia has been represented at the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) conference in Hong Kong as part of a strategic initiative to promote Australian tourism investment opportunities.     25 October 2017     Australia’s tourism investment pipeline There were 204 projects in the tourism investment pipeline in 2016–17, valued at $37.8 billion according to Tourism Research Australia’s Tourism Investment Monitor 2017. The strength of the investment pipeline is supported by continued interest from foreign investors in Australia, particularly around accommodation projects.

TOURISM AUSTRALIA NEWS  Australia on show at Adventure Travel World Summit Tourism Australia launched the second year of its partnership with the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) with a major sponsorship of the 2017 Adventure Travel World Summit in Salta, Argentina. Tourism Australia and state and territory tourism representatives participated in media events and marketplace appointments with 850 buyers and industry to build Australia’s profile as an adventure destination. Aboriginal Australia was featured including a special guest artist, Joanne Sissy Cooley, from Maraku Arts artist creating a dot painting throughout the conference with silent bid proceeds donated to ATTA’s Conservation Fund. John Daw, executive officer of Australian Wildlife Journeys, led a panel discussion of operators in the collection and Great Walks of Australia was also in attendance. Indian viewers see ‘Offbeat Australia’ with Rocky and Mayur A new 16-episode travel TV series about Australia featuring India’s favourite globetrotting duo, Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma, is expected to reach around 25 million viewers. Filmed  in the Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, Rocky & Mayur’s Offbeat Australia showcases some of Australia’s lesser known tourism experiences. The show went live on popular Indian travel channel, Living Foodz, on 22 September and will run throughout October and November. Rocky and Mayur also attended Tourism Australia’s recent India Travel Mission to share their Aussie adventures with the delegates. Kuala Lumpur becomes 'Koala' Lumpur for a day Malaysia welcomed the 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay last week on its way to the host city, Queensland’s Gold Coast. The Games’ official mascot Borobi flew in specially from the Gold Coast and received a warm welcome in Malaysia, a nation with strong ties to the Commonwealth Games. Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland invited key distribution partners and media to join the contingent carrying the Baton. To showcase the Gold Coast as an active lifestyle destination, Borobi will also welcome Rimau, the mascot of Team Malaysia, to the Gold Coast as part of a unique mascot themed famil with Malaysian broadcaster Astro Arena. Entertainment Tonight airs special Whitsundays segment One of the top rating TV shows in the US, Entertainment Tonight (ET), aired a special segment on the Whitsundays this week with host Cameron Mathison visiting the region to showcase the multitude of experiences for visitors. Supported by Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland, ET’s coverage also aims to promote the region’s recovery following Cyclone Debbie. Activities filmed include snorkelling Hardy Reef, a scenic helicopter flight over Heart Reef, a superyacht cruise to Whitehaven Beach for a picnic, a round of golf at Hamilton Island Golf Course, visiting the dingoes at WILD LIFE Hamilton Island and banana boating at Airlie Beach. The piece also touched on the region’s resilience and recovery in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.

AUSTRALIAN STORIES  Canberra named in world’s top 10 cities to visit in 2018 Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018 has ranked Canberra number three in the world’s Top 10 Cities to visit next year. This is the highest ranking that any Australian city has received from Lonely Planet. The travel guide calls out the city’s national treasures, boutique precincts and gastronomy as standout experiences along with the city’s first International Test cricket match and the 100th anniversary of the WWI Armistice as highlight events for 2018. One year to go until the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 This week marks one year to go until the Invictus Games Sydney, the international sporting event for wounded defence personnel founded by Prince Harry. More than 500 competitors from 18 nations will compete in 11 sports from 20-27 October in 2018, with events staged across Greater Sydney, including Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Opera House which will host the Opening Ceremony. HYPER REAL exhibition opens at the National Gallery of Australia The National Gallery of Australia has launched their latest exhibition Hyper Real which explores the concept of human form through the hyperrealism genre. The exhibition will run until 18 February 2018 and displays some of the world’s most incredible true-to-life sculpted forms alongside recent kinetic, biological and virtual creations. Wayoutback launches day tour through West MacDonnell Ranges Wayoutback has launched a new one-day tour exploring the West MacDonnell Ranges in the Red Centre. Departing from Alice Springs, the tour includes a hike along the Ghost Gum Walk into the majestic Ormiston Gorge, a visit of the World Heritage-listed Ochre Pits and picnic lunch and afternoon swim at the Ellery Creek Big Hole.

INDUSTRY NEWS AND EVENTS  European Product Workshop 2018 Seller applications for the European Product Workshop 2018 are open until Friday 27 October. Hosted by Tourism Australia and Tourism New Zealand the event is an opportunity for new tourism product from Australia and New Zealand to meet with key buyers from the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. The European Product Workshop will be held in London from 19 to 21 March 2018. Walkabout Japan 2018 Seller applications for Walkabout Japan 2018 are open until Tuesday 31 October. Walkabout Japan is Tourism Australia’s premier trade event for Australian tourism businesses to engage with key Japanese travel agencies from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Thirty Australian tourism businesses will be selected to represent a cross-section of Australian experiences that are attractive to the Japanese market. State, Territory and Regional Tourism organisations will also attend. Walkabout Japan 2018 will be held in Karuizawa, 70 minutes by fast train from Tokyo, from 27 February to 1 March. Travel motivations of Asia Pacific Travellers Food and dining is the most popular activity among Malaysian travellers (77 per cent), while nature and scenery was a top travel interest for those from Indonesia (83 per cent) according to Agoda’s latest Travel & Tech study. Singaporean consumers rated shopping the highest (66 per cent) in the study, also indicating their preference to stay in a 4 or 5-star luxury hotel as part of their travel experience. For more research and trends related to international and domestic tourism and travel visit Tourism Australia’s Insight Files. Industry Briefings in NSW, SA, TAS and ACT Tourism Australia has opened registration for four free-of-charge industry briefings: in Sydney on Thursday 9 November from 9 - 11.30am at the Hilton; in Adelaide on Friday 10 November from 2 - 4pm at the Playford; in Hobart on Friday 10 November from 2 - 4pm at the Hobart Function and Conference Centre; and in Canberra at Hotel Realm from 2 – 4pm on Friday 17 November. The briefings will involve senior executives from Tourism Australia and state and territory tourism organisations providing an update on current and future activity and sharing research and insights from key international markets.

NEWS IN BRIEF    The list of Australian batonbearers who participate in Queen’s Baton Relay for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games has been announced. The first Qantas Dreamliner touched down in Sydney last week. Qantas will have eight Dreamliner in its fleet by the end of 2018 for long haul flying. Destination NSW has launched three new television commercials as part of its Sydney in Summer campaign. The Qantas Australian Tourism Awards will be held at the new Perth Stadium on Friday 23 February 2018. Tickets are on sale for the 2017 Canberra Region Tourism Awards on Friday 17 November at the National Museum of Australia. Tickets are on sale for the 2017 RACV Victorian Tourism Awards on Thursday 23 November at Palladiam Crown in Melbourne.     Tickets are on sale for the 2017 South Australian Tourism Awards on Friday 10 November at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Tickets are on sale for the 2017 Queensland Tourism Awards on Friday 10 November at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Tickets are on sale for the 2017 NSW Tourism Awards on Thursday 16 November at the International Convention Centre Sydney. Registration is open for the Youth & Backpacker Travel Week Australia 2017 on Queensland's Gold Coast from Monday 6 November to Friday 10 November. 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.

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