Traveling Blog: Essentials this week… Australia wins Women’s T20 World Cup | Destination Australia Conference | Australian Tourism Awards

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11 March 2020

Australia wins Women’s T20 World Cup in front of a record-breaking crowd

Australia claimed a fifth women's T20 World Cup, beating India by 85 runs in front of a record-breaking 86,174 spectators at the MCG on Sunday 8 March, International Women’s Day. The huge crowd smashed the Australian record for the highest attendance at a women's sporting event. Tourism Australia, together with Visit Victoria hosted a delegation of influential guests from India at the match. Among the delegation were chef and television presenter Sanjeev Kapoor, award-winning actor Mithila Palkar, female sports commentator Mandira Bedi, veteran sports journalist and writer Ayaz Memon and renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle who also took part in a tailored itinerary of experiences around Victoria and Australia.

Destination Australia Conference kicks off tomorrow

Tourism Australia’s annual ‘Destination Australia’ Conference kicks off tomorrow at the Adelaide Oval. Speakers at the recovery-themed event include: world-renowned author, international speaker and story-coach Jay Golden; the Airport Economist, Tim Harcourt; and The Savage Company, Chief Executive, Chris Savage. Tourism Australia will also unveil the campaign film for its re-vamped international marketing campaign, There’s Still Nothing Like Australia.

Tourism Australia News AND EVENTS

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REMINDED THAT AUSTRALIA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Tourism Australia’s UK PR team hosted a ‘Destination Australia’ pavilion at TravMedia’s International Media Marketplace in London earlier this week. Together with colleagues from the six UK-based STO offices, Signature Experiences of Australia and Discover Aboriginal Experiences, the team held nearly 600 meetings with key travel journalists and thought-leaders, spreading the word that Australia is open for business over the course of the two day event. At the evening reception, TV presenter and wildlife enthusiast Ray Mears spoke about his recent trip to Australia and of the country’s resilience and already-visible recovery.

VTIC 2020 VISITOR ECONOMY FORUM

Last week the Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) hosted the VTIC 2020 Visitor Economy Forum. The event provided Victorian tourism operators with an opportunity to share information and gain critical updates from VTIC, Tourism Australia and Visit Victoria on the recovery activities they are being undertaken to support the industry in the wake of the bushfires and the coronavirus.

TRAVELOGUE TO SHOWCASE AUSTRALIA IN JAPAN

Japanese travel show ABC Tabi Salad are this month visiting Australia to film stories in WA and NSW. The programme will be a great opportunity to showcase Australia and remind Japanese tourists that Australia is still welcoming visitors. The visit is supported by Tourism Western Australia, Destination New South Wales and All Nippon Airways (ANA), under Tourism Australia’s International Media Hosting Program. In September 2019 ANA started their new service from Tokyo-Narita to Perth. Additionally, a double daily service will commence from the end of March 2020 from Tokyo-Haneda to Sydney.

Australian Stories

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON ALICE SPRINGS REOPENS WITH A NEW LOOK

DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs is set to reopen next month as part of a major $6 million renovation and reimagining of the outback property. All 235 rooms have been fitted with a new look and feel, offering a more inviting setting for guests to relax and unwind in comfort and style. Guest facilities include a restaurant serving modern Australian cuisine, fitness centre, tennis courts and a heated swimming pool overlooking the newly landscaped gardens with views over the MacDonnell Ranges. The hotel is located around 15kms from Alice Springs Airport and is now open for bookings.

FORTITUDE VALLEY WELCOMES A NEW ROOFTOP BAR

Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley is now home to a new rooftop bar, Dirty Sultan, offering Turkish-vibes and skyline views over ‘The Valley’. Located on the Tryp Hotel rooftop, Dirty Sultan is also home to Brisbane’s newest shisha lounge, where Middle Eastern flavours are the star of the show. Expect custom cocktails, shared plates and an awesome ambiance at this rooftop revenue, which is open daily from 7am – 10am, and again from 2pm – late. Only 10-minute drive from Brisbane’s CBD, Dirty Sultan is now open.

WINE DOWN POP UP RETURNS TO VICTORIA'S VINEYARDS

Back by popular demand, Contained is bringing back their popular Wine Down Pop Up series of unique and exclusive vineyard escapes for 2020. In partnership with Visit Victoria, guests will experience the best of Victoria’s wine regions, local produce and activities whilst sleeping among the Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Muscat grape vines. The series will take place across three wine regions including Yarra Valley (Feb 28 – Mar 28), Mornington Peninsula (Apr 3 – May 2) and Rutherglen (May 8 – Jun 7). More information on locations and dates can be found online.

EXCITING NEW EXPERIENCES AT PARRTJIMA FESTIVAL

The Red Centre will light up for the annual event Parrtjima: A Festival in Light, set to take place over in the Alice Springs from 3-12 April. The only Aboriginal light festivals of its kind, the 2020 program includes two exciting new experiences; Dine under the stars at Merne - a dinner in the desert where guests can feast on a menu crafted around bushfoods by chef Mark Olive. And a new cooking Masterclass with renowned bush tucker supplier Rayleen Brown from Kungkas Can Cook.
The full program is available online.

Industry News AND Events

AUSTRALIA TOURISM AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The Qantas Australian Tourism Awards were held last week in Canberra to recognize and promote excellence in tourism. Congratulations to the 2019 Award winners who were selected from over 200 incredible finalists.

INBOUNDER: A NEW VOICE FOR AUSTRALIA'S EXPORT TOURISM INDUSTRY

The Australian Tourism Export Council has launched a new communication vehicle for the inbound tourism industry. 'Inbounder' seeks to be the Australian inbound tourism industry’s platform for communication, thought leadership, destination marketing, product innovation, ideas and inspiration. The Inbounder ‘Recovery’ edition is now available. Subscribe here to receive Inbounder quarterly.

NEWS IN BRIEF
As the coronavirus virus continues to spread, authorities have cancelled SXSW in Texas, and Dark Mofo in Tasmania.

Funding opportunity for Queensland events - Round 16 of the Queensland Destination Events Program (QDEP), delivered by Tourism and Events Queensland, is now open to events across the state taking place from January 2021 to January 2022.

Checking the course for regional aviation - The Government has released an Issues Paper, the first step in preparing the Regional Aviation Policy Statement, for public consultation. The Issues Paper will help all stakeholders assess the challenges, risks and opportunities for regional aviation operators and the communities in which they operate. Submissions are due by 17 April 2020.

Sunshine Coast wins right to host the 2021 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards - Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones announced the win at the 2020 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Canberra last Friday night.

The Northern Territory’s Tourism Towards 2030 Conference will be held on 25 March in Darwin and 27 March in Alice Springs addressing the theme, "Tourism Excellence". Click here to register.

A new look True North - Adventure-cruise ship True North recently underwent its annual refit in the port city of Fremantle. The ship is removed from the water every year and no expense is spared restoring it to show-room condition.