Essentials this week… National Reconciliation Week | Live from Aus streaming program | Virtual media event and more….

Having trouble reading? View online version 27 May 2020 TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE Today marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, a time to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island history, culture and achievements. A big part of what makes Australia a beautiful and unique destination is our incredible Indigenous tourism experiences and to acknowledge this, we have highlighted some of them in today’s edition. With the various state and territory governments announcing further easing of social distancing and travel restrictions over recent days, Tourism Australia is starting to evolve its domestic campaign activity with out of home and digital campaign activity continuing to inspire all of us. We are also continuing our Live from Aus campaign and rolling out a range of activity focused on encouraging Australians to get out and travel again once it is safe to do so.  Register here for our next webinar this Friday 29 May at 11am. The Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism, Senator Jonathon Duniam, will be joining the webinar to share an update on regional tourism. We will be joined by Neville Power, Chair of the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission, who will give an update on the work of the Commission and Bradley Woods, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Hotels Association (WA), who will share his thoughts on restarting the tourism sector. Phillipa Harrison COVIDSafe App The Australian Government’s COVIDSafe app has been downloaded more than six million times in the last month. The free app is helping state and territory public health officials automate and improve manual contact tracing of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The app is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play. For more information on the Government’s response to COVID-19, click here.  Tourism AUSTRALIA activity Virtual media event During the coming months, Tourism Australia will be organising a series of themed webinars targeting international and domestic media. The webinars will feature Australian tourism industry operators, speaking to key themes that resonate with travel media. Potential themes will include adventure, wellness, resilience and recovery, family travel, road trips, food and drink, Indigenous tourism experiences and destination spotlights, plus more. For operators interested in participating as a panellist in a specific themed webinar, please send your details to mediahosting @tourism.australia.com. Live from Aus streaming program continues Tourism Australia is continuing to live stream incredible tourism experiences from across the country on its Facebook page. Last week’s segments included mountain biking in the Snowy Mountains, a night out with Luke Mangan and an exclusive tour of the National Gallery of Victoria. On Monday, Tourism Australia live streamed croissant baking with Kate Reid from Lune in Melbourne. Later this week, Tourism Australia will be featuring dolphin feeding at Tangalooma Bay in Queensland and Indigenous tourism experiences with Didj Experiences in the Northern Territory.  Great Australian road trips Tourism Australia is encouraging consumers to start thinking about all the amazing road trips they can take around the Australia once it is safe to travel. From meeting friendly locals, visiting unique towns and experiencing the many roadhouses and restaurants along the way, road tripping is one of the best ways to see Australia. Not to mention seeing close-up some of the world's most breathtaking scenery. Let these images inspire you and start planning your itinerary.  Tourism Australia activity in Hong Kong To show support for its local trade partners in Hong Kong, the Tourism Australia team in Hong Kong has created an uplifting video. The video features 31 key distribution partners, 17 representatives from Tourism Australia and State and Territory Tourism Organisation partners singing the “Aussie Bright Sky”. The video aims to spread positivity and mateship during these challenging times. Watch the video here.  Tourism Industry News Australian Tourism Export Council COVID Ready program In response to strong demand received from the tourism industry, the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) has developed a ‘COVID READY’ program to provide tourism businesses with confidence and clarity they need to operate their businesses in a COVID world. ATEC’s COVID READY program will provide participants with a tourism-specific COVID READY toolkit, online ‘how-to’ sector specific workshops to guide businesses through developing their ‘COVID READY Customer Experience Plan’ and recognition badging through the industry trade directory of COVID READY operators. The program launches on Thursday 28 May with a special introductory webinar –‘Operating with Confidence in a COVID World’. Register here for the webinar. Australian Tourism Industry Council COVID Clean Practising Business program The Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) has launched the COVID Clean Practising Business online program. The program assists tourism businesses develop plans and procedures to create and maintain a COVIDSafe workplace and operations. The program represents a core component of the long-standing Quality Tourism Framework. Using workplace health and safety standards and reflecting individual state or territory requirements, the COVID Clean Practising Business program develops customised cleaning checklists that are specifically tailored for tourism businesses. Read more here.  Australian Stories  Walk in the footsteps of Melbourne’s Aboriginal clans with Koorie Heritage Trust While many of Australia’s Indigenous experiences take place in the ‘outback’, Melbourne’s Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT), a new member of Discover Aboriginal Experiences, offers a deep look into Aboriginal Australia within an urban city setting. Located in Federation Square, visitors can browse the KHT museum-style collection which includes pre-colonisation artefacts such as hunting tools and shields and post-colonisation pieces. For a more absorbing, and often deeply personal experience, take a guided walk with one of the Trust’s Aboriginal guides who share their stories as they lead guests through the city. The one-hour Birrarung Wilam (River Camp) Walk leaves from Federation Square and heads to the banks of the Yarra River. While KHT is temporarily closed, they have a fantastic KHT Online Program including special features for children. The KHT team looks forward to welcoming guests back soon.  Buckle up for a wild ride to an ancient outback art gallery with Jarramali Rock Art Tours Kuku Yalanji man, Johnny Murison, was out exploring northern Queensland’s bushland when he made the discovery of Quinkan rock art estimated to be 20,000 years old. Inspired by his discovery, he decided to launch the adrenaline-pumping tourism venture Jarramali Rock Art Tours which shares age-old wisdom with guests. An authentic Aboriginal cultural experience, visitors can either book a 4WD transfer from Cairns, Northern Beaches or Port Douglas, or choose to fly in via a scenic helicopter to enjoy a day trip or overnight experience. Those who opt for the 4WD can expect their experience to start on the road as Murison points out highlights and tells Dreaming stories about how the landscape was created. Perfect for those who are looking for an intimate multi-dimensional experience, Jarramali Rock Art Tours to the ‘Magnificent’ rock art gallery are taking bookings from 19 July. Learn about the world’s oldest continuous culture from an Aboriginal guide It’s often who you meet when you travel in Australia that stays with you, like Manuel Pamkal from Top Didj Cultural Experience & Art Gallery in Katherine, NT. While Manuel has been keeping busy with his virtual art sessions, he is looking forward to welcoming guests back to the gallery from 6 June to take part in his artist-led experience, where guests will hear tales of life growing up in the bush whilst also creating their own art masterpiece. From gateway destinations like Sydney, to Central Australia or the red earth of the Kimberley, Aboriginal people across the country are waiting to tell their stories and share the meaning of their local culture and way of life. For more unique stories, experiences and to meet some of Australia’s favourite storytellers visit Discover Aboriginal Experiences. Spirits of the Red Sand – Bringing Cultures Together From 12 June, guests can again enjoy the interactive theatrical performance of Spirits of the Red Sand, a member of the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective. Experience Aboriginal stories told through dance in this interactive 2.5-hour theatre show followed by a three-course dinner. Through vivid storytelling and a live set, meet Jarrah and his brothers and witness firsthand as history comes alive. Journey from the Dreamtime to Australia of the 1800s as all your senses are engaged and the Aboriginal culture, songs, dances, and chats are bought to life. Located in Beenleigh, halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, this cultural awakening will open your eyes to the history, beauty and vibrancy of Aboriginal people and their culture. tourism.australia.com Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Contact Us This email was sent to latestnews401.travel@blogger.com To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add usto your address book or safe list. Unsubscribe or manage subscriptions Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.