Essentials… National Experience Content Initiative | Spotlight on the Regions – Europe | ‘Open for Business’ bushfire recovery video featuring Shoalhaven and more….

Having trouble reading? View online version 24 March 2021 TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE I would like to extend my heartfelt thoughts to those communities and people affected by the current floods. I know many people are facing a very difficult time, and for some it could potentially impact the upcoming easter travel period. It was however encouraging to see blue skies start to return to some of the flood affected regions today. We did have some good news last Friday though - Air New Zealand will be introducing a new direct flight from Auckland to Hobart as soon as quarantine travel is allowed between the two countries. Tourism Minister the Hon Dan Tehan said last week that the government hopes to have the two-way bubble open in the coming weeks, and the New Zealand Prime Minister also flagged progress on confirming the trans-Tasman travel bubble date shortly. Phillipa Harrison National Experience Content Initiative Last week, Tourism Australia launched the National Experience Content Initiative. The initiative will run until June 2022 and Tourism Australia is working closely with all State and Territory Tourism Organisations (STOs) and relevant Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) to select the experiences. Tourism Australia has established a comprehensive eligibility criteria and the experiences chosen will demonstrate the uniqueness and diversity of experiences on offer across the region. Experiences will need to: Align to Tourism Australia’s brand pillars of natural beauty, food and drink, wildlife and culture, Demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, Be trade ready, Have an up to date ATDW listing, and Have a COVID Safe plan. For more information on how to get involved please contact Dominic Mehling (who looks after ACT, NSW, QLD and NT) or Sophie Treasure (who looks after VIC, SA, TAS and WA). Tourism Australia Activity Spotlight on the Regions - Europe This week, Tourism Australia’s ‘Spotlight on the Regions’ features an interview with Eva Seller, Tourism Australia’s Regional General Manager Continental Europe, who shares insights and observations from Europe, as well as updates on key stakeholders and Tourism Australia activity in market. Read the update here. ‘Open for Business’ bushfire recovery video: Shoalhaven The next ‘Open for Business’ video in the series has been released. This video features the bushfire affected region of Shoalhaven, New South Wales and can be viewed here. The series is a collaboration between the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and Tourism Australia and illustrates the recovery of communities impacted by the 2019/20 summer bushfires. A total of 15 videos will be released, sharing stories from bushfire affected regions across Australia. Register to attend Tourism Australia’s Market Briefings Tourism Australia is holding a series of Market Briefings for the Australian Industry ahead of the 2021 Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE21). The briefings will update the tourism industry on the state of play in Tourism Australia’s key markets and guest speakers will join the Tourism Australia team on each of the updates. The briefings will also assist with the preferencing process for those attending ATE21. Find out more and register here. Business Events Australia toolkit launched Business Events Australia has launched a toolkit of assets as part of a broader recovery strategy to support industry amid the ongoing impact of COVID-19. The new initiative will provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for Australian industry and international customers to access marketing assets free of charge for use in a broad range of marketing initiatives, from selling Australia’s business events offering to increasing delegate attendance to confirmed events for Australia. Assets include video vignettes and marketing collateral promoting key Australian business event destinations; information on funding programs; a social media guide; and a suite of logos. Download the assets now via the Business Events Australia folder in Tourism Australia’s Resource Hub. Indonesian travellers take a virtual tour of Brisbane and surrounds Around 130 customers of Indonesian travel agent, Panen Tour, explored Brisbane and surrounds through a virtual tour led by Indonesian vlogger, Ryan Rebi who is based in Brisbane. The 90-minute talk show transported viewers to Brisbane through fun videos of helicopter tours, river cruise, walking tours of South Bank and animal encounters at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Ryan also held a live broadcast from Tangalooma Island Resort where went quad biking and sand tobogganing in addition to answering questions from the audience and sharing tips on planning a holiday to Queensland. The event was supported by Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland. Destination Australia 2021 wrap Tourism Australia hosted the seventh annual Destination Australia conference on 4 March 2021 at the ICC Sydney. Recordings, photos and presentations from the day are now available on Tourism Australia’s corporate website. After the unprecedented challenges of 2020, the conference focussed on the future of Australian tourism, with high profile speakers sharing consumer insights, global trends and discussing key opportunities for the tourism industry in a post-COVID world. Destination Australia was also offered online for those who were unable to attend in person.  Hong Kong Facebook fans have their questions answered Marking the one-year anniversary of Hong Kong’s media familiarisation trip with Sony Music to Queensland, the second phase of the campaign has been launched on Tourism Australia’s Hong Kong Facebook page. Singer, Jason Chan, and his wife, Leanne Fu have produced a video which is being promoted on the page. The couple answered some burning questions from their fans about their trip in Queensland and shared travelling experiences and recommendations about Australia in the footage. Watch the video here.  Japanese Aussie Specialists live stream city famils Tourism Australia has recently welcomed Aussie Specialists to two series of Virtual City Walking Tours in Sydney and Melbourne. The famils provided free online training for these frontline travel sellers in Japan. The virtual live streaming city tour was the first ever conducted for the Aussie Specialists by Tourism Australia. Japanese speaking guides travelled on foot, tram and ferry, showcasing landmarks and new products in each city and incorporated a live question and answer session. Over 200 Aussie Specialists had the opportunity to be immersed in the best the cities have to offer. Due to the success of the events additional familiarisations are being considered other major gateways. Tourism Industry News Inaugural meeting of the new National Indigenous Tourism Advisory Group The Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, yesterday launched the first meeting of the National Indigenous Tourism Advisory Group (NITAG) and welcomed the members that will ensure the $40 million Indigenous Tourism Fund is Indigenous led. The Indigenous Tourism Fund is a comprehensive package of business support and grants, designed in consultation with Indigenous tourism businesses to support the growth of the sector. Read more here. Digital tools to help Australian businesses The Australian Government has launched a range of digital tools to help Australian businesses to reach new international markets and customers. The export.business.gov.au website features interactive market insights, trends as well as information on grants, funding, local laws and regulations, distribution and shipping. The Australian Government funded the site through its $21.4 million commitment for a Trade Information Service to support Australian businesses to access new international markets. Read more here.  Tourism jobs figures Tourism related jobs increased 5.1 per cent in December quarter 2020, according to figures released by the ABS. Jonathon Khoo, ABS head of Tourism Statistics, said, "We have seen 58,000 tourism jobs added in Australia since the low in June 2020. Recovery in tourism jobs has not been equal across industries. Industries like Road transport and Retail trade have grown, while others like Air transport, Cultural services, and Accommodation have been slower to regain jobs lost during the March and June quarters of last year". Part-time jobs saw stronger growth during the quarter (up 5.9 per cent), leading to the second consecutive quarter where total part-time jobs exceed total full-time jobs. Expression of interest open for new Sydney Solstice event The NSW Government is offering Sydney’s restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, promoters and cultural institutions a package of financial and promotional support to create unique experiences for residents and visitors as part of a new winter event Sydney Solstice. A compelling new initiative, developed by Destination NSW, Sydney Solstice will present 10 days of food, beverages, music and arts events in four Sydney precincts from 8 to 20 June. Venues, chefs, artists, musicians, event producers and curators are invited to come up with creative ways to showcase Sydney’s innovation, diversity and vibrant culture. For more information visit www.sydneysolstice.com.  Australian Stories Kingfisher Tours joins Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective Kingfisher Tours has joined Discover Aboriginal Experiences' collective of extraordinary Aboriginal tourism experiences across Australia. Using only local Aboriginal guides to lead its single and multi-day explorations of Western Australia’s beautiful Kimberley region, guests can gain a deeper understanding of the key places within the region, from the World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park, to the jaw-dropping four-tiered Punamii-Uunpuu, and the islands scattered along the Kalumburu Coast. Departing from Broome, Kununurra or Darwin, tours begin with a scenic flight over the spectacular Kimberley landscape, followed by a traditional Welcome to Country ceremony. This sets the tone for meaningful hikes to rock art sites, 4WD adventures to a remote Aboriginal community, and forging unforgettable connections around the campfire. With tours running from April-September, tours can be booked now through the website.  Newy Rides launches a progressive ‘Ride Along’ lunch series with ex-Rockpool chef Newcastle-based bike tour company, Newy Rides has partnered with ex-Rockpool chef Joel Humphreys to create its new ‘Ride Along’ lunch series, which allows you to ride from venue to venue with the masters behind the menus. The day includes a specially curated 3-course menu, including wine pairings, with guests travelling between courses by bike. Along with Newcastle-local Joel Humphreys, guests will be joined by local winemaker, Daniel Payne from Dirt Candy Wines who will be pouring wine at each stop, as well as Cameron Burns from Earp Distilling Co who will be creating a one-off gin for the event. The series will run over two Saturdays in May (1st and 8th) with just 12 seats per event. Tickets are available to buy on the website. New Indigenous experience launched at Gemtree Wines in South Australia Gemtree Wines, a member of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia, has launched a new Indigenous experience, Tirkandi – an inspiring journey of Culture, Connection and Country. Through small group events, taking place from March to October 2021, Karl Winda Telfer from the Kaurna Nation shares his knowledge and heritage within the idyllic setting of the Gemtree Eco-Trail, set amongst the native gumtrees of McLaren Vale. The Tirkandi experience continues in the Gemtree Tasting Room, where guests can sample some of the finest Gemtree wines, which are both organic and biodynamic. To find out more about the experience and to make a booking, visit the website. Cradle Mountain transformed into autumn dreamland during Festival of Fagus The Festival of Fagus, held in the alpine region of Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain, invites nature lovers to experience the turning of the leaves of Australia's only native deciduous plant, Nothofagus gunnii or as it is more commonly known, ‘Fagus’. The festival is a celebration of autumn and the wilderness – witness the mountain turn a spectacular orange as the ornate leaves of these native plants change colour and eventually fall. The Festival of Fagus will run from 24 April to 9 May 2021 and is set to draw together a series of events and experiences to help visitors get the most out of the experience, including photography workshops, guided walks, gin and chocolate masterclasses and Paint ‘n’ Sip workshops. For more information about the festival and to book experiences visit the website. NEWS IN BRIEF $1.1 bn to extend Australia’s COVID response 2021 Why Australia Benchmark Report Adelaide’s ‘mad March’ has provided a strong boost for SA Australian Government campaign against misinformation on COVID vaccines January arrivals figures NZ Tourism Minister on ‘old tourism model’ Qld resuming quarantine free travel with NZ Registrations for Tourism Towards 2030 Conference closing soon  Round three of ‘Great State Vouchers’ return in South Australia Support for aviation industry Support for PNG’s COVID response Support for travel agents Trans-Tasman bubble to commence within weeks tourism.australia.com Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Contact Us To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. This email was sent to latestnews401.travel@blogger.com Unsubscribe or manage subscriptions Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.