Essentials… Register for Tourism Australia’s Webinar | Spotlight on the Regions – UK edition | ‘Open for Business’ bushfire recovery video: Batemans Bay & Mogo and more….

Having trouble reading? View online version 10 March 2021 TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE It was great to see so many of you last week at our Destination Australia Conference. During the day we heard from some really inspiring speakers and I know that for everyone who was able to attend, it was so heart-warming to be able to see each other in person. You can watch a recap of the conference here and see all our industry videos here. Everyone who registered to attend the event (virtual and in-person) can view the recordings of the presentations on the virtual platform for the next month. We will also be loading the recordings and presentations onto the corporate website in the coming weeks. This week, we are hosting our next industry webinar on Friday 12 March at 11am AEDT. We will be joined by Dr Nick Coatsworth, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, who will provide the latest updates on Australia’s  COVID-19 situation and vaccination program. Simon Hickey, CEO of Western Sydney Airport, will talk about the project and what it will mean for tourism in New South Wales; and Brent Anderson, Tourism Australia’s Regional General Manager for South & South-East Asia, will give an update on the current situation in the region. Register here to attend. Phillipa Harrison Spotlight on the Regions This week Tourism Australia is introducing a new section in Essentials, ‘Spotlight on the Regions’. The section will feature interviews with Tourism Australia’s Regional General Managers and Country Managers, who will share insights and observations from their respective countries, as well as updates on key stakeholders and Tourism Australia activity in market. The country featured this week is the United Kingdom. Read the update from Tourism Australia’s Regional General Manager, United Kingdom Sally Cope. Tourism Australia Activity TABIPPO Travel Festa in Japan Tourism Australia recently sponsored TABIPPO Travel Festa, run by TABIPPO digital media in Japan. The online event, which took place over three days in late February and early March, focused on domestic and overseas travel post COVID-19 and featured a number of travel influencers. Tourism Australia used the opportunity to keep Australia top of mind as a holiday destination and reinforce the attractiveness of Australia through the events. Discussions included sustainable holidays in Australia, live streaming with Australia to showcase the Australian lifestyle and virtual tours by tourism suppliers. Tourism Australia’s 8D Videos were also featured to take participants on an immersive tour of Australia. ‘Open for Business’ bushfire recovery video: Batemans Bay and Mogo The next ‘Open for Business’ video in the series has been released. This video features Batemans Bay and Mogo in 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. Applications now open for ATE21 Applications are open for the 2021 Australian Tourism Exchange. This year’s Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) is planned to take place ‘live’ in Sydney and online in June 2021. Tourism Australia is planning a hybrid event that brings together in-person and virtual attendees to connect the Australian tourism industry with international and domestic travel buyers. ATE Live is scheduled for 6 to 9 June 2021 and will be followed by ATE Online from 10 to 17 June. To learn more, visit the ATE website. Applications close 19 March 2021.  Inspiration kept alive in North American Market Tourism Australia recently ran an inspirational campaign in North America to keep Australia top of mind for when borders reopen. The campaign, which featured in the United States (US) and Canada, included a re-launch of an Australian Pinterest account and an Australia news hub on Apple News in the US market with rotating content. Articles can be viewed on Apple mobile devices, here and here. US and Canadian audiences engaged heavily with the campaign and their appetite for inspirational travel content demonstrated a strong interest in travel to Australia.   Australian Open screened for preferred partners in India Tourism Australia, in partnership with Visit Victoria, organised a screening of the Australian Open Men’s finals for Key Distribution Partners, Premier Aussie Specialists and media in India. The purpose of the event was to keep the lights on, reinforce mateship with key partners and inspire them to promote Australia, once borders reopen. The Acting Australian Consul General in Mumbai, Michael Brown, attended the event and reiterated the importance of the broader Australia and India relationship and its long-term potential. Virtual Travel Agent Training in Germany In February, the Tourism Australia team in Germany attended a virtual travel agent training event hosted by FVW, the biggest trade media outlet in the German market. More than 2,500 travel agents visited the virtual trade show, with the Tourism Australia team providing a dedicated destination update and manning the Australia ‘virtual booth’. The two-day event provided many new industry contacts and reinforced existing relationships. 8D Escapes receives awards at Japan film festival Tourism Australia’s ‘8D Escapes’ series won 'Best of the Best Web Series' category at the annual Japan World’s Tourism Film Festival 2021 held from 2 to 3 March 2021. It is the only film festival in Japan to focus on tourism films and is the only film festival in East Asia associated with the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals. ‘8D Escapes’ also won third prize in the Tourism Destinations – Country category. There were 1,207 submissions to the film festival this year. South Australian Tourist Commission’s promotion video 'South Australia: hear it, touch it, see it to believe it' won the Grand Prix and Best of the Tourism Destinations – Regions. Aboriginal painting workshop for European media Almost 40 media representatives from Germany, Italy and France enjoyed a creative start to their morning last month. During a virtual dot painting workshop with Discover Aboriginal Experiences member Maruku Arts participants learnt about the meaning of ancient stories and art in the Anangu culture and used this knowledge to paint their own stories using material and a symbols reference guide. Through a live stream, they followed local Anangu artist, Joanne Cooley, creating her artwork in the stunning setting of Uluru-Kata Tjuta. An overview of Indigenous tours and experiences across Australia was provided. The feedback from media was overwhelmingly positive and resulted in coverage about the workshop and Australia’s Indigenous culture. Tourism Industry News New Destination NSW Chair appointed NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, has announced Ms Christine McLoughlin as the new Chair of Destination NSW and thanked outgoing Chair John Warn for his service. Ms McLoughlin’s other directorship experience includes current Chair of Suncorp Group, Director of Venues NSW, Director of Cochlear Limited, Chancellor of the University of Wollongong, Director of the McGrath Foundation and Chair and Co-Founder of the Minerva Network. Grow with Google OnAir Tourism businesses are being invited to Grow with Google OnAir Australia: a free three-part online event series designed to help small to medium businesses show up and stand out online. Focused on the travel industry, the series will discuss industry trends, insights, and examples of how travel businesses can grow using digital marketing. The series will cover how to create and manage a Business Profile on Google, how to grow brand awareness using Google Ads; and how to turn data into actionable insights with Google Analytics. Register online here. Sessions will stream at 2:00pm AEDT on 11, 18 and 25 March 2021. Australian Stories Sculpture at Scenic World returns this autumn after two-year hiatus Set within the lush rainforest of the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains, outdoor exhibition Sculpture at Scenic World will return from 1 April to 2 May after a two-year hiatus. The outdoor sculpture exhibition will once again transform the ancient rainforest into an open-air gallery, inviting visitors to experience art and nature in new ways, with sculptures and bold installations from both established and emerging artists. Visitors can enjoy the exhibition at their own pace with entry via the Cableway or Railway, while taking in the exquisite views of the Three Sisters rock formation. Tickets are on sale now via the website. Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tours latest operator to join Discover Aboriginal Experiences Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tours has joined the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective. Discover how the Bardi Jawi people have lived to the rhythm of the tides for tens of thousands of years as you explore the dramatic landscape surrounding Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm on Western Australia's Dampier Peninsula, a two-hour drive north of Broome. Join Bardi man, Terry Hunter, on his captivating two-hour walking tour of Australia’s oldest continuously operating pearl farm. The tour is highly interactive – forage for bush tucker, seek out fresh water on salty tidal flats and learn to identify medicinal plants. To book Terry’s walking tour, visit the website. Alice Springs' Parrtjima Festival Will Light Up the Red Centre in April The Northern Territory’s brightest festival, Parrtjima – A Festival in Light, will run from 9 to 18 April and promises an incredible experience in Australia’s beautiful Red Centre with a range of world-class artists, musicians and speakers. Casey Donovan, Electric Fields, and Shellie Morris are just some of the names that will perform on stage against a backdrop like no other - the ancient MacDonnell Ranges. Author Bruce Pascoe and Professor Marcia Langton join a varied list of speakers, and there are more workshops than ever this year, including fabric and textiles with National Indigenous Fashion Awards Director Nina Fitzgerald, and Namatjira landscape painting. Plus, bushfood tasting with Rayleen Brown from Kungkas Can Cook. Visit the website to register for the free event and find out more. Indigenous Artists-in-Residence Program at Longitude 131° Australia’s most remote luxury outpost, Longitude 131°, has announced dates for its popular Indigenous Artists-in-Residence program for 2021. With five visits currently scheduled through April to November, the program sees the artists travel from their home in the Pukatja Homelands to Longitude 131°, which lies at the gateway to the World Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The artists spend a few days setting up an open studio in the Dune House and painting with a view of Uluru. The program offers the guests a chance to meet the artists from the Ernabella Arts Community whose vibrant ceramics, paintings and weavings are seen around the luxury basecamp. Proceeds from the artwork commissions and sales contribute directly to the community’s income, ensuring the sustainable economic growth and preservation of culture for its residents. For more information and reservations visit the website.  NEWS IN BRIEF Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine roll-out update Cairns Holiday Dollars New heat map shows areas hardest hit by drop in tourism QLD COVID restrictions ease Virgin Australia says mid-market strategy will flourish once it can resume normal operations Victoria to return to ‘very low risk’ status for WA from 15 March WOMAD and State of Origin return to SA 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.