| | | | | | | | |  | | TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE | | With some great news this week, recovery is still heading in the right direction, with the release of the latest TRA International Visitor Survey. In the 12 months to June 2023 expenditure was at 77% of 2019 levels. You can read more, including visitor market breakdowns, here. Also growing strongly is China, and in July 2023 arrivals were at 52.6%, compared to July 2019 (up from 34% in May and 20% in February). With almost 80,000 Chinese travellers arriving in Australia in July, China is now our second largest inbound market. On Friday I was at Sydney International Airport to welcome one of the first groups of Approved Destination Status (ADS) travellers to arrive since the scheme recommenced last week, a move which should give a further boost to future arrivals numbers. Also last Friday, we held our September Industry Webinar which included an update from me along with a chat with our Friend of Australia, Dylan Alcott AO around the Shift 20 Initiative and accessible tourism more broadly. We were also joined by Scott Lovett, Northern Territory’s, Deputy Chief Executive - Tourism, Services and Hospitality. A copy of the slides and recording of the webinar can be accessed here. Our next Industry Webinar will be held on Friday 3 November. Register to attend here. Phillipa Harrison | | |
| | | | | | Tourism Australia ACTIVITY | | | | |  | | Registrations are open for Tourism Australia’s Industry Briefings and Networking Events | Industry are invited to register for Tourism Australia’s 2023 Industry Briefings and Networking Events. The free of charge briefings will take place from 4.30pm to 5.30pm and will include an update from Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison followed by a networking event from 5.30pm to 7pm on the following dates:
10 November - Adelaide/Tarntanya
13 November - Melbourne/Narrm
20 November - Brisbane/Meeanjin
27 November - Sydney/Warrane
Register to attend here. Further dates and venues will be announced shortly. | | | | | | |  | | Aussie Specialist Program events in London and Manchester | | Last week the UK Aussie Specialist Program team hosted two ‘Introduction to Australia’ events with Travel Weekly in London and Manchester. As well as Tourism Australia, Qantas, Tourism Northern Territory, South Australia Tourism Commission, Visit Victoria, Tourism Western Australia, Destination New South Wales and Tourism and Events Queensland presented to the attendees. Both evenings also included a short Australian wine tasting session hosted by Brown Family Wine Group. Attended by over 60 agents, the sessions were dedicated training events for agents who were new to selling Australia. One lucky agent each night also won a return flight to Australia with Qantas including eight nights accommodation across four states with various tours. | | |  | | New York Travel Advisors invited to ‘Come and Say G’day’ | | Tourism Australia recently participated in the New York Small Business Network chapter of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) ‘Summer Send Off’ event in New York. Approximately 80 travel advisors met with Tourism Australia at a trade show booth, discussing itinerary options for their clients, with a particular focus on pre and post cruising possibilities. Over a dinner presentation, advisors received training on the latest aviation news as well as how to craft the perfect Australian adventure for their clients. New routes from New York’s JFK airport with both Qantas and Air New Zealand allow travellers from the Tri-State area easier access to Australia than ever before, and there was much excitement around Qantas’ Project Sunrise, launching soon with non-stop services from New York to Sydney. | | | | | | | |  | | New international business events research | | Tourism Australia has released new international research, the 2023 Business Events Consumer Demand Project (CDP), that outlines the factors influencing decision makers when choosing a destination for events, including how Australia is perceived. The findings from the research help inform Tourism Australia’s business events strategy to drive demand in our key markets and support industry in the process. A summary of the latest findings can be accessed via the Business Events Australia website. | | |  | | Australian Luxury on Show at ILTM North America | | Last week, Tourism Australia met with a high caliber of luxury-selling advisors at the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) North America trade event, held at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas. Joining Tourism Australia was a strong contingent of Australian sellers including Baillie Lodges, Southern World Australia, Beyond the Blue, The Old Clare Hotel Sydney and Tourism Western Australia. Over a series of one-on-one business appointments, travel advisors were educated on luxury experiences across Australia with a focus on the Signature Experiences of Australia. Advisors in attendance reported strong interest in Australia for the 2024 season and were particularly excited to learn more about Australia’s indigenous and culinary tourism offerings as well as new accommodation openings. | | | | | | | | | |  | | QLD Accessible Tourism Elevate Fund | | Queensland is stepping up its commitment to accessible tourism with the launch of the $5 million Accessible Tourism Elevate Fund. As part of Queensland's Year of Accessible Tourism, this initiative aims to make the state the world's go to destination for all abilities. The fund includes $2 million in Access Starter Grants and $3 million for Access Project Grants, enabling tourism operators to enhance their visitor experiences. Grant applications will open in late October, providing tourism operators with the opportunity to create a more welcoming environment for visitors – as the prepares for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Find out more information, here. | | |  | | Have your say about the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant Program | | The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is seeking feedback on the $10 million per year Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant Program. The program currently gives wine and cider producers the opportunity to apply for grants of up to $100,000 on eligible cellar door sales made during the previous financial year, encouraging tourism in our wine regions. Following consultation, DAFF will consider all stakeholder feedback and make a recommendation to government on how the program should operate moving forward. Interested stakeholders can provide their feedback until 30 October 2023 through DAFF’s Have Your Say website. | | | | | | | |  | | VisitCanberra commits to boosting capital's tourism sustainability | | VisitCanberra is taking a significant step towards enhancing the sustainability of the tourism offering in the nation's capital. Partnering with Ecotourism Australia, VisitCanberra will provide free access to the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard program to eligible Canberra visitor businesses, enabling them to enhance their sustainability practices. Canberra, with its iconic attractions and natural wonders, attracted 5.5 million visitors in the year ending June 2023, generating over $3.4 billion for the region. The collaboration seeks to align tourism businesses with growing traveller expectations for positive environmental, community, and cultural impacts. Find out more here. | | |  | | Free online training by TYPSY and VTIC | | Victorian tourism, hospitality and events operators are invited to register for free Typsy online training programs funded by the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR). The video style micro-credential program provides fundamental customer service, hospitality and tourism skilling solutions offering businesses the opportunity to upskill staff in this new style of visitor economy. As part of the program, new regional destination training content is being developed with a dedicated VTIC manager and will be used as a tool to attracting new participants to the Tourism, Events and Hospitality industry. Find out how to access this opportunity here. | | | | | | | | | |  | | Cairns welcomes new Calypso Club at Crystalbrook Riley | | Crystalbrook Collection, Australia’s largest independent five-star sustainability-led hospitality company, has unveiled its latest addition to the vibrant Cairns hospitality scene. Opening its doors on 19 October at the iconic Crystalbrook Riley resort, Calypso Club is poised to be the hottest new dining destination in Tropical North Queensland. Nestled amidst palm trees and blue skies, the new specialty rum and seafood bar evokes the spirit of bygone holidays devoted to lazing by the beach and afternoons spent sipping piña coladas in the embrace of warm breezes. Designed by renowned interior architecture and design studio Mitchell & Eades, the venue boasts an open space at the base of Crystalbrook Riley’s iconic tower, taking advantage of its aspect overlooking the picturesque esplanade. | | |  | | Sydney Opera House appoints new Culinary Director | | Trippas White Group, operator of the Sydney Opera House’s internal food and beverage event spaces since 2018, has announced esteemed chef Danielle Alvarez as Culinary Director. As Culinary Director, Alvarez has developed tailored menus drawing on her dedication to seasonality and the joy and connection of sharing food, as well as champion local producers. To kick-off the appointment, Alvarez will appear in-conversation with co-author and writer Libby Travers to celebrate the launch of Alvarez’s latest book Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking. Taking place on Friday 10 November, the two will discuss Danielle’s ethos on sustainability and championing female chefs in the Australian hospitality industry before serving up dishes from the cookbook for guests to enjoy. | | | | | | | |  | | Spring into Spring with Canberra’s EAST Hotel | | Conveniently located in the heart of Canberra, 140-room boutique EAST Hotel is celebrating the arrival of the warmer months with an Italian Spring package. When guests book this package, they will receive 10 per cent off the flexible nightly rate, a delicious pink Sgroppino cocktail and antipasto plate to share in Joe’s Bar and free parking and complimentary Wi-Fi. Guests can move from Joe’s Bar to family-owned Italian restaurant, Agostinis, to enjoy their new Spring menu. The seasonal menu features delicious fresh pastas such as orecchiette with burrata, lasagna with pork and fennel sausage and artichokes and tonnarelli with vongole and bottarga. Since opening its doors in 2012, EAST has grown to become a destination for both visitors and local Canberran, and now houses a range of accommodation offerings from Studio rooms to larger luxe two-bedroom apartments. | | |  | | Contemporary Southeast Asian eatery opens in beloved Bondi | | Vibrant Southeast Asian-style dining has arrived at the ground floor of the evolving Pacific Bondi Beach, with the opening of Easy Tiger. The energetic neighbourhood diner is the latest venue from House Made Hospitality, taking the place of the group’s successful summer pop-up Rancho Seltzo. Head chef Andrianto (Andy) Wirya (ex-Queen Chow, Mr Wong) will channel his Indonesian heritage, as well as the flavours of other Southeast-Asian countries like Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, into a tight menu of crowd-pleasers designed to be eaten in a few bites. A $42 per person banquet menu plates up a choose-your-own adventure, with diners able to select five plates, plus rice, without breaking the bank. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | s |
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