| | | | | | | | |  | | TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE | | Last week we opened applications for our Australia Marketplace events to be held in Japan and Korea. Australia Marketplace events are open to representatives from the Australian tourism industry and provide an opportunity to establish business relationships with key qualified travel agencies, wholesalers and tour operators in Japan and Korea. Each event will include two days each of pre-scheduled appointments between buyers and sellers, as well as networking opportunities. Australia Marketplace events will now be held biennially and therefore the events will next return to Japan and Korea in 2026, so I encourage you to attend this year to make the most of this opportunity in two very important markets. Speaking of events, we have less than a month to go until the Australia Tourism Exchange 2024 (ATE24) kicks off in Melbourne / Narrm. For our Sellers you will now be able to see your schedule online and begin messaging. This year is shaping up to be our biggest ATE with a record-breaking number of both Buyer and Seller organisations and delegates registered to attend. I am really looking forward to welcoming you in May in Melbourne. Phillipa Harrison | | |
| | | | | | Tourism Australia ACTIVITY | | | | | | | |  | | Media lunch and industry events in France | | On 25 April, Tourism Australia held its annual industry meeting in Paris, France. Over 70 French key distribution partners and key airline and product contacts as well as Australia’s States and Territories attended the event. The Tourism Australia team provided an update on the market status, activities, achievements as well as the strategy for the upcoming financial year. Prior to the event, Tourism Australia hosted an informal media luncheon with 12 media representatives where the journalists received an insight into Aboriginal culture and tourism. The state and territory tourism organisations also provided an update and the event was followed by a networking lunch. | | |  | | Singapore’s favourite presenters say G’day from Queensland | | Last week, Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland hosted popular Singapore radio hosts Glenn Ong, Angelique Teo, and Daphne Khoo for an adventure in Brisbane and surrounds. Broadcasting both live and recorded sessions on Singapore’s Kiss 92 radio segment, The Big Show. The presenters explored Brisbane must-visits like Eat Street Northshore, Story Bridge, and Howard Smith Wharves. They connected with nature and the great outdoors in Tangalooma and Lone Pine and chatted with friendly locals on air, from business owners to wildlife rangers. The visit took place as part of an content partnership with the SPH Group. The hosted trip was aired on radio across their visit, posted to the Kiss 92 radio Facebook page, and filmed for reels on the station’s Instagram page. | | | | | | | |  | | ‘Happy in Australia’ content special in Germany | | Tourism Australia has launched a digital content special with a hub on Germany’s major premium women’s magazine website of brigitte.de. The content hub features inspirational content from ‘Australia Recommends’ as well as bespoke content by Tourism Events Queensland, Tourism Western Australia and Visit Victoria. Each of the partners will have a dedicated article with highlights including images and links to relevant websites. The promotion will provide more than 24 million ad impressions and around 50,000 views will be delivered across the pages, inspiring readers of the premium website to consider Australia as a travel destination. | | |  | | Australia Roadshow in Japan | | Tourism Australia, in collaboration with Tourism and Events Queensland, Destination NSW, Visit Victoria, Tourism Western Australia, and Tourism Northern Territory recently brought an Australia Roadshow 2024 to Japan, taking place in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya over three days. Tourism Australia, the state and territory tourism organisations and Australian suppliers met with 263 travel agents to provide updated information on products and experiences available for travellers in Australia for the leisure, school group, and business events market. The Japanese agents showed strong interest and high levels of engagement with the Australian tourism suppliers, supporting further growth in the Japanese market to Australia. | | | | | | | |  | | Sydney V-TRIP on ANA GranWhale in Japan | | Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and The Rocks region are currently featured in Japanese airline ANA’s new virtual travel platform, ANA GranWhale. Sponsored by Tourism Australia, ANA GranWhale is comprised of V-TRIP (virtual travel space) and Sky Mall (shopping space) services. Accessible via smartphone, the V-TRIP feature allows users to embark on a 360° virtual travel experience to ANA-recommended destinations in Japan and overseas. By creating an avatar, you can visit the MCA, historical buildings, and experience panoramic views in The Rocks and Sydney Harbour. The experience is accompanied by unique V-GUIDES, offering insights into the history of each location. The app is currently available in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. | | |  | | Australia Next 2024 | | Registrations are open for Australian industry sellers to participate in Australia Next 2024. Previously known as Dreamtime, Tourism Australia's signature incentive showcase is now called ‘Australia Next’ to align with Business Events Australia’s bespoke magazine for incentive planners. Australia Next 2024 will be held in Cairns / Gimuy, Queensland from 8 to 10 September 2024. The event provides the Australian business events industry the opportunity to connect with qualified incentive buyers from around the world, while showcasing Australia’s best incentive experiences and products. View the results of Dreamtime 2023 here. Find out more and register here. | | | | | | | | | |  | | Free Australian Government resources to help recruit tourism staff | | Free Australian Government resources are available to help tourism businesses suffering workforce shortages recruit employees. Employing people under-represented in the workforce – such as people with disability or older and younger Australians – could meet labour needs while helping to build a secure, resilient workforce – a priority of THRIVE 2030, Australia’s visitor economy national strategy. Free resources are available to help industry recruit people from under-represented groups such as:
• People with disability visit here.
• Older Australians visit here.
• Younger Australians visit here. | | |  | | Vacayit, Wins UN World Summit Awards for Innovative Accessibility Solution | | Vacayit, the Australian travel startup, has received the prestigious UN World Summit Awards (WSA) for its innovative accessibility solution. The app, designed for travellers with disabilities, provides engaging and accessible audio guides. Vacayit was recognised as the Global Champion for the ‘Culture & Heritage’ category at the WSA ceremony held in Chile. Since its launch, Vacayit has highlighted over 950 tourism operators, and its audio guides have been streamed over 250,000 times, demonstrating the widespread adoption and impact of its innovative solution. For more information about Vacayit, visit here. | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | Saint Peter’s new space has scaled up | | Iconic fish eatery Saint Peter is returning with a new look and home within the historic surroundings of The Grand National Hotel, Sydney / Warrane. The restaurant's opening in July is the first launch phase of the refurbished 14-bedroom boutique hotel, with rooms opening later this year. More than just a relocation, Saint Peter at The Grand National introduces a dining experience that recounts the eight-year journey of owners Josh and Julie Niland and everything the restaurant is known for from whole fish cooking, butchery, storing to processing fish. The new space boasts main restaurant seating, a bar, and a private dining room to showcase the finest seafood from Australia's world-class fishers. Expect an immersive dining experience from arrival to table and a world-class wine and cocktail offering. Reservations for Saint Peter at the Grand National Hotel are now open for August & September. | | |  | | The Star Brisbane / Meeanjin unveils new live music and entertainment destination | | The Star Brisbane / Meeanjin is dialing up the tempo with its electrifying new live entertainment venue LiveWire set to showcase Queensland’s biggest and brightest stars. From August 2024, LiveWire will bring the soundtrack of Brisbane to life with a genre-bending lineup spanning music, comedy and so much more. Ready to unearth Brisbane’s next headline artists, homegrown talent will be at the forefront of a dynamic rotation of live acts and late-night entertainment, amongst a bespoke program of special events that are set to ignite the senses. Shining in the heart of the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf precinct with its invigorating ambiance and breathtaking vistas of the river, the venue aims to transport guests through a unique night of discovery with heart-stirring solos, adrenaline inducing headliners, side-splitting comedy and classic Aussie anthems. | | | | | | | |  | | Mother’s Day is sweetening up on The Jackson Sydney / Warrane | | Hold onto your sweet tooth because Sydney’s / Warrane’s $15 million superyacht, The Jackson, is about to turn into a dessert wonderland for a Mother’s Day High Tea with Australia’s pastry-queen, Anna Polyviou. The three-hour cruise set against the backdrop of Sydney’s Harbour will be an unforgettable experience to spoil your mother. Guests will be able to soak up the panoramic views, a live acoustic performance, a bespoke High Tea menu created by Polyviou, and a premium selection of fine teas, coffee, and juices. The menu is packed with sweet and savoury goodies from her delicious ‘Berries Hearts’. Tickets can be secured here. | | |  | | The Crystal Caves’ accessibility and inclusivity upgrades | | Promising a gem of an experience for visitors of all abilities, Tropical North Queensland’s award-winning Tablelands attraction, The Crystal Caves, has spent the past 12 months upgrading facilities for greater accessibility and inclusivity. The new accessibility resources include a detailed guidebook for hearing impaired, an audio guide for the vision impaired, a social script for neurodiverse visitors which includes a detailed map and the option for early access to a self-guided tour along with the removal of physical tight spots in the museum to create smooth navigation for wheelchair users. Since 1987, the Crystal Caves attraction in the Tablelands’ town of Atherton has immersed visitors in its thrilling and fascinating underworld of crystals and fossils. More information, is available here. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
