Traveling Blog: Essentials… Business Events Boost Program | Industry networking in New Zealand | North American Broadcast Tour

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23 June 2021

TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE
The latest outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney is disappointing for operators and consumers alike as we come into the school holiday period, but it is pleasing to see a more measured approach to restrictions based on hot spots and local government areas. It is also heartening to see vaccination rates continue to rise, although we do have a long way to go and some work to do in creating a better sense of urgency around getting this done. We recently held industry events in New Zealand and met in person with key stakeholders in this important market. With the opening of two-way quarantine free travel between Australia and New Zealand in April this year, we are continuing to look for ways to maximise the leisure travel and business events opportunities. This means working with our partners to build consumer confidence to travel, and inspiring Kiwis through offering both the familiar and new experiences in Australia. As mentioned last week, next month we will be holding several industry briefings and networking events in Victoria. These events will be held in Bendigo on 14 July and in Melbourne on 15 July. You can register to attend here. Next month, we will also be hosting our industry webinar on 9 July at 11am AEST. I will be joined by former Federal Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Martin Ferguson AM during the webinar to talk about the work of the Reimagining the Visitor Economy Expert Panel, and we will also have a focus on NAIDOC week. Registration details for the webinar will be shared in the next week. Phillipa Harrison

Applications close soon for the Business Events Boost Program

Applications for the Business Events Boost Program 2021/22 close on Wednesday 30 June 2021 at 5pm AEST. The program aims to support the Australian business events industry by providing the opportunity to leverage funding and Tourism Australia’s expertise to deliver marketing and distribution projects to drive demand. For full details on the program and to download the Business Events Boost Program 2021/22 Prospectus visit the Business Events Australia website.

Tourism Australia Activity

Tourism Australia networking event in New Zealand

Tourism Australia recently hosted a networking event for New Zealand travel, media and business events partners in Auckland recently. Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, thanked trade partners for their support and encouraged Kiwis to make the most of the trans-Tasman bubble. TVNZ Breakfast weather presenter, Matty McLean, emceed and shared his favourite memories from his recent travels in Australia. QT’s food and beverage creative director, Sean Connolly, showcased Australian produce with a menu of contemporary twists on classic dishes. The New Zealand visit this week was an important opportunity to meet with key partners, celebrate the bubble and encourage New Zealanders to travel.

North American Broadcast Tour with Friend of Australia Dan Churchill

Tourism Australia recently partnered with New York-based chef and healthy lifestyle influencer, Dan Churchill, on a regional broadcast tour with segments airing to American and Canadian audiences in May and June. An Australian native, Dan shared his favorite spots around the country, including Sydney, Byron Bay, Ningaloo Reef, and Tasmania, while demonstrating his healthy Aussie-inspired fish and chips recipe. The segments aired on California Live, Great Day Houston, Good Day LA, and CTV Morning Live Vancouver. The segments featured clips of Australian destinations and a call to action to visit Australia.com, along with the message that when borders can open safely, Australia will welcome North American travelers with open arms.

United States Travel Advisors learn about Australian premium experiences

Tourism Australia alongside Destination NSW, Tourism Tasmania, Tourism Northern Territory, Tourism Western Australia, Tourism & Events Queensland, Visit Victoria, and Luxury Lodges of Australia recently participated in The New Age of Luxury Travel’ event. Organised by Insider Travel Report and held on 11 and 12 June, the virtual trade show and conference attracted about 2,000 travel advisors who specialise in luxury travel. Advisors learnt about Australia’s premium experiences through one-on-one appointments and by visiting Tourism Australia’s virtual trade show booth. The Signature Experiences of Australia were highlighted, with Australian Wildlife Journeys and Discover Aboriginal Experiences proving popular amongst advisors.

Australia Now Initiative kick-off with a new Embassy banner

Earlier this month, Australia Now 2021-2022 was launched in France. The Australian Government initiative aims to bring France and Australia closer together in all sectors: culture, education, research, new technologies, business, sport and tourism. Australia Now encourages French people to dream about the destination through more than 100 Australian-themed events throughout France. Tourism Australia is partnering with the Embassy on some beautiful upcoming activities, starting with the unveiling of the new Tourism Australia banner on the Embassy wall celebrating this initiative and inviting French people to celebrate Australia in 2021-2022. In addition, a Paris metro campaign with 600 posters will be live this month to promote the program.

Best Partner Program Wows Hong Kong Corporates

Business Events Australia and partner, Connexus Travel, hosted a Best Partner Program event for Hong Kong corporate buyers last Thursday. The networking event showed buyers why there is nothing like Australia for business events by serving up unique Australian food and wine and featuring wine matching and blending experiences from the Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia collection.

Tourism Industry News

UK Free Trade Agreement

Australian Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP. and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon. Boris Johnson MP, have agreed on the broad outlines of an Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Under the FTA, Working Holiday Visa makers from the United Kingdom will receive expanded rights and be able to stay for three years with an increased cut off age of 35. Read more here.

Tourism Satellite Accounts: quarterly tourism labour statistics

In the year to the end of March 2021, tourism filled jobs fell by 5.1 per cent to 662,700, according to figures released last week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Full-time tourism jobs were more impacted on a year-on-year basis (down 6.5 per cent), however the number of full-time tourism jobs (337,600) exceeds the number of part-time jobs (325,100). Read more here.

Australian Stories

New wine bar and restaurant Corella makes a buzz in Canberra’s Braddon district

The newest addition to Canberra’s buzzing Braddon district, just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre, is Corella Restaurant and Bar. The new restaurant offers a bespoke menu inspired by native ingredients and shaped by modern Australian cuisine. Corella offers fine dining, wine and cocktails with a twist. One of Corella’s signature dishes is a version of Duck a L’Orange featuring sunrise limes and bunya nuts, and a Ranger's Valley black onyx flank with charred lime and Davidson plum teriyaki glaze. Originally pegged as a wine bar, Corella definitely encompasses more of a restaurant and fine-dining feel. While it is archetypically Australian, the vibe is also more than a touch European. For more information and to make a booking, visit the website here.

New WA wine tourism guide launches called The Wine Adventurer

Wines of Western Australia, Wine Australia and Tourism Western Australia have created a new online and interactive wine tourism guide called The Wine Adventurer. Designed to inspire and inform visitors, the guide will help them plan trips into Western Australia’s incredible and diverse wine regions. Eight wine regions are featured in an easy-to-navigate e-brochure: Swan Valley, Perth Hills, Peel, Geographe, Margaret River, Blackwood Valley, Southern Forest and Great Southern. Each region has a section with practical information such as driving distances, climate, harvest times, soil type as well as tips on what to eat, where to stay, what to do and must-see attractions. The Wine Adventure guide can be found on WesternAustralia.com and at winewa.asn.au.

Two luxury Victorian properties come together to create exclusive luxe packages

The Mornington Peninsula’s Pt Leo Estate and Bellarine’s Lon Retreat & Spa have come together to launch new luxe ‘Lon to Leo’ and ‘Lon to Laura’ packages. The three-day experiences will take guests from Peninsula to Peninsula, highlighting the best Victorian retreats complete with world-class dining, great wines, and luxurious accommodation. Guests will begin the experience with a night of relaxation at the luxurious Lon Retreat and Spa before sailing across Port Phillip Bay to the family-owned Pt. Leo Estate, for either an eight-course degustation at Laura, or a three-course lunch at Pt. Leo Restaurant. More information about the Lon to Leo package can be found here, and Lon to Laura here.

QT partners with Seppeltsfield Wines to bottle a new QT Riesling

Design-led, boutique hotel collection, QT Hotels & Resorts, and Seppeltsfield Wines in South Australia have partnered to bottle a riesling from the legendary Quelltaler Vineyard. QT and Seppeltsfield's 'Quelltaler Vineyard' Riesling, or simply, QT Riesling, is exclusively available across QT's signature restaurant and bars in Australia. The wine was sourced from the Clare Valley region, located in South Australia and is home to some of the best rieslings in the world. The region's characteristic thirst -quenching citrus flavours are framed by QT Riesling's pitch perfect acidity. Guests can sip QT Riesling across the QT’s signature restaurant and bars throughout Australia, bookings can be made here.