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| Spotlight on the Regions – North America | | This week, ‘Spotlight on the Regions’ features an interview with Chris Allison, Acting General Manager/Regional Director, North America. Chris shares insights and observations on the US market, as well as updates on key stakeholders and activities to keep travel to Australia front of mind in-market. Read the update here. | | | | | | | | Tourism Australia Activity | |
| | | | |  | | Australia hits five million followers on Instagram | | The official Tourism Australia page @australia has amassed over five million followers on Instagram, making it the most followed national destination page in the world. Tourism Australia mainly posts user-generated and industry-supplied content, which encourages travellers to continue sharing their own stories and experiences on an ongoing basis. Each post aims to inspire the audience, motivating them to make the decision to travel around Australia by sharing bookable experiences. | | |  | | Japanese take virtual tours to Australia | | One of Tourism Australia’s key distribution partners in Japan, HIS, have launched a series of virtual tours. The colour-coded tour themes align with Tourism Australia’s Experience Australia in 8D series. The online tours include an option for consumers to purchase an Aussie meat pie and drinks package delivery to enjoy whilst taking the online tour. The theme of the first tour aligned with 8D’s ‘blue and green’ and featured Green Island and Rottnest Island. The upcoming Sydney Opera House and National Gallery of Victoria theme aligns with the ‘white and black’ theme, and the Uluru and Gold Coast ‘Red and Magenta’. Over 100,000 people have enjoyed HIS’ online tours since the pandemic began. These initiatives are designed to continue to keep consumers inspired and dreaming about travelling to Australia when borders reopen. | | |
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| | | | |  | | Australia’s luxury experiences on show at Virtuoso Travel Week | | Tourism Australia connected with over 500 premium-selling travel advisors and agency managers at the 33rd annual Virtuoso Travel Week conference in Las Vegas last week. The hybrid event was the first large scale tourism event to be held in North America since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 3,000 travel advisors and travel suppliers attended with approximately half of all delegates joining in person. More than 200 one-on-one appointments and 128 training sessions were held on the Signature Experiences of Australia. Meetings were also held with travel media, including Forbes, New York Post, Washington Post and Conde Nast Traveler. Virtuoso is a premier luxury travel network with over 22,000 travel advisors in 1,200 locations around the globe and an annual revenue of more than USD 25 billion. | | |  | | Singapore Industry Engagement – Recovery, Readiness & Opportunities | | Last week, almost 300 Key Distribution Partners and Online Travel Agents from Singapore along with Australian tourism industry met online to discuss consumer trends for the market. The session provided insights on customer segments that are likely to travel first and worked to identify product gaps to prepare for the road to recovery by sharing expectations with the Australian industry. Download a copy of the handout here. Watch the recording here. | | |
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| | | | | | | | |  | | Australian Tourism in 2020 | | Tourism Research Australia has released a report which describes how the bushfires and COVID-19 have affected Australia’s tourism industry throughout 2020 and how government and industry responded. It also highlights the importance of a domestic-led recovery, and the challenges still being faced in 2021. Read the report here. | | |  | | ATDW: Google My Business Functionality | | The Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) has partnered with Google to allow tourism operators to link their Google My Business listing and ATDW profile. Supported by Wine Australia, through the Australian Government’s Export and Regional Wine Support Package, the functionality allows automatic updates to Google My Business listings when making changes to linked ATDW profiles. This functionality also allows operators to view valuable Google generated statistics and insights from their ATDW account. | | |
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| | | | |  | | Further COVID-19 support for Queensland tourism and hospitality businesses | | The Queensland Government is delivering a $47.75 million Tourism and Hospitality Sector COVID-19 Lockdown Support Package to assist businesses impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns in Queensland and other states. Read more here. | | |  | | $20 million package to help Tasmanian businesses | | The Tasmanian Government has announced a $20 million Business Support Package to provide relief to Tasmanian businesses struggling with the ongoing impacts of border closures to our biggest visitor markets. Read more here. | | |
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| | | | | | |  | | New Gold Coast cruise experience invites visitors to wake up with the whales | | In what is expected to be a booming whale watching season, Sea World Cruises is inviting travellers to ‘wake up with the whales’ every weekend. With what’s known as the Humpback Highway less than 20-minutes away from the Gold Coast shores, it is estimated that more than 35,000 whales make their way through the migration channel during the mating season each year. Running for two hours, Sea World’s early morning whale watching cruise takes guests to the perfect vantage point to see humpback whales glisten against the backdrop of the iconic Gold Coast skyline. All tours include a BBQ breakfast. For more information visit the website. | | |  | | Western Australia marine tourism company rebrands as Sea West | | A Western Australian, family-owned and run marine company with cruise offerings across the state has rebranded under a new parent company name, Sea West. Currently operating as Rottnest Cruises, Mandurah Cruises and Broome Cruises, the products will all come under the new brand, Sea West. The marine tourism operator will also expand its fleet, with South West Cruises to commence culinary cruises in early 2022. In addition to sightseeing and pearling expeditions, Sea West has continued to revolutionise its offering in recent years to include BBQ boating cruises, luxury experiences and on-deck cooking classes. Find out more information via the new website. | | |
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| | | | |  | | Yarra Valley’s CherryHill Blossom Festival to send spring into bloom | | The CherryHill Blossom Festival in Victoria’s Yarra Valley will bloom to life this spring. Running from 18 September until 1 October 2021, the festival will take place at CherryHills’ Wandin East field, where the cherry trees only blossom for a two-week period every year. In addition to a rotating selection of live music, craft stalls, lawn games, cherry ice cream and a selection of delicious food trucks on-site, the festival will host a range of luxury experiences. Festivalgoers will be able to participate in a group photography walking tour and opt to embark on a romantic hot air balloon ride to view the blossoms from above. Tickets can be secured via the website. | | |  | | The Outback Festival prepares to muster up Queensland’s town of Winton | | Aussies in need of a dose of the outback will revel in the fun and community spirit of Winton’s annual Outback Festival. Over five days in September, the small remote town in outback Queensland will burst to life with a frivolous itinerary of events guaranteed to keep families entertained during the school holidays. In addition to the Outback Festival’s marquee event, the Quilton Australian Dunny Derby, this year’s festival also includes a Sunset Charity Dinner where diners can feast under the outback stars while raising funds for vital local organisations. Every year the festival is the final stop in the Outback Cycle Century, a 100km cycling expedition that challenges even the most seasoned cyclist. Running from 21 to 25 September 2021, eager outback travellers are encouraged to book tickets via the website. | | |
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