Traveling Blog: Essentials… Domestic Tourism Forecasts | ATE22 applications | THRIVE 2030 feedback | Discover Aboriginal Experiences members

Having trouble reading? View online version

15 December 2021

TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE
This week, after 141 days, it was exciting to see the Queensland border reopen to Australia’s southern states. With New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory being such important source markets for the Queensland industry, and the summer holidays about to begin, this change in restrictions couldn’t come at a better time. It is also great to have a date for the Western Australia border opening on 5 February next year. In another step forward for the industry in relation to re-opening internationally, Australia’s borders open to foreign skilled workers, students and working holiday makers today, and travel bubbles with Japan and South Korea will begin. Tourism Australia will provide more updates shortly in relation to campaign activities in this space. Earlier in the week, Tourism Australia held a face-to-face Industry Briefing in Sydney, and it was great to be able to meet with over 400 industry delegates from Sydney and New South Wales. Further briefings will take place around the country, so keep an eye out in Essentials next year for more details. Phillipa Harrison

National Experience Content Initiative update

Tourism Australia’s National Experience Content Initiative will feature up to 1,500 tourism experiences from around 57 regions when it reaches completion in mid-2022. New images and video content are regularly added to the image and video galleries and can be accessed free of charge. The initiative aims to support tourism businesses across Australia in their recovery and drive increased visitation by helping them to better market their experiences and attractions. See some of the recent examples from Brisbane, Tropical North Queensland and Northern Territory here, including Cairns Canyoning, Earth Sanctuary, Alice Springs Helicopters, and Kokomo.

Tourism Australia Activity

Australia themed event for Hong Kong industry

To keep Australia as the go-to destination in Hong Kong, Tourism Australia hosted around 90 airline, travel agency and media guests for the ‘Aussie Bright Sky’ flycation event earlier today. The journey, which took place in the skies above Hong Kong and was offset via Cathay Pacific Group Fly Greener program, included Aussie fun-fact games and information on Tourism Australia’s programs. Following the flight, guests enjoyed an Australian seafood experience, destination updates and a treasure hunt.

Australia Business Events offering top-of-mind with India corporates

Tourism Australia recently participated in its first face-to-face business event in Mumbai since the start of the pandemic. The MICE India and Luxury Travel Congress brought together Indian corporate and trade MICE buyers including Asian Paints, Aditya Birla Group, HDFC Life Insurance, Ambuja Cements, and Knight Frank, amongst others, to meet international suppliers. The meetings helped to position Australia as a premier Business Events destination and inspire Business Events decision-makers. Based on the Business Events Consumer Demand Project research, Australia is in the top five destinations being considered for an incentive trip in the next four years by decision-makers in India.

Australian Tourism Exchange 2022 applications open

Applications for the 2022 Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) are open until Friday 7 January. In partnership with Destination NSW, Tourism Australia will host ATE Live in Sydney from 15 to 18 May 2022. ATE Online will follow from 24 to 26 May 2022 to connect those unable to travel to Australia. Find out more and apply here.

Tourism Australia industry webinar available on-demand

Tourism Australia’s final webinar for 2021 took place on Friday, 10 December. With a strong international focus for this webinar, Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison shared plans for the year ahead, and Regional General Managers in Japan, North America and the UK provided market updates, along with an update on the strategy for Working Holiday Makers. Watch the webinar here.

Tourism Industry News

Domestic Tourism Forecasts

Domestic tourism is expected to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels next financial year, according to a new report released by Tourism Research Australia. View the full report, Domestic Tourism Forecasts 2021-22 to 2025-26 here.

Support extended for small and medium sized businesses

The SME Recover Loan Scheme has been extended by a further six months to 30 June 2022. SMEs who are dealing with the economic impacts of COVID-19 with a turnover of less than $250 million will be able to access loans of up to $5 million over a term of up to 10 years. Find out more here.

Have your say: THRIVE 2030 (The Re-Imagined Visitor Economy)

Industry is strongly encouraged to provide feedback on the proposed strategy for the visitor economy, THRIVE 2030 (The Re-Imagined Visitor Economy) via this short survey. The strategy will be the national long-term plan to rebuild and return the visitor economy to long-term sustainable growth. It includes actions for governments and industry. This is an excellent opportunity to have a say on the proposed strategy to help make the sector even stronger. The survey is open until 3 January 2022.

Talent Attraction Program luring the brightest minds to Australia

The Australian Government has ambitious plans and is tapping into Australia’s attractiveness as a destination to entice some of the best international talent to work and invest in Australia. The Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce was established to create jobs and boost growth by attracting high-achieving individuals, entrepreneurs, and top tier businesses to Australia. Among the benefits introduced by the Taskforce, the Global Talent Visa program fast-tracks processing for successful applicants, automatically granting them and their families permanent residency. Find out more here.

Luxury Lodges of Australia launch Lodge Life magazine

Luxury Lodges of Australia has launched a new digital magazine, Lodge Life this week. The magazine includes insightful and inspiring stories of Australian experiential luxury. Australian’s pride themselves on telling a good story, and the team at Luxury Lodges of Australia has worked with some of the country's best travel writers to bring together just a few of their stories of people, place and genuine style of experiential luxury. Bookmark Lodge Life to read over the holiday season.

APEC Tourism Working Group Survey

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Working Group is seeking feedback to understand the vulnerability of the tourism sector to support future policy development. Tourism industry members are invited to complete this survey, exploring preparedness and the use of information and communication technology in response and recovery efforts. The results, expected to be published in mid-2022, will be used to help shape this important sector of our economy. The survey will remain open until 7 January 2022.

australian stories

Burrawa Indigenous Climb Experience joins Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective

Taking place at one of Australia’s most recognisable icons, the new Burrawa Indigenous Climb Experience on the Sydney Harbour Bridge has been welcomed into the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective. Led by an Aboriginal storyteller, visitors scale to the summit of the bridge and view the vista of the surrounding harbour while listening to tales of the Dreamtime and the history of the Traditional Custodians. Two decades after thousands of Australians walked across the Bridge in the name of reconciliation, this three-hour experience offers a unique and unmissable immersion into Aboriginal stories and landmarks across the harbour.

Discover contemporary Indigenous art on Country in WA

Set in the vivid landscape of Western Australia’s Kimberley region, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts & Tours Experiences has been recognised as a leader in Aboriginal tourism through its admission to the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective. Joining 46 other businesses from across Australia, the Kununurra business is a creative hub for over 100 visual artists in a range of fields including screen-printing, sculpturing and carving. Open year-round, artists lead interactive tours of the innovative contemporary art centre and guide you into their homelands. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the centre also offers a 30-minute guided walk through the red rock caverns of Mirima National Park.

NSW Central Coast winery, Firescreek, blends native flavours and traditional storytelling

Firescreek Botanical Winery Aboriginal Experiences has joined the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective, highlighting the winery’s commitment to amplifying the local Aboriginal culture with integrity and authenticity. Facilitated by Darkinjung Elder Kevin ‘Gavi’ Duncan, the New South Wales Central Coast winery tour invites guests to learn about the traditional uses for native plants found in the winery’s organic gardens. The hands-on experience allows guests to taste seasonal bush tucker learn about Aboriginal history and culture, get involved in playing instruments and sample a guided flight of the winery’s distinctive beverages with Firescreek’s winemaker.

G’day Group acquires four new properties, including The Undara Experience

Australia’s largest regional accommodation provider, The G’day Group, has expanded its catalogue to include The Undara Experience. Sitting on the edge of the Undara Volcanic National Park, The Undara Experience in Tropical North Queensland has joined the consortium of G’day Parks. With a history dating back more than 160 years, the property houses a network of lava tubes caused by a volcanic eruption 190,000 years ago.