Traveling Blog: Essentials… Indian influencers join Megafamil | Come and Say G’day takes to the skies with Qantas | Spotlight on Indonesia

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16 November 2022

TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE

This week it was the Northern Territory’s turn to honour their industry with the 35th Brolga Awards taking place in Alice Springs over the weekend. Once again, I would like to pass on my congratulations to the finalists and winners on their continued efforts promoting Australia and the incredible experiences we have to offer. Special call out to our ex-board member, industry advocate and sustainable travel pioneer, Grant Hunt AM. Grant was awarded the Tourism Minister’s Perpetual Trophy in recognition of his contribution to nature-based tourism.

Australia Marketplace UK and Europe 2022 took place in London this week. After moving to online in 2020 this is the first time since 2019 the event was held face to face. One hundred and four Seller representatives from the Australian tourism industry met with travel agencies and tour operators from UK and Europe over two days of pre-scheduled appointments and networking opportunities.

We also kicked off a partnership with Qantas on Monday. The Qantas partnership is one of more than 150 partnerships we have committed to as we continue to invite the world to ‘Come and Say G’day’. You can read more on this below.

Phillipa Harrison

Mega Influencer famil for the ICC T20 World Cup helps build Australia’s appeal in India

To celebrate the launch of the ‘Come and Say G’Day’ campaign and to leverage the opportunity of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup, Tourism Australia hosted a group of influential Indian stars and content creators on a series of trips around Australia, to showcase the very best the country has to offer.

A cheer contingent of 12 prominent influencers and celebrities including Barkha Singh, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Zaid Darbar, Ranveer Allahbadia amongst others, attended a special screening of the short film G’day at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne/Narrm, where they were joined by cricket star Harsha Bhogle and Friend of Australia and celebrity chef, Sarah Todd. Following the screening guests were hosted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to be part of the over 90,000 strong crowd and experience the electric atmosphere at the T20 World Cup India vs. Pakistan match. After the Melbourne kick off, the group embarked on various trips around the country.

Tourism Australia Activity

Tourism Australia’s Come and Say G’day campaign takes to the skies with Qantas

Tourism Australia’s ‘Come and Say G’day’ campaign continues to roll-out internationally and this week, Tourism Australia and Qantas have joined forces to extend a warm and welcoming invitation to travellers in ten of Australia’s key markets across the world. The multi-market partnership will include a range of joint activities including a series of new co-created ads and social assets, designed to inspire travellers to plan and book an Australian adventure. Customers who travel with Qantas will also be able to watch ‘G’day’ the short film on Qantas aircrafts with inflight entertainment globally from 1 December 2022.

Down To Earth: Down Under launched globally on Netflix

New Series Down To Earth: Down Under launched globally on Netflix this week. The series follows actor Zac Efron travelling with wellness expert Darin Olien in search of sustainable practices and healthy lifestyles, all while educating viewers by exploring local food and cultures through their journey. The series is set entirely in Australia, and Tourism Australia worked closely with Netflix and the production team to highlight some of our leading operators in the sustainability and conservation space. The series consists of eight 40 minute episodes and is streaming on Netflix now.
Image courtesy of Netflix

Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard Launched

Ecotourism Australia, in partnership with Tourism Australia, has launched the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard program. With more and more travellers searching for responsible travel options, providing genuine sustainable experiences is ever increasing. The program is a pathway to sustainability, inviting all tourism businesses to measure where they are at in their tourism sustainability journey at a point in time. It assesses four pillars of sustainability: environmental, socio-economic and cultural impacts and sustainable management. For more information visit: www.ecotourism.org.au/strive-4-sustainability.

Australia Double Feature for NYC Advisors - Come and Say G'day & Ticket to Paradise

Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) hosted a movie night for over 60 New York City and Tri-State area advisors and industry at the Angelika Film Center in Greenwich Village, last week. Attendees enjoyed an introduction and screening of the short film ‘G'day’. Afterwards, TEQ introduced and screened Ticket to Paradise, a major motion picture, filmed in Queensland locations including Brisbane, Moreton Island, the Whitsundays and Tropical North Queensland. There was positive reception to both films with attendees enjoying popcorn and drinks while discussing the ‘Come and Say G'day’ campaign and the beautiful Queensland scenery.

Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective welcomes two new members

Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Tours in Tropical North Queensland and Saltwater Eco Tours on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast have joined Discover Aboriginal Experiences – a collective of quality, authentic Aboriginal-guided tourism offerings. Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Tours hosts a number of memorable Traditional Owner-led experiences in the picturesque Mandingalbay Yidinji Indigenous Protected Area, accessed by a scenic boat ride from Cairns/Gimuy. Based in Mooloolaba, Saltwater Eco Tours pairs Indigenous culture with gourmet bush tucker-inspired dining on river cruises hosted on a beautifully restored historic sailing boat. Find out more here.

Tourism Australia wins gold for second year running at North America’s Travvy Awards

The Travvy Awards celebrated its eighth year with a spectacular gala in Fort Lauderdale on November 3, where Tourism Australia once again took the top award for Best Tourism Board – South Pacific. The annual Travvy Awards, presented by TravelPulse, part of Northstar Travel Group, honours travel companies and destinations for their outstanding achievement. Thousands of votes, cast by travel professionals, determined the very best in the travel industry. Australia also won a bronze Travvy Award in the Best Destination – South Pacific category.

Spotlight on Indonesia

This week, ‘Spotlight on the Regions’ features a video update from Agitya Nuraini, Tourism Australia’s Country Manager, Indonesia. Agitya shares her insights and observations from the Malaysian market, as well as updates on key stakeholders and activities to keep Australia front of mind in market. Watch the update here.

New National Experience Content Initiative assets

Tourism Australia’s National Experience Content Initiative features new experiences from Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria. These include Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, World Heritage Cruises, Lon Retreat and Maria Island Walk. Follow #neciaus on Instagram for a behind the scenes look at the NECI shoots as they take place throughout the country.

Tourism Industry News

Digital Skills Accelerator – Western Sydney

Destination NSW has launched a Western Sydney Digital Skills Accelerator for Tourism program to help visitor economy businesses transform their online marketing. Destination NSW has partnered with digital consultancy Tourism Tribe to offer the free program to accommodation providers, tour companies and visitor attractions. Find out more here.

Best Practice Guide for Working with First Nations Tourism in Queensland

The Queensland Tourism Industry Council has launched a ‘Best Practice Guide for Working with First Nations Tourism in Queensland'. The guide sets out a practical framework for recognising people and place, safeguarding intellectual property rights and cultural protocols and respecting Indigenous heritage. Download the guide.

Australian Stories

SATC secures Grammy winning singer Sam Smith for exclusive concert

South Australia will welcome Multi-Platinum, GRAMMY®, BRIT, Golden Globe and Academy Award winning international artist/songwriter Sam Smith (they/them) to the state in January 2023 for an intimate, exclusive concert at the iconic d’Arenberg Cube. The partnership between the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) and Sam Smith will highlight key tourism experiences in the state, focusing on food and drink, wildlife, and Aboriginal cultural tourism. Sam will share their South Australian adventures across social media, which has a significant following of over 35 million globally.

NRMA Parks and Resorts acquires Queensland property

NRMA Parks and Resorts has acquired Queensland’s popular nature-based visitor holiday park, Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park marking another iconic nature-based tourism accommodation experience for the growing member-owned holiday parks portfolio. Famous for its thriving mob of kangaroos and wallabies who gather on the beach just in time for sunrise each morning, the Cape Hillsborough property fills a natural gap on the NRMA Parks and Resorts’ Queensland Road trip map between Yeppoon and Airlie Beach. The acquisition marks the eleventh property in Queensland for NRMA Parks and Resorts and brings the total to 40 holiday parks and resorts across the nation.

Iconic Melbourne/Narrm air ballooning operator celebrates 30th birthday

Victoria based experience operator Global Ballooning Australia is celebrating 30 years of operation across the state. Across three decades over 100,000 passengers have taken to the skies to experience an evolutionary business based on serendipity born out of CEO and founder Kiff Saunders’ passion for air ballooning. Balloons are now iconic to the city of Melbourne, known around the world; chiefly as it’s the only major city in the world where you can commercially balloon over. Kiff’s business is set to live on with his three children, Paterson, Edward and Scarlett, all holding commercial hot air ballooning licenses.

The Star Sydney continues to make foodie waves

The Star Sydney continues its culinary celebrations with a venue reopening and another welcoming a new Executive Chef. After a year and half-long closure, Bar Tikram has with a mouthwatering mezze-style menu that puts the aromas, colours and flavours of the Middle East at the forefront of each shared plate. Meanwhile, the famed Flying Fish has welcomed Adam Hall as Executive Chef. Here, Hall will use his knowledge from Surry Hills’ Arthur to create an innovative seasonal menu highlighting the depth of Australia’s best seafood.