| |   | Sparkling Gala celebrates the best of Down Under Australia was celebrated in style last Saturday at the glittering G’Day USA gala dinner in Los Angeles wrapping up a week of events aimed at cultivating and enhancing the long-term and deep Australia–United States relationship. Tourism Australia hosted media, trade and business events contacts at the event which showcased Australian food, wine and entertainment and created a video wall of inspiring user-generated social media content for guests to enjoy. At the Gala, Australia also honoured G’Day USA awardee Ben Mendelsohn for Excellence in Film and Television, along with David Hill and Catherine Martin who received Lifetime Achievement Awards for their contribution to Australia’s creative industries. |
 | Chris Hemsworth leads virtual tour of Australia Two hundred influential American travel industry professionals and media joined Australian celebrities and Government officials at a VIP event in New York last Monday showcasing Australian tourism experiences through an immersive, virtual tour of the country with Chris Hemsworth. Actor Rachel Griffiths emceed the event, part of the G’Day USA program, and joined Hemsworth on stage to talk about his first year as Tourism Australia’s global ambassador. Guests at the event, which was attended by Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, The Hon. Steven Ciobo MP, also sampled a menu curated by chef Neil Perry and Australian wines supplied by Wine Australia. Find out more. |
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 | Virtuoso boosts marketing and agent training Tourism Australia and leading luxury travel consortium network Virtuoso have signed an expanded partnership across North America at G’Day USA this week. The agreement will involve a range of joint activities in 2017 including dedicated marketing to Virtuoso’s affluent clientele and a major training focus for its travel advisors. “Our shared goal is to ensure that every Virtuoso agency in North America has an Australian specialist on board, someone who can assist clients as well as their fellow colleagues,” said Matthew D. Upchurch, Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso who has also been made an official ‘Friend of Australia’. |
 | Curtis Stone hosts premium Australian dinner in Hollywood Australia’s diverse culinary experiences were showcased at a special VIP dinner last week as part of G’Day USA. Tourism Australia hosted travel media and premium trade buyers with a passion for food and wine at the dinner held at Aussie Chef Curtis Stone's restaurant Gwen in LA. According to consumer research conducted by Tourism Australia, good food and wine is the second most important factor for American travellers when selecting a holiday destination after safety and security. |
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 | Qantas unveils new aircraft maintenance facility at LAX Qantas unveiled its new engineering facility at Los Angeles International Airport, an investment of more than US$30 million. It is one of the largest commercial hangars in North America and the first specifically designed to accommodate the Airbus A380. At the official opening of the new hangar last week attended by Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Julie Bishop MP, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said it gave the airline a world-class maintenance facility in one of its busiest offshore hubs. Qantas operates more than 40 return flights per week from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to LA. Find out more. |
 | The US an important market for Australian tourism The US is Australia’s fourth largest visitor market with 705,000 arrivals in the 12 months to November 2016, up 18.3%. The latest data on visitor spending show American visitors spent more than $3.7 billion in the 12 months to September 2016 with estimates the US market will potentially be worth $4.5 - $5.5 billion by the year 2020. Research by Tourism Australia shows American travellers choose a destination first and foremost based on safety and security, followed by good food and wine, value for money, history and heritage, friendly citizens and aquatic and coastal experiences. |
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 | Share in the excitement from G’Day USA The official G’Day USA website, www.gdayusa.org, is the one-stop-shop for information on G’Day USA events and activities. Take a look at what participants have been posting on the official G’Day USA Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram accounts. |
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