Aussie product showcased at Australian Tourism Exchange

Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon. Steven Ciobo MP and South Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon. David Ridgway MP, joined delegates at the Australian Tourism Exchange 2018 (ATE18) in Adelaide this week. Australia’s largest travel and tourism business-to-business event is jointly hosted this year by Tourism Australia and the South Australian Tourism Commission and has attracted over 2,200 delegates from across the country and more than 30 international tourism markets. “This year’s ATE has brought over 650 international tourism buyers to Australia to meet with 540 Australian tourism products and experiences, helping to promote tourism as a pillar of the nation’s economy,” Minister Ciobo said.

More Chinese tourists to Australia

China has overtaken New Zealand to become Australia's largest inbound visitor market for the first time. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows there were 1.39 million Chinese visitors in the year ending February 2018, an increase of 13.2 per cent. Find out more and view Tourism Australia's interactive arrivals dashboard.

Hong Kong consumers invited to Savour Australia

Australia’s premium produce is being showcased in Hong Kong through a new “Savour Australia” campaign launched this month by Tourism Australia and Austrade together with Hong Kong’s leading catering group Maxim’s Chinese Cuisine and Hang Seng Bank. The promotion kicked off with a media lunch and a VIP wine evening followed by print and social media advertising. A prestige dining offer is also available to Hang Seng Bank’s 2.5 million cardholders. In 2017, Hong Kong was Australia’s 10th largest inbound market for visitor arrivals and total spend and 11th largest for visitor nights.

Dundee-inspired training for Aussie Specialist in the US

Aussie Specialist travel agents in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County were updated on Australia’s nature and wildlife, aquatic and coastal experiences and food and wine in a series of training events last month. The training brought Dundee campaign messages to life for the agents and photo booths allowed the agents to channel their inner Crocodile Dundee and share campaign images with their networks. The Aussie Specialist Program is Tourism Australia’s global online training program, shared by all eight state and territory tourism partners, to provide frontline travel sellers from around the globe with the knowledge and skills to best sell Australia. There are currently 2,300 qualified Aussie Specialists in the US.

Yalumba joins Ultimate Winery Experiences of Australia

Iconic South Australian winery Yalumba has joined the Ultimate Winery Experiences of Australia collection. Yalumba has an enduring commitment to the quintessential Australian wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend, crafting its interpretation of the blend since the 1880s. Its wines - The Signature and The Caley – are both acknowledged as international benchmarks for the style.

Veriu Central launches in Surry Hills

Following the opening of Veriu Broadway in June 2017, Veriu Hotels & Suites has launched the art deco inspired heritage hotel Veriu Central in Sydney’s popular dining hot spot Surry Hills. The new 112-room hotel is a $15 million conversion of heritage listed Wentworth House, retaining the original character of the building through the décor and design features, including a 1920s themed bar, The Drawing Room. www.veriu.com.au/central

Green turtles hatch on Fitzroy Island

More than 700 tiny green sea turtles have hatched on Fitzroy Island and swum to freedom on the Great Barrier Reef in Tropical North Queensland. The turtle eggs were laid earlier this year by a green turtle called Yasi who is believed to be up to 70 years old. Turtles can be seen in the wild at Fitzroy Island with snorkellers likely to see green sea turtles and the occasional hawksbill turtle in Welcome Bay and at Nudey Beach. The Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on the island offers daily tours where guests can learn about turtles on the Great Barrier Reef and meet eight-year-old green sea turtle Jet who was rescued off Fitzroy Island in July 2017.

Paddlesteamer Emmylou receives upgrade and new tours

Australia’s iconic paddlesteamer Emmylou will unveil new deluxe cabins with private en suites and one double size suite with river views from September 2018. New three and four-night Heritage Discovery and Explorer cruises will also be introduced, taking guests over 160 km along the upper and lower Murray River from Echuca. The cruise experience includes visits to World heritage sites, riverside campfires, winery lunches and visiting Perricoota Station.

Peninsula Hot Springs in Victoria unveils expansion

The award-winning wellness destination Peninsula Hot Springs has launched plans for a new open-air amphitheatre set to open in July 2018. The $10 million expansion includes nine new pools, an outdoor stage, fire and ice experience, food bowl, wellness, education and activity centre and new dining precinct. This project is the business’ largest expansion to date after 12 years of operation.

Sydney to welcome The Collectionist Hotel

Sydney will soon be home to The Collectionist Hotel, a custom design property where no two rooms are the same. Seven designers plus 13 artists were commissioned to create the 39 uniquely designed rooms, which are housed within a former warehouse space in the inner west suburb of Camperdown. Opening in early May 2018, guests will be invited to peruse available rooms to make their room selection based on the style, colour, texture and design.

Corroboree Asia 2018

Seller applications are open until Friday 27 April for Corroboree Asia 2018 to be held on the Gold Coast from 26 to 31 August. Corroboree Asia combines a training workshop and familiarisation visits for qualified Aussie Specialist Agents from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. These agents are a mix of frontline, wholesale and online agents who actively sell Australia as a preferred long-haul destination to Asian travellers.

Destination Australia Conference 2018

Tourism Australia has published recordings of presentations from the Destination Australia Conference held in Melbourne on Thursday 15 March. Over 350 tourism industry gathered for the conference to hear from an incredible line up of speakers including Dan Gregory, Adam Ferrier and Carolyn Creswell. Industry are also invited to register interest for next year’s conference to be held on Thursday 14 March 2019 in Brisbane.

Tourism Australia is currently recruiting for a new Regional General Manager, UK.

Chinese carrier Donghai Airlines will start a direct service twice a week between Shenzhen and Darwin from Wednesday 30 May.

John Warn has been appointed as the new Chair of Destination NSW and Sally Loane and George Souris will also join as members of the board. Russell Balding AO, David Baffsky AO and Margaret Jack have been reappointed for a further four years.

Virgin Australia has announced changes to its Trans-Tasman services including two new routes and increased frequency into key markets, effective from 28 October.

Richard Sellers, current Director General of the Department of Transport, will temporarily act as Tourism WA CEO.

Andrew McEvoy, former MD Tourism Australia, has been appointed as the new Chair for Great Walks of Australia.

The NSW Government has committed a further $300,000 to attract and create more business events across the State as part of its Regional Conferencing Development Grants Program.

Nominations are open for tourism awards in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.

Applications are open until Wednesday 30 May for the Queensland Destination Events Program.

Registration is open for Destination Food, Australia's first culinary tourism conference to be held at the Museum of Sydney on Monday 21 May.

Tourism Whitsundays is hosting workshops with 21 Whitsunday operators in Brisbane on Tuesday 15 May, Melbourne on Wednesday 16 May and Sydney on Thursday 17 May.

Expressions of interests are being sought from potential delegates, speakers, exhibitors and sponsors for the Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference to be held from Tuesday 30 October to Friday 2 November in Lorne, Victoria.

Registration is open for the 2018 SATIC Tourism Conference on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 May in Adelaide.

Entries for the MyTravelResearch.com Toilet Tourism Awards are open until Sunday 1 May.

Applications are open until Friday 11 May for ATEC's 2018 Emerging Leaders of Inbound Tourism Excellence (ELITE) program.

Registration is open for the City of Perth’s 2018 Perth Tourism Industry Exchange on Thursday 24 May at the Perth Arena.

Applications are open until 30 June for one-off support funding of up to $5,000 under the Northern Territory Government's China Ready Program.

Destination Melbourne is holding an accessible tourism masterclass on Tuesday 1 May.

Applications are open until Monday 30 April for the NT Government’s $3 million Visitor Experience Enhancement Program, part of the Turbocharging Tourism stimulus package.

Registration is open for the 2018 WYSE Exchange Australia Youth Tourism Conference to be held on Wednesday 9 May at the Ovolo Woolloomooloo Hotel in Sydney.

Registration is open for the Tourism and Transport Forum’s Outlook Tourism Industry and Policy Conference to be held in Sydney on Thursday 17 May.

Registration is open for the Backpacker and Adventure Tourism Industry Forum on Wednesday 2 May in Byron Bay.

Applications are open until Friday 6 July for Tourism Australia’s Advance Program to increase international visitation to confirmed business events being held in Australia.

As part of a partnership to attract foreign direct investment in tourism product, Tourism Australia and Austrade have produced a case study on Hong Kong’s Ovolo Group investment of more than $330 million in Australia since 2012.
The NSW Government has announced a $27 million funding boost for Kosciuszko National Park to help create one of Australia’s best multi-day walking tracks.