India Host Program

This week, Australia’s Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham, announced the India Host Program which will assist Australian tourism operators providing tailored premium experiences for Indian travellers. The program has been developed by the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC), in partnership with Tourism Australia and Austrade. The number of visitors from India travelling to Australia is expected to grow to nearly 1.2 million within the next 10 years and could be worth over $9 billion annually to Australia’s economy. “We want to assist Australian tourism operators to better appeal to India’s young demographic and growing middle-class that is driving their desire for premium products and experiences. The timing of this initiative couldn’t be better with the T20 Cricket World Cup taking place in Australia next year which we know will be a huge drawcard for Indian tourists,” said Minister Birmingham.

Philausophy campaign update

Tourism Australia has released the second of a series of industry videos as part of the Come Live Our Philausophy campaign. The video features Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns the founder of The Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. There are a number of ways to get involved in the campaign, find out how here.

ATEC meeting place 2019

On 26 November 2019, Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, and Chief Marketing Officer, Susan Coghill, spoke at the Meeting Place 2019 plenary session on the Come Live Our Philausophy campaign. In addition, Tourism Australia is a Program Partner of the ATEC ELITE program. Three Tourism AAustralia team members participated as mentors in the program and five team members graduated from the program.

Showcasing investment opportunities in Western Australia

Last week, Tourism Australia, Austrade and Tourism Western Australia, in partnership with local government and industry, hosted a group of offshore owner operators for an investment visit across Australia’s South West and Perth regions. The visit was a whole-of-government initiative, showcasing some of Australia’s most iconic regional tourism areas and testing investors’ appetite for opportunities outside of Australia’s major markets.

Gourmet tour series kicks off with celebrity chef in Tasmania

Tourism Australia recently supported a series of gourmet tours to Australia for high value travellers from Malaysia hosted by specialist travel agency Signatour-World. The tours kicked off with a trip led by popular Malaysian celebrity chef, Dato’ Chef Wan to Tasmania to enjoy great dining and nature experiences. Signatour-World, known for their unique tours, curated a special itinerary that showcased Tasmania’s natural wonders as well as gourmet delights in some of the state’s best restaurants. During the trip, Dato’ Chef Wan shared his experiences on social media to an audience of more than 700,000. The group of 20 participants visited Launceston, Cradle Mountain National Park, Freycinet and Hobart. These specialist tours will continue in 2020 with plans to roll them out across other states in Australia.

Tourism Australia launches Virtual Travel Fair in India

To support the ICC T20 Cricket campaign, Tourism Australia has launched a Virtual Travel Fair in India. The initiative brings together seven airlines including Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, Air India, Cathay Pacific, Sri Lankan Airlines and China Southern Airlines as well as tourism products and experiences to provide travellers with attractive deals on holidays to Australia. Travellers can access deals online through Australia.com and book holidays through Tourism Australia’s key distribution partners to access more than 40 tourism offers. Previous versions of the Virtual Travel Fair generated over 87,000 bookings for partner airlines.

Univairmer Convention in South of France

Tourism Australia recently attended the annual convention of travel agency network, Univairmer. The network currently has 67 agencies located all over France and Tourism Australia was given the opportunity to train 180 travel agents and showcase the Aussie Specialist Program. In France there are 500 Aussie Specialists and 40 Premier Aussie Specialists.

Go Fish Australia launch Fraser Island Heli Fishing, QLD

Go Fish Australia is now offering keen anglers the opportunity to go Heli Fishing on the world's largest sand island, the World Heritage Listed Fraser Island. Hitting all the island's best spots, the new day tour package includes return helicopter flights from Brisbane, on-island 4x4 transfers, a private fishing guide, four hours of fishing and concludes with a gourmet brunch. There is also a two night extension option for those keen to ensure they get the best catch. This bespoke fishing experience from Go Fish Australia starts from $2,340per person, with bookings available now. Fraser Island is about 300 kilometres north of Brisbane.

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2020 program released, VIC

Melbourne is once again opening its doors for the annual Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, with some of the most exciting local and international names in food and drink set to descend on the city for an unmissable 10 days of fun and feasting. From foodie feasting events, to plant-based eating and drinking options, the new program will take place exclusively in Melbourne in March, with a dedicated festival in regional Victoria set to launch in spring 2020. Melbourne Food & Wine Festival will take place from 19 to 29 March 2020 with the full program and tickets available online now.

Experience reef and rainforest creatures after dark, QLD

Get a glimpse into the world of Australia’s amazing reef and rainforest creatures after the sun goes down at Cairns Aquarium’s with a new Aquarium by Night experience. With exclusive after-hours entry into the Aquarium and a 1.5-hour personal Ecologist guided night tour, watch as a whole new world awakens. To complete the evening guests will enjoy a three-course dinner from Dundee’s Restaurant. Prices start from $125 for an adult and $69 for children with booking available online now. Located in Tropical North Queensland, there are a range of domestic and international flights available into Cairns Airport.

Leeuwin Estate Launches New Experiences, WA

Leeuwin Estate has launched two brand new experiences: The Connoisseur Tour & Tasting and The Ultimate Ride to Wine & Dine, perfectly suited for wine lovers and cycling enthusiasts alike. Between the two experiences, guests will enjoy a guided visit to the Barrel Hall and on-site art gallery, walks through the vineyard and a guided cycle through the Estate's surrounding forest followed by either lunch or a cheese tasting. Leeuwin Estate winery and restaurant is based in the Margaret River, a three-hour drive south of Perth in Western Australia.

Register now for Tourism Australia’s NSW industry briefing in Sydney

Tourism Australia is holding a free of charge industry briefing in Sydney on Thursday, 5 December 2019. The briefing will provide an overview of Tourism Australia's latest campaign, Come Live Our Philausophy, as well as the latest market insights, partnership opportunities and more.

Tourism 2030 consultation

Australia’s Minister for Tourism, Simon Birmingham, has launched a consultation process on the development of the next long-term tourism strategy, Tourism 2030, and wants to hear from a range of tourism industry stakeholders. Complete this survey to provide feedback on what you think needs to be done for Australia's tourism industry to continue to grow and prosper into the next decade. The Tourism 2030 webinar is also now available to view.

Jetstar has introduced a new option for travellers to increase their carry-on allowance to 14kg on selected routes.

Qantas has announced the first group of recipients of the Qantas Regional Grants program, with 20 organisations from across the country sharing in $1 million in funding from the airline.

The latest Tourism Research Australia Tourism Businesses in Australia report found the number of tourism businesses operating in Australia grew by 4.6 per cent in the 12 months to June 2018 and up 11.7 per cent compared with the year ending June 2013. Australia’s tourism industry now accounts for one in every eight businesses operating in the country.