Tourism Australia and STA Travel team up to promote Australia Inc.

Tourism Australia has teamed with up with STA Travel in the UK to roll-out a month-long roadshow as part of the Australia Inc. campaign to promote working holidays Down Under. Running until 19 June, the activation is popping up at 11 graduation fairs and universities across the United Kingdom to highlight how a year in Australia will help assist young people develop career and life skills that enhance their CV and set them apart from the crowd. The roadshow will also offer one lucky competition entrant return flights to Australia, along with an STA starter pack containing everything they need for a working holiday Down Under. The pop up events compliment the digitally-led campaign which features content on Australia.com and social media promotions showcasing tourism operators, products and experiences across Australia.

Australia wins award in China

Australia was awarded Most Popular Destination at the 2019 Conde Nast Traveler Gold List Award Ceremony in China this month. Conde Nast Traveler is the top travel magazine in China and the Gold List is considered the most authoritative award in tourism industry.

Chinese tour operators discover Aboriginal experiences in Queensland

Representatives from nine influential Chinese Inbound Tour Operators experienced seven Aboriginal guided experiences in Tropical North Queensland last week on a Discover Aboriginal Experiences famil hosted by Tourism Australia. The group enjoyed a range of experiences available to international visitors including being introduced to ancient uses for the flora and fauna of the rainforest at Mossman Gorge, skills in Aboriginal art, learning to play a Didgeridoo and increasing their knowledge of Aboriginal culture. The partners also had the opportunity to network with all the Discover Aboriginal Experiences members from the region and Tourism Tropical North Queensland team members.

Japanese Aussie Specialists enjoy Signature Experiences of Australia

Over 180 Japanese frontline travel sellers participated in Aussie Specialist training sessions in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya last week. In Tokyo the training program, which included a seminar and workshop, were held at the Australian Embassy and focused on the Signature Experiences of Australia collectives with a particular focus on Great Golf Courses of Australia, Luxury Lodges of Australia and Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia. Participants enjoyed a unique wine blending experience from Jacob’s Creek wine ambassador Laura Ni Riada. The newly appointed Aussie Specialist Ambassador was also announced during the event.

Aussie Specialist Ambassador promotes program in the US

Tourism Australia hosted a travel advisor training event in Dallas this month with a special cinema presentation and reception to promote the Aussie Specialist Program. The evening featured a showcase of Dundee themed content and the debut of video footage from the recent Ambassador familiarisation tour in Australia. One of the Aussie Specialist Ambassadors from the US, Lesley Stone, spoke about her adventures Down Under and the benefits of the Aussie Specialist Program.

Special update for Canadian media on Aussie holidays

Canadian travel media and industry VIPs attended an event hosted by Tourism Australia in Toronto last week where they were updated on destination news from Down Under. Amongst the select group were representatives from Tourism Australia’s key partners in market, Air Canada and Goway, as well as Australia’s Consul General and Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner Dr Grayson Perry. Canada is showing signs of growth with the convenience of increased direct air services and the appeal of new Australian travel products and experiences. In the 12 months to March 2019 Australia welcomed 186,300 visitors from Canada, representing an 8 per cent increase on the previous year.

Australia’s business events industry at IMEX Frankfurt

Australia’s strengths as a business events destination are out on show this week at IMEX Frankfurt, one of the world’s biggest trade shows for the meetings industry. Tourism Australia is once again hosting the Australia stand at IMEX Frankfurt, joined by 21 Australian industry partners who will meet and do business with international business events planners and media. In 2018, 17 Australian suppliers joined Tourism Australia on the stand and have indicated over 60 business leads have been generated to date. Under the Business Events Australia brand, Tourism Australia undertakes activity in key international markets to ensure Australia’s business events offering is communicated to media, business events planners and decision makers.

UnDiscover Australia campaign launched in Germany

Tourism Australia extended the UnDiscover Australia campaign to Germany last week. In cooperation with Singapore Airlines, Tourism Northern Territory and Tourism Western Australia, the campaign is designed to challenge the stereotypes associated with Australia by showcasing the uniqueness the destination has to offer. The A$600k campaign focusses on digital out of home and display media including video, social and mobile advertising and is extended in the channels of the German KDP Boomerang Reisen. Adventure bloggers, from the blog Off The Path, will travel to the Northern Territory later this month promoting the campaign. The campaign activities run until June 2019.

Sydney’s restaurants offer dinner with a Vivid view, NSW

As Sydney gears up for Vivid (24 May to 15 June), restaurants offer up delicious menus with the added promise of unbeatable views. For front row seats to the stunning light instillations of the Sydney Opera House sails and Sydney Harbour Bridge, light up your tastebuds at Quay, or pop a bottle under the sails of the Opera House at Opera Bar before indulging in Bennelong’s Pre-Vivid dining menu. For those looking for different vantage point, Altum Restaurant at Luna Park offers a special Vivid dining experience with views back to city.

Dark MOFO festival casts a shadow over Hobart, TAS

MONA’s midwinter festival Dark Mofo will return to Hobart with its bizarre and bewildering midwinter program from 5 - 23 June. The annual pilgrimage is an 18-day celebration of the dark through a series of weird and wonderful public art, food, film, music, light and noise. Visitors can expect to find off-beat theatre productions, classic films, light shows and late openings of the lauded local museum MONA (Museum of Old and New art). Highlights for the 2019 program include a public art playground at Dark Park, the Nude Solstice Swim and the annual City of Hobart Dark Mofo Winter Feast.

Citadines Connect Sydney Airport Opens, NSW

The Ascott Limited has launched Citadines Connect Sydney Airport (formerly known as Felix Hotel), offering chic business hotel perfect for frequent travellers passing through the harbour city. A refreshingly sophisticated take on an airport hotel, the 150-room property features a stylish cocktail bar and rooftop cinema and is fit with retro interiors of bright pastels, patterned floors and neon signs. Located in Mascot, the property is a 15-minute walk or 2-minute drive to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport and a 15-minute drive to Sydney’s CBD.

New champagne and seafood bar will (A)Lure you to Adelaide, SA

Adelaide’s newest champagne and seafood bar has opened on the Elder Park riverfront on the edge of the bustling CBD. The Hamptons-inspired venue heroes Southern Ocean seafood paired with French champagne, local wine and craft beer. Dine in or take away with seating available indoors, on the deck or on the green of Elderpark. Located directly outside the Festival Theatre, (A)lure Champagne & Seafood Bar is the perfect pre or post-show meeting point, romantic dinner date or social venue space.

Corroboree West 2019

Seller applications are open until Friday 24 May for Corroboree West 2019 to be held in Perth from 7 to 11 October. Corroboree West is an Australia-based trade event that combines a training workshop and familiarisation visits exclusively for qualified Aussie Specialist agents from the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy and New Zealand. These qualified Aussie Specialists actively sell Australia as a preferred long-haul destination to Western travellers with many of them being frontline retail agents as well as a mix of wholesale and online travel agents.

Australia Marketplace UK & Europe 2019

Applications are open until Friday 31 May for Australian tourism businesses to participate in the inaugural Australia Marketplace UK & Europe 2019 from 30 to 31 October in London. The event is an opportunity to establish relationships with key qualified travel agencies and tour operators and includes two days of pre-scheduled appointments as well as a dinner and awards night. This event replaces the European Product Workshop as well as Tourism Australia’s presence at World Youth and Student Travel Conference and World Travel Market. For sellers interested in the Youth market, this event will also coincide with a youth roadshow.

Tourism awards nominations open

Nominations are open for 2019 tourism awards in Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Victoria, New South Wales and the Canberra Region. Tourism Australia is a sponsor of the State and Territory Tourism Awards as well as the national Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. The Australian Tourism Awards programs along with the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program (ATAP) and Star Ratings now all come under the Quality Tourism Framework.

Advance Program applications open

Applications are now open until 1 July for the 2019/20 Advance Program. The program offers the Australian business events industry the opportunity to leverage Tourism Australia’s international marketing expertise to grow the number of delegates to confirmed business events taking place in Australia as well as the number of international business events secured for Australia. Tourism Australia’s dedicated business events unit Business Events Australia manages the program.

Australia Marketplace South East Asia 2019

Seller applications are open until Thursday 13 June for Australia Marketplace South East Asia 2019, formerly known as Walkabout South East Asia. The event will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 30 September to 2 October and includes pre-scheduled appointments between buyers and sellers, and opportunities to network at the official event functions. Australia Marketplace South East Asia is an opportunity for the Australian tourism industry to establish business relationships with key qualified travel agencies and tour operators from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Tourism Australia’s Managing Director John O’Sullivan has been awarded the TTF Australia Life Membership Award at TTF Australia’s annual tourism conference Outlook 2019.

Destination NSW has produced a video showcasing key attractions in Western Sydney including Parramatta, Penrith, the Hills District, Liverpool, Blacktown, Fairfield, Camden, Campbelltown and Picton.

Registration is open for the inaugural Whitsunday Reef and Island Symposium on Wednesday 29 May at Abell Point Marina from 9am – 12.30pm.

Registration is open for the 2019 Destination Melbourne LIVE tourism conference on Thursday 30 May at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

Parks Australia is seeking requests for tender until Friday 31 May for a consultant to develop a tourism master plan for Kakadu National Park.

Destination NSW is holding free Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Experience Development Workshops in partnership with the NSW Aboriginal Tourism Operators Council (NATOC) on 29-30 May in Dubbo, 3-4 June in Moree and 17-21 in Broken Hill.

Registration is open for the Exhibition & Event Association of Australasia Leaders Forum and Conference to be held on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 June at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Registration is open for the Australian Tourism Export Council's National Wine Tourism Conference, Beyond the Barrel, from Tuesday 18 to Thursday 20 June in South Australia.

Registration is open for the VIC Tourism Conference on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 July in Geelong.

Australian tourism operators can use the promo code BKTOAUS19 to receive a 20% discount to attend the Arival Conference, an event for the creators and sellers of tours, activities and attractions throughout the APAC Region to be held from 24–26 June in Bangkok.

Consultation is now underway to shape the future of disability policy for 2020 and beyond, providing an opportunity to discuss accessible tourism in the context of the wider National Disability Strategy.

Discover the many opportunities and challenges facing Queensland's tourism sector over the next 15 years, including the prospect of hosting an Olympic Games, at Future Tourism.