| | | | | | | |  | | TOURISM AUSTRALIA UPDATE | | Firstly, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year. I know this is traditionally one of our busiest times of year and this year is of course a bit different. We did however hear some promising developments last Friday when the Prime Minister gave an update on the latest National Cabinet meeting and announced some significant steps forward. Key outcomes included lifting international passenger arrival caps, an update on quarantine arrangements and the COVID-19 vaccine strategy. You can read more here. Also last week, the first video in the ‘Open for Business’ series launched. The series, which is a collaboration between the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and Tourism Australia, illustrates the challenges and recovery of communities impacted by the 2019/20 summer bushfires. The two first videos feature heartfelt stories from Cobargo and the Blue Mountains and can viewed here. There will be 15 videos in total from bushfire affected regions around Australia that will be released over the coming weeks. These videos are a sad and timely reminder of the devastation bushfires can cause as we witness the damage of the recent fires in Perth and surrounds. Our thoughts are with all those that have been affected in Perth and Western Australia, exacerbated by the fact many were in lockdown, and we are hoping for a swift recovery. Our Destination Australia Conference has now opened for general registration. We will be sharing the program in the coming week, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon. Dan Tehan MP will be opening the conference at the ICC Sydney on 4 March 2021, and we have speakers from Qantas, THL, Boston Consulting Group and more. Also, a reminder that our first industry webinar will be held this coming Friday 12 February at 12:30pm. We will be joined by Minister Tehan, and we will be outlining TA’s plans for the coming year. You can register here. Phillipa Harrison | | |
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| |  | | Destination Australia Conference 2021 | | Tickets are now available for the Destination Australia Conference, which will be held on 4 March 2021 at the ICC Sydney. After the unprecedented challenges of 2020, Destination Australia 2021 will focus on the future of Australian tourism. High profile speakers from Qantas, THL and Boston Consulting and more will share consumer insights, global trends and discuss key opportunities for the tourism industry in a post COVID world. Destination Australia will also be offered online for those unable to attend in person. Register here to secure your spot. |
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| |  | | ‘Open for Business’ bushfire recovery video Blue Mountains and Lithgow | | The second of the ‘Open for Business’ video series in partnership with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency (NBRA) was released this week. The second video features the Blue Mountains and Lithgow in New South Wales and can be viewed here. The series is a collaboration between the NBRA and Tourism Australia and illustrates the recovery of communities impacted by the 2019/20 summer bushfires. A total of 15 videos will be released over the coming weeks, sharing stories from bushfire affected regions across Australia. |
|  | | Australia Marketplace Online - Japan | | Last week saw the fourth Australia Marketplace Online event take place, this time with the Japan market. The event brought together more than 120 Australian sellers and over 70 buyers and media delegates. Over two days, more than 3,500 one-to-one appointments took place as well as daily conference sessions and panel discussions. Recordings of these can be viewed here. The virtual event format has received positive feedback from industry who were able to digitally meet with friends and colleagues, most of whom they may not have seen for 12 months due to the COVID-19 crisis. |
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| | | | | | | | Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective welcomes four new members | | Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tours and Kingfisher Tours in Western Australia, and Bundyi Cultural Tours and Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours in New South Wales, have joined Discover Aboriginal Experiences - a collective of quality, authentic Aboriginal guided tourism offerings. In Western Australia’s ruggedly beautiful Dampier Peninsula, Bardi man Terry Hunter of Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tours shares his people’s ancient wisdom during a walking tour on Traditional Lands. Also based in the Kimberley, Kingfisher Tours hosts luxurious tours by air, land and sea led by passionate Custodian guides. In New South Wales, Bundyi Cultural Tours takes guests deep into the Wagga Wagga region with Wiradjuri man Mark Saddler, who shares his cultural heritage with guests on walking, coach, 4WD and motorcycle tours. Further north, on the Coffs Coast, Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours takes visitors on an interpretive stand-up paddle boarding adventure through idyllic local waterways, with bush tucker tasting along the way. Find out more here. |
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| | | | | | | | |  | | New Executive Officer Cultural Attractions of Australia | | Cultural Attractions of Australia has announced the appointment of new Executive Officer Annabel Sullivan. Annabel takes the reins following a successful formative two-year phase since this collective of iconic cultural attractions launched with the mandate of presenting the best of Australia’s cultural offering to the world. |
|  | | Victorian Tourism Conference | | Visit Victoria and the Victorian Tourism Industry Council will be hosting their 2021 Victorian Tourism Conference on 21 and 22 April at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The conference will feature big-picture ideas and practical advice on how to reignite Victoria’s visitor economy and tourism businesses in 2021. Full program and ticketing details to follow. Save the date in your calendar. |
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| | | | |  | | Contiki launches 14 new Aussie adventures | | Youth travel operator Contiki has launched 14 new Aussie Adventures giving Millennials and Gen Zs the opportunity to explore their own backyard. The carefully curated trips crafted “for locals, by locals and with locals” range from 4 to 11 days and take young travellers to iconic Australian destinations such as the Top End, Rottnest Island and Margaret River, the vineyards of South Australia, plus the ultimate road trip along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road and a Sunshine, Beaches and Breweries tour through Queensland. These new tours are designed with the conscious traveller in mind, supporting many local businesses and communities that were impacted by the Australian bushfires and COVID-19. Bookings can be made direct via the Contiki website or trade looking to work with Contiki can call 1300 266 845. |
|  | | New Indigenous immersion air safari | | Sydney-based adventure travel company Arcadia Expeditions has launched its first Australian air expedition. Indigenous Immersion: The Art of Storytelling is a 15-day air safari travelling to rarely visited parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Led by one of Australia’s most distinguished rock art experts and a specialist in Indigenous archaeology, the air safari explores the ancient wisdom of the world’s oldest living culture through the lens of rock art and the stories of the Dreaming. Explore some of Australia’s most remote locations by private plane and spend the night in the most luxurious camps and lodges, while enjoying a wealth of activities including Indigenous-led bush tucker walks and river cruises. Bookings can be made direct via the website or for trade looking to work with Arcadia Expeditions, contact them on 1300 907 819. |
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| | |  | | Madame Tussauds offers Valentine’s Day dinner with a celebrity | | Madame Tussauds Sydney is injecting romance back into the life of one lucky singleton this Valentine’s Day by offering the chance to enjoy a private candle-lit dinner with a celebrity wax-figure of their choice. The lucky winner (and a plus one) will receive a private after-hours tour of the attraction, plus a three-course dinner with their chosen celebrity. Entries close tonight (11:59pm AEDT) and the winner will be announced tomorrow. To submit a last-minute entry to dine with the likes of Ryan Gosling, Taylor Swift or Price Harry visit the website. Scroll through Madame Tussauds Sydney’s selection of heartthrob celebrities and book a visit to meet them all. |
|  | | Aiden Darling Harbour set to open in Pyrmont this year | | Sydney’s newest luxury boutique hotel, Aiden Darling Harbour, is set to open in Pyrmont in mid-2021. A luxury yet affordable stay, the 88 cleverly designed rooms are constructed across eight stories in a beautifully remodelled 1930s Art Deco building. The hotel is designed for today’s savvy and connected traveller, combining innovative design, style and convenience to deliver great value and a digitally connected, high-end hospitality experience in an unbeatable location. A unique highlight is the hand-painted wall murals blooming above the bedheads which depict local flora. Australian artist Jessica Le Clerc also created the hotel’s secret internal wall mural, reaching 25 metres high. The stunning mural is only visible from a handful of rooms, providing select guests with a private art exhibition experience. For more information visit the website. |
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