IMEX Frankfurt

This week, the Business Events Australia team is attending IMEX Frankfurt, Europe’s key business events exhibition attracting international planners from the conference, convention and corporate events industries. Joining the Australia stand at IMEX Frankfurt are 20 Australian industry organisations, including destinations, venues, accommodation and destination management companies who have the opportunity to highlight why there’s nothing like Australia for business events during one-on-one appointments and networking opportunities. This year Business Event Australia also hosted a press conference on the theme Innovating Sustainability Down Under: How Australia is driving positive change for business events, providing an opportunity for media to hear directly from the team and our destinations about Australia’s sustainability initiatives in business events. 

Road tripping in Australia with CamperDays.de

Tourism Australia and online booking platform for campervan hire, CamperDays.de, launched a cross-media campaign to inspire road trip adventures across Australia. Through blog articles, newsletters, social media, YouTube videos, and a special feature on outdoor equipment retailer, Globetrotter, the campaign will reach CamperDays’ highly engaged outdoor travel community – including 30,000 newsletter subscribers, 52K Facebook fans, and 180K monthly blog users. With the goal to drive conversion through campervan bookings, the camapign highlights the authentic Aussie lifestyle, promotes Indigenous tourism experiences, nature, and coastal adventures, to ultimately drive more German travellers to Australia.

Australian beach showcase at The Great Escape Festival in the United Kingdom

Last weekend, Tourism Australia, in partnership with Sounds Australia and the Australian High Commission United Kingdom, supported the Australian Beach Showcase at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, United Kingdom. The festival showcases the diversity of Australian talent across multiple genres and allows artists to expand their audience in the United Kingdom. It was also the perfect opportunity to promote Tourism Australia’s Working Holiday Maker campaign, showcasing life down under for under 35s while listening to incredible Aussie music.

Tourism Australia - Youth Sector Scholarship 2025

Backpacking and Youth Tourism Advisory Panel (BYTAP) and the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC), are again sponsoring a youth-sector focused development scholarship, designed to increase distribution engagement, and developing the capability of a future leader in the sector. Based around ATEC’s ELITE program, the successful candidate will receive:

• 1-year ATEC membership for the employer organisation (dependent on organisational suitability).

• One place in the ELITE program for a young emerging leader within the organisation, including mentoring by Kristy Malapa, Industry Relations Manager and youth sector specialist at Tourism Australia.

• Participation in ATEC Meeting Place on in October 2025 including participation fees, flights, and accommodation.

The winning submission will be judged by BYTAP, with the ATEC membership and ELITE mentoring program to commence in June/July 2025. Apply online here. Please note the application form is intended to be completed by a senior member of the organisation with appropriate internal approvals. Applications close 23 May with the successful candidate to be announced on 29 May.

Storytelling conversion campaign Germany

Tourism Australia and German online tour operator, Journaway, launched a joint campaign that places authentic storytelling at its core. Two in-house content creators from Journaway travelled through Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia capturing the spirit of the country through personal encounters, breathtaking landscapes, and immersive moments of adventure. Sharing their journey across Australia via live streams through social media, brings the destination to life to a German audience eager for meaningful travel. Supported by dedicated editorial content, custom travel offers, and a focused media push, the campaign positions Australia an easy travel destination perfect for a self-drive holiday and nature experiences.

Australia Wins at 2025 TravelPulse Canada Readers’ Choice Awards

Last week TravelPulse Canada held their 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards at the Four Seasons Toronto. This year, Australia won in the Destinations and Tourism Boards category for the South Pacific region. The team, represented by Paul Larcher and Susan Webb from VOX International, accepted the award at the gala event, which brought together advisors, suppliers, tourism boards, and media from around the country.

Become an Official Travel Agent (OTA) for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027

Rugby World Cup Experiences have announced that registrations are now open for the Official Travel Agent Program for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 (RWC) in Australia. This is a unique opportunity for Officially Appointed Travel and Hospitality Agents (OTAs & OHAs) to supply match ticket inclusive hospitality or travel packages to rugby supporters across the world. The tournament is due to take place in Australia from the 1 October to 13 November 2027. To become an Official Travel Agent for RWC 2027 register here. 

Seller applications open for Australia Marketplace North America 2025

Seller applications are now open for Australia Marketplace North America 2025. The event will take place in Los Angeles, United States from 15 to 17 September and includes two days of pre-scheduled appointments between buyers and sellers as well as networking opportunities. Marketplace provides an opportunity for the Australian tourism industry to establish business relationships with key qualified travel agencies, wholesalers and tour operators from North America. Visit the event website for more information or start your application here.

Mossman Gorge unveils Australia’s first electric accessible shuttle buses

Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre (MGCC) has launched two fully electric, 9-metre accessible buses - believed to be a first in Australia - as part of broader sustainability efforts. Delivered in partnership with HDrive, the new EVs are the first step toward converting at least half the fleet within a year. The initiative complements other ESG measures at the site, including rooftop solar, EV charging, and rainwater harvesting. A new microgrid with Ergon Energy is also planned to improve energy reliability. MGCC, operated by Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, continues to focus in on ecotourism, welcoming over 300,000 annual visitors to the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest.  

Australia's first tour operator to receive Welcome With Pride Accreditation

Untamed Escapes is proud to announce it has officially received the Welcome With Pride accreditation, becoming the first tour operator in Australia to achieve this significant recognition. The Welcome With Pride program is designed specifically for the LGBTIQ+ community and highlights tourism businesses committed to creating safe, inclusive, and genuinely welcoming experiences for all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. The training is backed by research from over 1,000 LGBTIQ+ travellers and is designed to help tourism operators provide consistently inclusive and high-value experiences. Untamed Escapes encourages industry peers to consider the Welcome With Pride training to create a more inclusive and welcoming Australian tourism landscape for domestic and international visitors. 

Hyde makes Australian debut

Ennismore, the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company has signed Melbourne Place in the heart of Melbourne / Narrm. The celebrated property has been relaunched as Hyde Melbourne Place, marking the group's debut in Australia. The hotel will offer a fresh and unique experience for locals and travellers, blending contemporary design with Melbourne’s synonymous cultural essence. Hyde Melbourne Place will join Ennismore’s trio of flagship openings in Australia this year – Hyde Perth, Mondrian Gold Coast, and 25hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia – marking the group’s highly anticipated debut in the country. 

Margaret River to host World’s 50 Best Vineyards 

Secured by the Western Australian Government through Tourism Western Australia, the Margaret River region will host the prestigious World's 50 Best Vineyards awards in November 2025. This event will spotlight the region's exceptional wine tourism experiences to the world. In making the announcement, Western Australia’s Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said, “we look forward to welcoming global media, wine experts and representatives from vineyards around the world to experience it firsthand and inject millions in visitor spend into the economy”. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 19 November 2025, and is expected to attract wine enthusiasts, industry professionals, and media from around the world. More details will be announced soon. 

South Australia’s Petaluma joins the ranks of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia

Renowned Adelaide Hills winery Petaluma has joined the prestigious Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia collective, a hand-selected group of Australia’s premium wineries offering quality winery experiences across the country. Just 40 minutes from Adelaide / Tarntanya, in Woodside, the Petaluma cellar door invites guests on a sensory journey through some of the country’s most celebrated wine regions and iconic varietal. Petaluma’s wines are meticulously produced by winemaker Ben Thoman, who has spent more than 15 years in the wine industry and completed a vintage in the Mosel Valley, Germany in pursuit of his love of Riesling. Petaluma offers a range of immersive experiences at the Woodside cellar door, including a unique Private Horse Trail Ride experience which invites guests on a guided horseback journey through its picturesque vineyards, complete with commentary on the history of Petaluma. Petaluma joins Penfolds Magill Estate as the second winery from the Adelaide Hills region to join Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia and complements a total of 29 Australia-wide.

Capella Sydney and Bentley Restaurant Group celebrate two years of Brasserie 1930 

Celebrating two years in operation, Capella Sydney's Brasserie 1930, in collaboration with renowned Bentley Restaurant Group (Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Monopole, King Clarence, and Eleven Brasserie), unveils exciting new developments. Executive Chef Brent Savage and Head Chef Troy Spencer have launched a refreshed menu highlighting local produce and native ingredients. Signature dishes include David Blackmore wagyu tartare with mustard cream, rye cracker & sorrel; Aquna Murray cod, smoked clam with roasted onion butter, paperbark oil; and Kinross Station lamb saddle with eggplant, macadamia, saltbush. Complementing the dining experience, Brasserie 1930 also launches 'The Art of Dining at Capella', a new monthly art discovery series. This initiative pairs the hotel's impressive art collection with expertly crafted food and drinks. Esteemed art advisor Fiona McIntosh will lead exclusive tours, offering an insightful exploration of the artworks throughout the hotel and within the Brasserie’s stunning heritage walls.