Australia Marketplace China 2019

This week Tourism Australia is hosting the Australia Marketplace China 2019 event in Chengdu, China. The trade event has attracted 75 Australian sellers and approximately 100 Chinese buyers including travel agencies and tour operators. It includes pre-scheduled meetings between buyers and sellers and networking events. During the gala dinner, Tourism Australia announced the appointments of 36 Key Distribution Partners, of which eight are new. The team also extended the geographical coverage to 15 Chinese cities. The Australia Premium Showcase China 2019 event will take place from 14 to 15 November to wrap up the week-long event. China remains Australia’s largest source market, with more than 1.4 million visitors from China spending $11.9 billion in Australia in the last year.

100 days to go until the Women’s T20 World Cup kicks off in Australia

The Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 will begin on 21 February 2020 at the Sydney Showground Stadium. Global pop star, Katy Perry, will perform at the final on 8 March at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Tourism Australia’s campaign in India to promote the Cricket World Cup was launched in October 2019. Australia’s Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, and India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, both tweeted about the campaign.

Youth road show

Last week, Tourism Australia led 32 youth operators from around Australia on a roadshow to London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Munich. The Tourism Australia event was managed by Real Aussie Adventures and saw more than 200 agents from over 100 separate companies trained in half day presentation style events, followed by evening networking activities. The youth market makes up approximately 25 per cent of all visitor arrivals to Australia and 45 per cent of visitor spend.

Business Events Australia activity in China

Tourism Australia’s dedicated business events unit, Business Events Australia (BEA), has just wrapped up a busy few weeks in China engaging incentive meeting planners. The team hosted seminars in Qingdao with Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines and five Australian convention bureaux. BEA also held an event in Guangzhou with partner, GZL Travel Services, for twenty top corporate clients from the Guangdong region. In addition, BEA also hosted a dinner with the South Australian Tourism Minister, the Hon. David Ridgway MLC, for VIP agents in Guanghzhou. Tourism Australia was also recognised this month with a China Exhibition & MICE Industry award for ‘The Most Influential MICE Destination’.

Travel Talk Australia brochure

Tourism Australia, in partnership with all State and Territory Tourism Organisations, worked with the German travel trade magazine, Travel Talk, to create a dedicated Australia edition for frontline sellers in Germany. The 68-page content piece provides comprehensive information on new products and tours and the highlights in the individual states. The publication provides agents with additional information on Australia as a destination. In Germany there are over 1,500 qualified Aussie Specialists and more than 160 Premier Aussie Specialists.

Business Events Australia attends Smart Meetings conference

The Business Events Australia (BEA) team met with 25 North American meeting and incentive planners at the Smart Meeting National 3-Day event in Estes Park, Colorado from 3 to 5 November. The event matched planners with Australia based on their exact meeting requirements. Between appointments, BEA joined networking receptions to meet with all 70 planners at the event. Planners learned of Australia's destination offerings and experiences and were provided with ideas for their upcoming events.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta familiarisation visits

Tourism Australia recently supported a trade familiarisation visit run by Voyages and AAT Kings to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Seven Japanese key distribution partners experienced a variety of natural and cultural experiences at the National Park. The group also travelled to Brisbane as part of the return journey. Tourism Australia also hosted Vogue Japan online and Oggi.jp for an exclusive at the first ever Opera Australia concert in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park with Bruce Munro’s Field of Light Uluru as the backdrop.

Business Events Australia attends Evenings with Prestige

Over 80 Prestige Global Meeting Source planners and their corporate clients attended ‘Evenings with Prestige’ events in both Minneapolis, Minnesota on 24 October and San Jose, California CA on 6 November. Prestige Global Meeting Source is a growing agency of meeting and incentive planners who are increasingly considering long haul destinations. The Prestige events provided the perfect opportunity to educate and inspire planners to consider Australia for their business events.

Immerse yourself in art at Artvo Melbourne, VIC

After a major artistic refurbishment, Melbourne’s immersive ‘trick art’ gallery Artvo is re-opening on 16 November. A self-guided gallery where visitors are encouraged to touch and become a part of the art, Artvo offers countless insta-worthy moments for guests. Opening with a new theme, Fantasy, guests can explore immersive installations of the ocean, forest, ice caps and out of space which span the gallery. A fun day out for couples, groups and families, Artvo is located 15 minutes’ drive or 25 minutes’ walk from Melbourne’s city centre.

Cape Wickham Links joins Great Golf Courses of Australia, TAS

Great Golf Courses of Australia has announced Cape Wickham Links , located on King Island, Tasmania, as the latest Signature Course to join the collective. With a world ranking of 24 in the US Golf Digest Top 100, Cape Wickham is a true links golf course. Golfers play along the ocean cliffs amidst crashing surf, then inland across undulating dunes and finish with a closing hole curving along the beach at Victoria Cove. Accommodation is located on-site and the island is accessible by private and commercial charter. With the addition of Cape Wickham Links, Great Golf Courses of Australia can now provide access to nine World Top 100 courses: Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm, Cape Wickham Links, Royal Melbourne (East and West), Kingston Heath, New South Wales, Royal Adelaide and The National (Old Course).

New mindful retreats at Barossa Wellness Retreats, SA

Barossa Wellness have launched a range of new overnight retreats, designed to empower people to live their best, healthiest, happiest and most balanced life. With yoga, meditation, fitness, healthy food and organic wine on offer, Barossa Wellness Retreats offers holistic and immersive experiences for guests alongside five-star accommodation at Kingsford Homestead. Located in the heart of the Barossa, 45 minutes’ drive from Adelaide city centre, a range of upcoming retreats, programs and events can be found on their website.

Secure your tickets to Sydney’s NYE celebrations, NSW

With more than one million people expected to gather around Sydney Harbour to welcome in 2020, now is the time to lock in your New Year's Eve experience. From fine dining at Aria, music festivities at NYE in the Park and performances by Opera Australia, there are hundreds of events on offer across the city. With the iconic Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House set for two spectacular firework displays, tickets for a range harbourside vantage points are also on offer. Visit Sydney New Year's Eve website to see the full program of events and learn about this year's best vantage points.

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 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. Join this industry workshop on 15 November on the Gold Coast to have your say on the strategy. 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.

Meetings and Events Australia is hosting an industry leaders’ breakfast for industry to learn more about the Tourism 2030 Strategy. Speakers from the Business Events Council of Australia, Austrade and Tourism Australia will be in attendance.

The Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach is currently undergoing a $14.3 million project to create a unique night-time experience that is set to open in 2020.

SeaLink Travel Group has launched a new online platform, Brilliant Travels , to promote the diverse destinations and iconic and unique experiences they connect people to across Australia.

Registrations are now open for IMEX Frankfurt, held from 12 to 14 May 2020 in Germany. Registrations close on Friday, 13 December and spaces are limited. Secure your spot today here .