Talking Tourism

CinefestOZ Film Festival launches 2018 program

The 11th annual CinefestOZ film festival, supported by Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program, has launched its 2018 program which showcases more than 150 film screenings and events. From a total of 117 film screenings, the festival will present 11 world and 18 Australian premieres, an increase of more than 80 per cent compared to 2017. The festival will once again offer Australia’s richest film prize of $100,000, with film finalists including 1%, Jirga, Ladies in Black and The Merger. The festival has attracted a high calibre film jury panel, chaired by Australian feature film, television and theatre actor Sigrid Thornton.  Read more on Tourism WA’s corporate website. CinefestOZ will run from August 22-26, 2018 across a diverse range of venues in the South West region. For more information, including program details and to buy tickets, visit cinefestoz.com.

Date announced for 2019 Bledisloe Cup at Optus Stadium

One of the biggest events in world sport, the Bledisloe Cup, will be played at the Optus Stadium to an expected sell-out crowd on August 10, 2019. General public tickets to the highly anticipated event will go on sale on October 26, and are expected to be snapped up for what will be the only time the Wallabies and All Blacks play each other on Australian soil in 2019. The State Government, through Tourism WA, secured and is supporting next year’s match, which will be the first time WA has ever hosted a Bledisloe Cup and the first time the All Blacks have played in Western Australia since 1992. The match is expected to attract thousands of people to Perth from the eastern states and overseas. The match will be broadcast across Australia and internationally, providing a great platform to showcase our transforming city and world-class stadium. For more information visit Tourism WA’s corporate website.

Ben Elton's UK film screening a success

Tourism WA’s UK PR team recently worked with Ben Elton to promote his film Three Summers, which was screening at the Edinburgh Film Festival. The team helped secure a number of media interviews for Elton and a screening event for 30 guests. The film, which was set in WA’s Peel region, was promoted to a wider UK audience through 24 TV, radio and print interviews. In the interviews, Elton spoke highly of WA and the Peel region. For the TV interviews, footage from the film was supplied, which showcased the Peel region to UK audiences.

Coral Coast in full bloom

The 2018 wildflower season is shaping up to be the best and biggest display the Coral Coast region has seen in a decade. Botanical experts from Kings Park have forecast the season will begin in early August, with thousands of species on display. The Coral Coast is home to three of Australia's 15 National Biodiversity Hotspots. WA has more than 12,000 wildflower species, 50 per cent of which cannot be seen anywhere else on earth. Visit Australia’s Coral Coast website regularly for information on which flowers are in bloom, driving directions, accommodation ideas and itinerary planning tips.

Community consultation open for Perth Water Precinct Plan

State and local government are developing a Perth Water Precinct Plan for the Swan River and its foreshore between the Narrows and Windan bridges. The plan will guide future improvement of the precinct, its foreshores and abutting private development. The precinct plan’s development, which is being overseen by the Perth Water Vision Group, will include a framework to determine acceptable uses for the area based on defining landscape characteristics, community aspirations and environmental and cultural values. The community and stakeholder consultation period continues until August. Have your say on the Perth Water website. 

New regional WA images available

New photos showcasing WA’s North West and Coral Coast regions, and the Swan Valley, are now available from Tourism WA’s image library. The additions to the extensive image database, which are available to download for free, include a horse riding tour at Home Valley Station, the Mimbi Caves, Yardie Creek at Cape Range National Park, and several of the Swan Valley’s food and wine producers, to name a few. To view and access these images, you will need to log in to Tourism WA’s image library, then click on this link. If you are new to the Tourism WA image library, register here.

Emerging Tourism Professional program launch

The national body for regional tourism, Australian Regional Tourism, has launched an Emerging Tourism Professionals program (ETP) designed to help attract, retain and mentor young people into regional tourism. The ETP is open to tourism professionals aged 30 and under who are working in the tourism industry in regional Australia, or in a role that primarily focuses on regional tourism. Applicants for the program can apply as part of the private sector or as part of a government role, with the winner receiving an internship with a major tourism organisation and $2,500 to spend on their professional development. Tourism WA will be sponsoring the WA finalist’s travel to the Australian Regional Tourism Convention in NSW in October, where two national winners (one private sector and one government) will be announced. Applications close September 14. Further information is available at the Australian Regional Tourism website.

Expression of Interest for ATE 2019 Famils Program

Tourism WA is developing an extraordinary familiarisation program for ATE 2019 delegates, to showcase the very best of WA. ATE, which is being held in Perth from April 8-12, 2019, is the largest tourism trade show of its kind in the southern hemisphere, attracting about 650 international and domestic buyers and 80 media from more than 30 countries. The event will also bring approximately 1,500 sellers from more than 600 companies to Perth, and is expected to deliver around $9 million to the State’s economy. Tourism WA is encouraging industry to support the ATE familiarisation program by providing product free of charge, or at a significant discount. By showcasing your product, you will have an opportunity to promote it directly to key buyer and media delegates, develop new partnerships and nurture existing relationships. If you are interested in being a part of the ATE19 familiarisation program, complete the Expression of Interest form.

Register now for Australian Cruise Association Conference

The Australian Cruise Association has announced the program for its 22nd Anniversary Conference & AGM, Forging Stronger Relationships, to be held in Broome from September 12 to 14, 2018.  Sponsored by Tourism WA, along with Cruise Broome and Kimberley Port Authority, this year's event will feature outstanding speakers with a capacity to influence deployments, destination growth and economic dispersal. The Australian Cruise Association invites members and non-members to attend the conference. For more information, visit the ACA website.

Entries open for Australian Event Awards

Entries are now open for the Australian Event Awards 2018. As the national awards programs for Australia’s events industry, the awards recognise the country’s best events and achievements by Australians in the global events industry. Eligible events and achievements must have taken place between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 and can be entered into one or more of the 23 award categories. Entries close on August 27, 2018. For more information and to enter visit the awards website. Western Australia also has the chance to be recognised as the best State for events in Australia. Click here for more details on the State or Territory Award.