Talking Tourism

Issue #559, June 20, 2019


Hello

Welcome to this week’s edition of Talking Tourism newsletter.

International holiday visitors to WA reach record high

WA has recorded its highest ever number of overseas holidaymakers in the year ending March 2019, according to the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) data. The data, released on Tuesday by Tourism Research Australia, shows 493,100 people travelled to WA for a holiday - up 9.3 per cent compared to the same time last year. Not only is this the highest ever number of international holiday visitors to WA, it’s also the strongest year-on-year growth rate of all Australian states and territories. However, the total number of international visitors dropped slightly, by 1.2 per cent, to 949,000, and overall spend decreased by 1.7 per cent to $2.16 billion. Tourism WA Managing Director Brodie Carr said this could be attributed to a decline in visiting friends and relatives (VFR). “We know the VFR segment is declining in other states and the national growth was just 0.2 per cent,” Mr Carr said. “We also know this segment is more likely to travel if they can get a good-priced flight. Luckily, we are about to kick off some great airline deals in our key markets thanks to the $12 million international marketing boost, so we’re confident we’ll see more growth soon.” For more information, visit our corporate website.

 

Perth scores Fed Cup tennis final for first time in nearly 50 years

Tourism WA has scored a massive victory for the State with the announcement Perth has won the right to host the final of the Fed Cup. The competition, between Australia and France, will be held at RAC Arena on November 9 and 10 with team Australia captained by WA’s Alicia Molik and led by Australia’s number 1 tennis player and recent Roland Garros champion, Ashleigh Barty. It will be the first time Perth has staged the final of the world’s largest annual international women’s tennis team competition in nearly 50 years. The final is a great lead into the new nation-versus-nation Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Cup teams event which takes place in January 2020. Fed Cup final tickets are currently on sale, with children’s tickets free with a paying adult in the bronze category. Read more on our corporate website.

 

WA promoted in Hong Kong marketing campaign

Western Australia will be promoted as an outdoors and adventure holiday destination in Hong Kong through an exciting new partnership between Tourism Western Australia, Tourism Australia and outdoor travel store Go Wild. The deal will see a campaign developed promoting Perth, Geraldton, Kalbarri and the Pinnacles on Go Wild and Tourism Australia’s digital platforms. It will include four videos created by Mixson Wong, a Hong Kong-based model, adventurer and director which will be shown online and on TV walls at four major shopping precincts across Hong Kong. It will also feature in-store promotion of WA in Go Wild stores. A number of Hong Kong’s top travel companies will offer holiday packages as part of the campaign, while Singapore Airlines will offer special fares to WA, which will be on sale until July 31, 2019. For more information, visit our corporate website.

 

Kimberley on show via GoPro Summit

In a huge coup for WA, the Kimberley region has been selected to host the second annual GoPro Creator Summit from August 4 to 8, 2019. The summit, supported by Tourism WA and Tourism Australia, assembles top GoPro experts for a four-day program of training, tourism and events. Content creators from Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, New Zealand and around Australia will be at the summit and put their skills to the test by creating adventurous and enviable content from first-hand Kimberley experiences. Their itinerary will include flying over the Horizontal Falls; kayaking with wild turtles at Gantheaume Point; viewing Broome’s 120-million-year-old dinosaur footprints and relaxing on the beautiful Cable Beach. More than 250 pieces of content are expected to be generated during the event and shared into the feeds of tens of millions of engaged followers. Read here for more information.

 

Construction begins on Hotel Rottnest revamp

Tourism Minister Paul Papalia turned the first sod yesterday to mark the start of construction on Hotel Rottnest’s redevelopment. Hotel Rottnest will nearly double in size as part of the $24 million redevelopment, with an extra 80 rooms to be built. Eighteen existing hotel rooms will be demolished to make way for the new development, which will also include two pools, a reception pavilion, outdoor dining, function facilities (up to 250 people), a grassed area and utility areas. Hotel Rottnest's bar and restaurant will continue to trade during construction, with the new development set to be completed for the summer of 2020. With 135,000 visitors heading to the island in April and May, the total visitation numbers for 2018-19 increased to a record-breaking 758,239 visitors. For more information, read the Tourism Minister’s media statement.

 

ANA campaign to promote new Tokyo-Perth direct flight

Tourism Australia, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Tourism Western Australia have kicked off a joint campaign in Japan to promote ANA’s new daily Tokyo-Perth direct service, which begins on September 1, 2019.  The ‘Good Vibes Only’ promotion aims to inspire Japanese travellers to choose Perth as their next holiday destination, by showcasing WA’s unique experiences. The campaign features popular Japanese celebrity singer and actor, Nissy (Mr Takahiro Nishijima), who tells the story of his WA travels on ANA’s website and social media channels.

 

Qantas opens new Broome to Darwin route

Tourism WA has welcomed the announcement of Qantas’ new Broome to Darwin flights, which will run three times a week from late October. The new route will help unlock the Northern Territory market for Kimberley tourism operators by improving access to the region for domestic and international travellers. To celebrate the launch of the new route, special one-way fares of $199 for travel between October 27, 2019 and March 27, 2020, are on sale until June 24. The introduction of the Broome to Darwin service follows Qantas’ continuation of special fares for flights from Perth to Broome, supported by Tourism WA.

 

Chance to share in $5 million in regional grants

Qantas is offering a chance to share $5 million in grants - $1 million each year over five years - to charities, organisations, causes, projects and individuals that help deliver direct services or benefits to regional communities. Qantas’ new Regional Grants Program will provide financial, flight and marketing support to community groups and organisations to help further their causes. The program adds to Qantas’ existing initiatives created to strengthen regional communities, drive local economic activity, stimulate tourism and support jobs. This includes a discounted fare program for residents to make air travel more accessible, and a new pilot academy scheduled to open in regional Australia next year. To apply, visit the Qantas website.

 

Sponsorships open for Indigenous Tourism Summit

The third World Indigenous Tourism Summit is being held in Perth in April 2020 and sponsorship opportunities are now available. Organised by the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council (WAITOC), and sponsored by Tourism WA, the summit is expected to attract hundreds of delegates from around Australia and the world. The summit theme is Tourism and Indigenous Earth Wisdom – Weaving the Future that Benefits All. The summit will focus on key areas of Aboriginal tourism, including Youth, Environment, Culture, Aboriginal-led research, Government best practice and the Business of Tourism. The Sponsorship Prospectus has been released and you can register here to receive regular updates on the summit program.

 

Eastern states travellers urged to hit the road in WA

As part of the ongoing Road Trips campaign, Tourism WA’s marketing team has organised a feature in this weekend’s Traveller lift out, in The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald newspapers. WA’s road trip destinations will feature in a double-page spread in both papers’ lift outs, as well as on the front and back pages, encouraging travellers from NSW and VIC to travel west and explore all our state has to offer. For more information on the Road Trips campaign, visit our corporate website.

 

Collie Futures Small Grants Program

The second round of the Collie Futures Small Grants Program is now open, offering up to $100,000 to organisations with initiatives that will have a positive impact on Collie’s economy. The financial support offered through the program is on top of the $2 million per industry-led project, accessible through the $18 million Collie Futures Industry Development Fund, which is part of the wider Collie Futures Fund. For more information or to apply, visit the website

 

Hilton Garden Inn to open in WA in 2020

Hilton this week announced the signing of the Hilton Garden Inn Albany, the first Hilton Garden Inn to open in Australia. The new hotel, which is set for completion in late 2020, will offer 108 rooms, including eight superior rooms and four corner suites. It will also have a restaurant and bar, a fitness centre and three meeting rooms. Hilton Garden Inn Albany will be located on the waterfront next to the new Albany Entertainment Centre. For more information, head to Hilton’s website.

 

Top Tourism Town Awards nominations close soon

Nominations for the 30th Annual GWN7 Top Tourism Town Awards close on June 30. Visitor Centres Western Australia members are invited to submit an entry for the awards, with the aim to showcase WA’s towns and cities, recognise their commitment to encouraging tourism, and increase visitation to these destinations. The awards provides an opportunity for you to showcase your community and highlight the importance of tourism to your destination. For more information and to nominate, click here.

 

International market profiles available online

Have you ever wanted to find out more about the profile of international visitors coming to WA? What experiences appeal to them, how they plan and book their trip, why and when they visit, as well as their travel habits? Our new International Market Profiles are now available on online, updated with 2018 data.

 

Australia Marketplace China 2019 registrations close soon

Tourism Australia’s China flagship trade event, Australia Marketplace China 2019 will take place in Chengdu, China from November 11 to 15. The program includes pre-scheduled meetings between buyers and sellers, and networking events. The event is an opportunity for WA tourism operators to establish business relationships with key qualified travel agencies and tour operators from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. For more information, please click here. Applications close on July 16. 

 

Accreditation to re-brand in 2019

Following more than 20 successful years of recognising high-quality tourism businesses, the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program will be re-branded to better promote your business. The new Quality Tourism Framework will combine multiple tourism accreditation, business development and awards programs into a single, user-friendly online tool to develop your business and grow your market, paired with new, modern branding to promote your status as a Quality Tourism Accredited Business. To find out more, visit the website.

 
 

 

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Visit Tourism WA’s corporate website for a comprehensive list of workshops, conferences and other events that may be of interest to WA’s tourism industry. To list or update your industry event, email media@westernaustralia.com.

 

New workshop schedule for 2019 available

Tourism Council WA has announced its new workshop schedule for July and August 2019, featuring a range of refreshed workshops for WA tourism businesses. These workshops will take place in Mandurah and Margaret River. For the full schedule, click here.

 

Wine exports and tourism workshops on offer

Wine Australia's Growing Wine Exports and Growing Wine Tourism is holding workshops and webinars in Perth, Swan Valley, Margaret River and Albany until July. These are practical, hands-on, wine-specific and packed full of case studies, market insights and tools to help businesses grow their exports and develop their wine tourism products and services for the inbound tourism market. Register now for a national webinar or a workshop in your region.

 

Regional Tourism Conference registrations now open

September 16-18: The 2019 WA Tourism Conference, which is supported by Tourism WA, will be held in Karratha in September. The conference will provide delegates with opportunities for professional and business development, networking and engagement with industry colleagues, and the chance to hear from industry-leading speakers on critical industry issues and innovative ideas. To assist tourism businesses from across WA to attend the event, the City of Karratha is offering a subsidy for those who will be flying or driving long distances. Accredited accommodation providers are also offering discounts to delegates. For more information and to register for the conference, click here.

 
 

 

For upcoming Tourism WA sponsored events head to the Tourism WA corporate website.