Talking Tourism

Sculpture by the Sea returns to Cottesloe

Cottesloe Beach has again been transformed into a stunning outdoor art gallery as it hosts the 15th Sculpture by the Sea until March 19. The event, which is supported by Tourism WA, features 71 artworks by artists from 19 countries, including 33 international artists, 14 from interstate and 25 from WA. The popular exhibition attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and showcases Perth’s beautiful beaches, relaxed lifestyle and vibrant cultural scene to local, national and international audiences through media coverage. World renowned kinetic sculptor and Tourism WA Invited Artist for 2019, Phil Price, is among those attracting media coverage for the event in his home town of New Zealand for his entry ‘Ipomoea’. For more information, view the website.

WA Tourism - ‘Our Story’ industry forum and workshops

Around 70 leaders from across government and the tourism industry attended a briefing this morning about the 'WA Tourism – Our Story' project, which aims to help WA stand out in a crowded marketplace. Tourism WA also held workshops with tourism operators and professionals in the Perth CBD and Fremantle earlier this week, with one scheduled in Mundaring tomorrow. Feedback from industry members attending the workshops will contribute to defining Tourism WA’s unique tourism brand story. The development of this story, a narrative that is owned across the tourism industry in WA, is important because it will help us align and differentiate our marketing. Follow @wa_tourism_our_story on Instagram and read more about the brand story here.

WA welcomes ultra-luxury cruise ship Silver Muse

A warm WA welcome was extended to all aboard the new ultra-luxury cruise liner Silver Muse, which docked in Fremantle on March 2. Silver Muse is the newest ship in Silversea’s fleet of boutique vessels, which are known for their smaller size and upmarket spaces. It was the ship’s maiden voyage to WA, with Albany and Geraldton also on the itinerary. Tourism Minister Paul Papalia was on-hand to welcome all passengers and crew to WA and participate in a plaque exchange with the captain before going on a tour of the 596-berth ship. Cruise shipping contributed $275 million to the WA economy in 2017-18 and WA is looking forward to more maiden calls by significant cruise liners in 2019. Read more here.

National Anzac Centre joins Cultural Attractions of Australia

The National Anzac Centre in Albany has joined Fremantle Prison and WA Maritime Museum as members of Cultural Attractions of Australia (CAOA), an industry-led collective of iconic Australian arts and cultural attractions.  The National Anzac Centre is an award-winning facility that uses multimedia, interactive technology and historical artefacts to create a deeply personal connection with the past, as well as pay tribute to those who served.  CAOA provides a single point of contact for travellers, trade partners and media to access premium, behind-the-scenes cultural experiences in iconic locations. Tourism WA has supported all three attractions to become founding members of the CAOA which will officially launch at the Australian Tourism Exchange in Perth in April this year.

Bledisloe Cup campaign launches in New Zealand

Tourism WA has partnered with All Blacks Tours to drive visitation to Western Australia around the Bledisloe Cup match on August 10, 2019. The campaign activity includes paid social media, digital display, influencers, search, content and email marketing to All Blacks Tours’ audience. The message is “Book beyond the stadium”, which aims to encourage All Blacks fans to extend their stay in Perth and explore the city and regional areas. Packages include a ticket and accommodation, with the option to add Air New Zealand direct flights and special offers with Perth-based touring. Watching the Bledisloe Cup in Perth is also being positioned as an alternative to September’s World Cup in Japan.

New international market audience profiles available

WA Tourism has recently published summaries of High Value Travellers (HVTs) for the key international markets of China, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and the USA on the Tourism WA website. HVTs are a new focus of Tourism WA’s marketing strategy, consistent with Tourism Australia, as we seek to increase international visitor numbers and spend. These summaries have been created by the Research team as a resource for industry to assist in understanding who High Value Travellers are, what appeals to them, and some of their planning, booking, and travel behaviour. Find the HVT summaries on the Tourism WA website.

WA delegates go Walkabout in Japan

A dozen delegates from WA visited Japan last week to attend Tourism Australia’s Walkabout Japan. The event attracted 37 Japanese travel buyers and WA had the most operators of any other Australian state. In addition to attending Walkabout Japan, Tourism WA organised agent training at influential wholesale agencies in Tokyo, as well as invited key Japanese partners to a ‘Friends of WA’ dinner to reinforce the direct flight message to Perth – the western gateway to Australia.

Opportunity to employ working holiday makers

Tourism Australia, in partnership with working holiday experts BUNAC, is launching a youth working holiday maker campaign in the UK and Germany.  BUNAC, part of the STA Travel group, specialises in helping young people work and volunteer abroad. BUNAC and Tourism Australia are looking to partner with Australian tourism and hospitality businesses seeking working holidaymakers, and who are able to offer interviews and job offers before travellers leave their home country (typically from the UK, Germany, France and USA). Employers can register via email.