Women’s elite football tournament headed for Perth
In another Perth exclusive and Australian-first event, WA will host four elite women's football teams for the Perth International Football Cup in August and September. Perth/Boorloo will welcome Women's Super League (WSL) teams Manchester City, West Ham United, and Leicester City, plus Paris Saint-Germain from France's top women's league, Division 1 Féminine. Each team will play two matches with the winners playing off in the final. The initial matches will take place at HBF Park, while Optus Stadium will host all four teams in a finals double header. Read more here.  

Image credit: TEG Sport

World Supercross Championship to race into Perth
The Federation Internationale de Motocylisme (FIM) World Supercross Championship will race into Perth/Boorloo this November for a unique double-header event. The Championship will take place from 23-24 November at HBF Park, featuring some of the world’s best riders, and is expected to draw thousands of out-of-state fans. Supercross consists of exhilarating motorcycle racing on in-stadium dirt tracks offering the ultimate combination of elite motorsport and live entertainment. Perth will host two legs of the global event this year, which is the pinnacle of global supercross racing. Read more here.

Headline image and above image credits: FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX)

Australia’s South West launches wellness tourism strategy
Earlier this week, events were held in Australia’s South West to support the launch of the RTO’s new Wellness Tourism Strategy 2024, developed in partnership with Tourism WA. The 10-year strategy is a proactive response to the growing trend of Wellness Tourism, which is forecast to double from 2022 to 2027, with category expenditure expected to reach US$1.4 trillion by 2027. The strategy strives to position Australia’s South West as the leading destination for nature-based wellness tourism in Australia by 2034 via six strategic objectives, aligning closely with Tourism WA’s WA Visitor Economy Strategy 2033. Read more here. Read more here.  

Image credit: Tourism Australia

West Coast to West Coast Event takes Malibu
Malibu, California residents and visitors were brought a taste of Australia’s South West last week with four days of culinary events. Taking place at Carbon Beach Club – an oceanfront restaurant in the heart of Malibu – diners took a WA culinary journey through a five-course menu from Executive Chef Josh Balague and Cape Lodge Head Chef Adam Robson Chew. Wines from four Margaret River producers were expertly paired with each course and Tourism WA’s US team kicked off the chef collaboration with a media and industry preview, which was attended by nearly 40 guests, including a writer from Forbes and PaperCity Magazine. Read more about the US market here.  

The Dream Collective invites applications
Tourism WA and Tourism Council WA recently unveiled The Dream Collective Western Australia. The program has been developed to promote and showcase the best of Western Australia’s tourism offerings, recognising the state's leading tourism operators who consistently deliver high-quality visitor experiences. Tourism operators must meet the eligibility criteria and participate in an annual evaluation process across a set of criteria, including customer reviews, online platforms, marketing activity, training, accreditation, and awards to be considered for inclusion. Applications are now open, closing 12 July. Apply here.

Applications open for Tourism Australia Marketplace – UK & Europe
Seller applications are now open for Tourism Australia’s bi-annual Australia Marketplace UK & Europe 2024, taking place from 18-20 November in London. The event provides an opportunity for Australian tourism industry representatives to connect with key qualified travel agencies, wholesalers and tour operators in the UK and Europe. The event will include two days of pre-scheduled appointments between buyers and sellers plus valuable networking opportunities. Seller applications close on Friday, 28 June 2024. In addition, Tourism WA will run an Agent Showcase pre and post marketplace in both the UK and Europe. Read more here.  

Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference early bird registrations
The Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference (AITC) early bird registrations are now open, closing on Wednesday, 31 July. Hosted by the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council (WAITOC) in partnership with the Victorian State Government via the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, AITC will run in Melbourne/Naarm from 29-31 October. The theme for the 2024 event is ‘Songlines—Cultural Threads’, and AITC 2024 promises an enriching exchange of ideas and insights into Aboriginal tourism and cultural preservation, youth initiatives, environmental stewardship and tourism. Read more here. 

Image credit: WAITOC

Trailfinders UK heads down under for a whistlestop WA tour
Tourism WA recently brought 30 Trailfinders travel agents to WA in partnership with Qantas and Tourism Australia. The agents spent three action-packed days in Perth as part of Trailfinders’ Academy initiative, which combines supplier training with destination experiences. This included a gourmet lunch and wine pairing in the Swan Valley, exploring the Pinnacles and Rottnest Island/Wadjemup, and walking tours in Perth city and Fremantle. All agents also participated in pre and post-familiarisations around Australia, including the Kimberley. Trailfinders is the UK’s largest tour operator to Australia and this event was the first of its kind. Read more about the UK market here.  

East coast agents experience the dreamy East Kimberley
Last week, Tourism WA hosted a group of travel agents and partners from the east coast to experience the wonders of the East Kimberley. The famil aimed to create greater awareness of the region’s incredible product offerings and explored Kununurra/Goonoonoorrang, Purnululu National Park and El Questro Wilderness Park. The trip featured spectacular scenic flights over the iconic Bungle Bungle Range, leisurely cruises on the Ord River and Chamberlain Gorge as well as guided walks in El Questro and Mirima National Park and a tour of Waringarri Aboriginal Arts. Read more about Tourism WA’s familiarisations program here.  

The heart of WA’s west featured in Escape Magazine
Kalgoorlie/Karlkurla and its gold rush history and outback characters have been highlighted in recent coverage by Escape in its print publications. The freelance visit to Kalgoorlie earlier this year was supported by Tourism WA and Australia’s Golden Outback and resulted in a syndicated article, which was seen by an estimated audience of more than two million readers. The article featured Aboriginal street art trail ‘Heartwalk’, Museum of the Goldfields, Mount Charlotte, the Super Pit and White Flag Lake. Read more about Escape here. 

West Kimberley rebrands as Australia's Boab Country
The Shire of Derby/West Kimberley has launched a new website and branding to elevate tourism across the West Kimberley region. The new brand, Australia's Boab Country, highlights the area's distinctive Boab trees, which symbolise its unique natural heritage. With the goal of becoming the central information hub for the West Kimberley, the former Visitor Centre building is being transformed into a Community Hub, to include tourism information, alongside other services. Read more here. 

Image credit: Shire of Derby/West Kimberley

Winners and new hosts announced at the WA Tourism Conference
Last week, at the 2024 Perth Airport WA Tourism Conference held in Mandurah/Mandjoogoordap, it was announced that the 2025 Perth Airport WA Tourism Conference will be held in Fremantle/ Walyalup. In addition, Busselton/Undalup was named the winner of the 2024 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Award. In the Small Tourism Town category, the Gold Medal was awarded to Exmouth for a third year running, with the town being inducted into the Hall of Fame and in the Tiny Tourism Town category, the Gold Medal was awarded to Kalbarri/Wurdimarlu. More than 300 industry representatives attended the conference. Read more here. 

Image credit: TCWA