WTTC Global Summit held in Perth
The World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit wrapped up this afternoon in Perth/Boorloo, and marked the first time the prestigious event has ever been held in Australia. The 68th United States Secretary of State John Kerry headlined the Summit, alongside beloved Australian environmentalist and television personality Robert Irwin who shared insights on sustainable tourism and wildlife experiences. Operators can still register for access to the Global Summit including replays of many of the conference presentations and learning sessions. Read more here. 

Headline and above image credit: WTTC

BMX national championships racing ahead
The 2024 GWM BMX Racing National Championships got underway earlier this week and are expected to bring over 2,000 riders, officials and accompanying spectators to Perth. Sponsored by Tourism WA, the national BMX event is underway until Sunday, 13 October at Westside BMX Club in Balcatta and includes 76 championship event categories featuring over 1,600 riders aged two to 76. The 2024 BMX Racing National Championships give riders the chance to win the right to wear the green-and-gold national champion jersey in 2025. Read more here. 

Image credit: AusCycling and Get Snapt

IRONMAN WA gains Asia-Pacific Championship status
Western Australia’s IRONMAN event has been awarded Asia-Pacific Championship status in 2025 and 2026, which will elevate the prestige of the event and attract an increased number of out-of-state competitors and supporters. Elite professionals and athletes of all ages participate in the iconic event, with the 2024 IRONMAN Western Australia event set to return to Busselton in December. The 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 event has received Asia Pacific Championship status, drawing thousands of visitors to Australia’s South West to see the race along the picturesque foreshore precinct and through the region’s iconic Tuart forest. Read more here.

Image credit: DanielaTommasi

ATE 2025 seller applications now open
Tourism Australia has opened seller applications for the Australian Tourism Exchange 2025 (ATE) to be held in Brisbane from Sunday, 27 April to Thursday, 1 May 2025. ATE is renowned as the national tourism industry’s largest annual business event, providing the opportunity to connect with global distribution partners via scheduled business appointments and networking events. In addition, pre and post familiarisations will offer international buyers the opportunity to experience products and offerings firsthand. Seller applications close on Friday, 1 November. Find out more here.  

Tourism WA completes UK agent training campaign 
Tourism WA recently ran a successful campaign in partnership with ANZCRO to promote the direct Qantas London-Perth service and educate UK travel agents on Western Australia. The campaign included webinars and an in-person training event for 109 agents, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to effectively sell Western Australia. The campaign will culminate in two eight-day familiarisations, where eight top-performing agents and two hosts will have the opportunity to experience Western Australia firsthand. Read more about the UK market here.  

Tourism WA hosts Drive the Dream 2.0 event
Last week, the Tourism WA UK team held an event for 60 trade, media and other stakeholders at the F1® Arcade in London. The event celebrated the recent launch of the second iteration of the Drive the Dream campaign featuring homegrown hero Daniel Ricciardo, plus provided destination updates, discussed road trips and the attendees tried a F1 simulator experience. Attendees included journalists from titles such as Wanderlust, Mail Online and Sunday Times, along with airline partners such as Emirates and Singapore Airlines, and operators from companies such as Trailfinders, Flight Centre and ANZCRO. Read more about the UK market here.  

Image: Drive the Dream 2.0 - Australia's South West

Report shares new insights on accessible tourism market 
Tourism Research Australia recently released new results on the value and travel preferences of the accessible tourism market. The May 2024 report revealed that travellers with accessibility needs accounted for one in five (21 per cent) domestic overnight trips and a quarter (24 per cent) of daytrips in Australia in the June quarter of 2023. Find out more about the travel behaviour and preferences of this cohort in Tourism Research Australia’s Travellers with accessibility needs in Australia report here.  

Join Tourism WA’s Domestic Spotlight event
Join Tourism WA and a panel of industry leaders for an update on the interstate market including latest insights, trends and upcoming activity. Panel speakers will include Webjet Chief Executive Officer, Katrina Barry; Helloworld Travel General Manager of Marketing, Melissa Warren; and representatives from Tourism WA’s East Coast Trade Office including The Walshe Group Executive Chairman Jacqui Walshe and Trade Account Manager Christine Poole. The event is being held at Pan Pacific Perth on Thursday, 7 November from 8:30am to 11am. RSVP your attendance in-person or online here by Friday, 1 November. 

New SKAL International Perth mentor program
Tourism WA, in partnership with SKAL International Perth, will deliver an exciting mentorship program to build a skilled and connected WA tourism and hospitality workforce. SKAL is currently seeking expressions of interest from experienced industry operators to join the program as a mentor, to pass on expertise and inspire future talent for our industry. Mentors will be required to commit two hours to the program per month, over six months. The deadline to apply is Thursday, 31 October. Read more here. 

Connect with talent at International Student Careers Fair
Ahead of the upcoming peak summer season, tourism and hospitality operators are invited to join Tourism WA’s Workforce Team at StudyPerth’s International Student Jobs Fair. Held from 1pm to 4pm next Wednesday, 16 October at the North Metropolitan TAFE East Perth campus, this event enables operators to directly connect with international students and graduates to build their summer vacation workforce. With more than 500 international students already registered to attend, the event is a valuable opportunity to engage with students actively looking for new roles. Registration is free, read more here. 

Attend upcoming Scarborough tourism workshops
Workshops and a networking event will be held by Tourism Council WA in Scarborough in partnership with the Sunset Coast, made up of the cities of Joondalup, Stirling and Wanneroo. Sunset Coast businesses receive a 50 per cent discount on workshop registrations and two complimentary tickets to the Tourism Connect networking event, which has been subsidised by the cities of Joondalup, Stirling, Wanneroo. The workshops and networking event will be held on Thursday, 31 October at the Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough. Read more here.

Image credit: Tourism Australia

Network@Night registrations close soon
Join Tourism Council WA following the AGM for a networking event to connect with new people, meet industry colleagues, as well as TCWA's preferred suppliers and partners next Tuesday, 15 October at RAC Arena. The Network@Night follows the Tourism Council WA Annual General Meeting. Guests can register for just the AGM, just the Network@Night, or both. Read more here.