Pair’d Margaret River Region full program announced
Western Australia’s new homegrown wine and food event, the inaugural Pair’d Margaret River Region, has launched its full program of events promising a four-day festival of indulgence. The Tourism WA owned event will run from 14-17 November 2024 and will feature events to suit all tastes and budgets. Highlights include Tasting events, including a Grand Tasting at Howard Park and New Wave Gathering at Skigh Wine; a Collaborative series featuring a Night Hawker Market at Chow’s Table and dinners at premium wineries; and an Origin Series, a partnership with more than 15 local venues featuring unique food and wine pairings. Read more here.   

EverNow 2024 final events revealed
The full program for Tourism WA’s major homegrown event EverNow: A Festival During Kambarang has been announced. The free, family event, which runs from 3-7 October, will be headlined by Australian-exclusive show From the Light Flow: Bena Koorliny. Song Circle will return to the 2024 program and promises an engaging performance celebrating Noongar culture through music, dance, and light. Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak, will also return and take visitors on an immersive after-dark journey through Kings Park and Botanic Garden. The festival celebrates WA's Aboriginal culture and natural environment and is delivered by Perth Festival.
Read more here. 

Image credit: Jarrad Seng

400 trade partners attend Malaysia & Singapore mission
Tourism WA held its largest ever roadshow in Malaysia and Singapore last week as part of its successful 2024 Trade Mission to the region. Last held in 2022, the mission drew more than 400 trade partners across four cities in Malaysia and Singapore, aiming to bolster relationships with partners across Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, and Singapore. A consortium of 27 Western Australian operators represented the state across more than 4,500 business appointments, gala dinners, and cultural enrichment opportunities, further strengthening Western Australia’s robust business ties with Malaysia and Singapore. Read more about the Singapore and Malaysia markets here.

New Singapore to Perth flights launch
Jetstar launched its new service between Singapore and Perth/Boorloo today which will deliver 72,000 inbound seats. The service will operate three times per week before increasing to six services per week from September. Singapore is Western Australia's second-largest international visitor market, with over 92,000 visitors arriving in WA in the year ending March 2024. The Singapore service is proudly supported by Tourism WA’s Aviation Recovery Fund. Read more here. 

Applications now open for new wine tourism award
The WA Good Food Guide, in partnership with Tourism WA, is searching for Western Australia’s Best Tourism Experience in Wine. If you have a bookable tourism experience, such as special cellar door tastings, unique events, winery accommodation or hospitality, you are invited to apply for this new award category. Applications are now open and close on Friday, 23 August. The winner of this inaugural category will be announced at the WA Good Food Guide Wine Awards & Festival on Monday, 14 October 2024. Find out more and apply here.  

Walking on a Dream Event held in Beijing
One of Tourism WA’s key partners in China, Mafengwo (equivalent to Trip Advisor), held a Walking On A Dream event in Beijing last week. The event showcased WA’s dreamlike places with clouds, the moon, stars and a hot air balloon display. The event included interactive activities, a presentation about WA by Tourism WA’s in-market representative and a Q&A session testing the guests on their destination knowledge. Over 150 Mafengwo’s users, key opinion leaders (KOLs) were invited to the event with three KOLs sharing their engaging WA travel stories. Read more about the China market here. 

Swan Valley Visitor Centre unveils new mural
A spectacular new artwork was officially unveiled this week in the Swan Valley, recognising the cultural heritage of the region’s Traditional Owners, the Whadjuk Noongar people. ‘Kwobardak Boodja – Beautiful Country’, by Chloe Calyon of Kyooya Designs, is set to attract even more visitors to the Swan Valley and is featured within the Swan Valley Visitor Centre. The artwork offers a respectful visual acknowledgement of the rich Aboriginal cultures that exist in WA while encouraging visitors to seek more knowledge and book an Aboriginal tourism experience during their visit. The mural, delivered in partnership with WAITOC, is a result of the Jina: Western Australian Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan. Read more about the Jina Plan here.

Artist Chloe Calyon from Kyooya Designs
Image credit: WAITOC

Interstate campaign live with Luxury Escapes
In partnership with Tourism WA, Luxury Escapes has launched a two-week awareness and tactical campaign to drive interstate visitors to Western Australia. The campaign, running until Thursday, 15 August, will promote packages in Perth and the Margaret River Region, and showcase WA’s new food and wine festival Pair’d. The campaign is being promoted through YouTube, paid social, radio and influencer content, as well as Luxury Escapes’ owned channels including website, social, e-newsletter and an online Dream Magazine article. Find out more here.

Image credit: Tourism Australia

The Kimberley showcased in German and Swiss press trip
Three travel journalists from Germany and Switzerland recently experienced the wondrous nature and unique culture of the Kimberley region. Supported by Tourism WA, the trip is expected to be covered in Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Switzerland’s leading daily newspaper, in Swiss travel magazine Seazen and regional German newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. Additional video destination guides on the YouTube channel @BackPackerSteve will further promote the Kimberley region over the coming 12 months. As part of the trip, the journalists joined Aboriginal tours in Broome/Rubibi, Cygnet Bay, Sunday Island and the Bungle Bungles, within Purnululu National Park, and met with Aboriginal guides to discuss their connection to Country. Read more about these markets here. 

New Zealand agents explore Perth and Broome
Tourism WA recently hosted a group of top New Zealand travel consultants on a famil across Perth and the laid-back tropical oasis of Broome. The group of leading consultants spent time exploring Perth and the Swan Valley before heading up to Broome where they took part in a range of tours, learnt about the pearling history of the town, its giant tides, ancient Aboriginal culture and witnessed the spectacular Staircase to the Moon. Find out more about the New Zealand market here. 

Upskill with regional tourism workshops
Tourism businesses are invited to learn about the latest information, research, and trends relevant to the industry at Tourism Council WA’s upcoming workshops. There are also free sustainability briefings and Tourism Connect networking events being held throughout WA. Workshops will take place in Kalgoorlie-Boulder/Karlkurla, Geraldton/Jambinu, Margaret River and Perth in August and September. Learn more about Tourism Council WA’s training workshops here.

Save the date for TCWA’s Christmas celebration
Celebrate the year at Tourism Council WA's annual ‘Xmas Tipple’, taking place on Friday, 6 December. This event provides the opportunity to reflect on the achievements within the tourism industry and celebrate with industry colleagues. Read more here.