68th US Secretary of State headline speaker for Perth event
The 68th United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, will be the headline speaker at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in WA next month. Serving in the administration of former President Barack Obama and more recently as the US Climate Envoy, Secretary Kerry will address the Summit which takes place from 8 – 10 October at Crown Perth. Secretary Kerry will join Robert Irwin, son of Australian legend and renowned environmentalist, Steve Irwin, and leaders from global tourism businesses in speaking at the prestigious event. Read more here.

2025 TRIP Expressions of Interest are now open
Expressions of interest are now open for Tourism WA’s 2025 Trade Ready Introduction Program (TRIP). Established in 2024, TRIP offers stepped financial assistance to WA-based tourism operators looking to expand their business into interstate and international markets through business-to-business trade engagement opportunities. This three-year program offers participants opportunities to build their network and showcase their products at events such as the Australian Tourism Exchange, Tourism WA Roadshows, in-market tourism trade events and more. Expressions of interest will close at 5pm AWST on Friday, 4 October 2024. Read more here for information on how to apply.

Perth to host Australian Cruise Association Conference 2025
Western Australia will see over 150 cruise industry leaders set sail for Fremantle next year to attend the 2025 Australian Cruise Association (ACA) Conference. This annual conference will take place from 3 - 5 September, bringing Australia’s top industry representatives together and setting the scene for discussions on WA’s port capabilities and onshore attractions. While in WA, delegates will be invited to enjoy touring activities which showcase Fremantle, Rottnest Island and other iconic Perth destinations. To find out more about cruising in WA, click here.

Tourism WA Industry Update registrations close soon
Registrations to attend the Tourism WA Industry Update are closing next week. The upcoming update is an excellent opportunity to hear from the Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister, the Hon. Rita Saffioti MLA, as she speaks to the key updates across her tourism portfolio. A panel of representatives will also share information on current projects including the Perth Airport redevelopment and expansion, Outdoor Adventure Tourism package and Tourism WA Marketing campaign activity in the domestic market. The event will be held on Tuesday, 17 September at Optus Stadium. Registrations close Friday, 13 September. Register here. 

New Jetstar flights from South-East Asia
Three new Jetstar flights to Perth from Singapore, Bangkok and Phuket will bring more than 150,000 seats into WA each year. Supported by Tourism WA’s Aviation Recovery Fund, Jetstar’s new Singapore service increased from three to six weekly services from 3 September, delivering over 72,000 inbound seats. From 6 September, another new connection from Bangkok will launch to run alongside the third new service between Phuket and Perth that began operating in August. Up to 60 Jetstar pilots are set to be based in Perth as part of the airline’s growing WA hub and to support the new connections, amplifying the state’s reputation as Australia’s Western Gateway. Read more here. 

Dream of WA Sale with BKB Holidays
In partnership with Tourism WA, travel specialists BKB Holidays has launched a three-week cooperative marketing campaign to drive interstate visitation to Western Australia. The campaign, running until 20 September, promotes a range of state-wide bucket-list holiday packages including cruise, extended touring and hero road trips. The campaign is being promoted through press, social media and digital display, as well as BKB’s owned channels including social media, trade and consumer e-newsletters. The campaign will also include trade incentives promoted across BKB’s retail and agent networks. Find out more here. 

Dream Collective program update 
Last week, it was announced that the inaugural The Dream Collective Western Australia program accepted 144 WA tourism businesses. Notifications of assessment went out this week to inform the many applicants of outcomes, along with an assessment report detailing applicants’ performance in each criterion. Congratulations once again to all successful applicants for the 2024/2025 program. Applications for the 2025/2026 program will open in early April 2025. Read more about the program here.  

Image credit: Tourism Australia

Tourism Australia Japan and Korea Marketplace
Tourism WA was part of a delegation from Western Australia attending the Tourism Australia Marketplace events in both Japan and Korea. The event saw Tourism WA undertake over 100 meetings with Airline and Key Distribution Partners at the events held in Nagano and Seoul. Further meetings with Key partner H.I.S. and ANA were conducted in Tokyo, as well as the annual ‘Friends of WA’ dinner, attended by 25 key Japanese partners. Japan remains WA’s 9th largest inbound market, whilst Korea’s tourism recovery has seen it become Australia’s eight largest market overall. Read more about the markets here.  

Domestic Market Insights Webinar on September 12
Would you like to know which destinations Western Australians will be travelling to in the next six months, along with what type of activities, transport, and accommodation they are planning on using? Join Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall for a webinar at 10am on September 12 to hear the latest domestic market trends from TCWA's Travellers’ Intentions Survey. Register here.

Tour Guide Training Registrations Close Soon
Learn to be a tour guide from the experts! This one-day course, held on September 18 by Tourism Council WA, will teach you the basic principles of guiding in a fun and supportive environment. Through interactive activities, role plays and presentations, the workshop will cover the logistics of running a tour, how to engage your audience, duty of care and risk management. You will learn how to start your own small touring business, how to design and price a tour, and the importance of marketing. Participants will receive a workbook and Certificate of Completion. Read more here.