WA businesses win big at national tourism awards, Australian Traveller advertising opportunity, US media shines spotlight on WA, Small Business Hardship Grants program open, regional tourism workshop registrations open, and more

TALKING TOURISM

Issue 699, Thursday March 24, 2022

Kaya

It’s been so exciting having The Project broadcasting live from Perth this week, and wonderful to receive such positive feedback on this initiative.

This partnership is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our beautiful state to the rest of the country and highlight some of our iconic regional tourism destinations, with live crosses to hosts Rove Mc Manus and Lisa Wilkinson throughout the week.

I’m pleased to say we have seen great engagement online so far – Rove McManus’s swim with the whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef has notched up more than 18,000 views on Facebook already.

In other exciting news, WA tourism came out on top at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Queensland last Friday night. It was my absolute pleasure to be there to witness so many Western Australian tourism businesses recognised in these national awards.

A huge congratulations to all the WA medal winners and finalists – what an amazing achievement. A full list of winners can be found here.

WHAT'S NEW

WA tourism wins big at national tourism awards

WA’s tourism industry received a huge boost last week, winning 12 medals at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards on the Sunshine Coast. The awards - including three gold medals - recognised the wide variety of excellent tourism experiences right across the state. The three major winners were Live Ningaloo for Ecotourism, Fremantle Prison for Cultural Tourism and Tree Chalets in Busselton for Self-Contained Accommodation. Read more in the media statement.

Advertising opportunity for Australian Traveller WA edition

Tourism WA is partnering with Australian Traveller for a dedicated Western Australia special edition of the print magazine. This 156-page issue will be the first-ever single destination edition. On sale in June, the magazine will be an editorial-led guide on WA, targeting Australians who are dreaming and planning their next holiday with inspiring content. Advertising opportunities are available to industry at heavily subsidised rates. For more information, visit our corporate website.

Tourism WA's US team putting WA in spotlight

Tourism WA’s US public relations team attended TravMedia’s virtual International Media Marketplace (IMM) from January to March, to raise awareness of WA’s border reopening and pitch story ideas to US and Canadian media. The PR team held 42 meetings with national travel and lifestyle media, as well as broadcast journalists during this time. The US and Canadian media markets were excited for the opportunity to visit WA, and interested in learning more about its sustainability, food and wine, and Aboriginal experiences.

WA tourism attractions take centre stage in US media

Many of WA’s new attractions and experiences were spotlighted in a recent Condé Nast Traveler piece. A Coast-to-Coast Guide to the Best New Things to Do in Australia celebrated Australia’s reopening, targeting American travellers. The story included some of WA’s new developments over the past two years, with WA Museum Boola Bardip taking centre stage, as well as the opening of the Kalbarri Skywalk, Samphire Rottnest, and the Oolin Sunday Island cultural tour.

Tourism WA celebrates reopening with Italian travel trade

In early March, Tourism WA’s new marketing manager for Italy, Craig Smith, and PR Manager, Micol Gioletta, hosted a cocktail event in Milano for 35 key distribution partners and media. The event celebrated the opening of WA and marked the first time this year that all major Italian tour operators were able to be together in one room. Adolfo Farisato, Qantas Italy manager, spoke at the event about the airline’s new service from Rome to Perth, starting in June.

Register for Bar and Barista Connect event in Fremantle

Fremantle hospitality businesses looking for staff are encouraged to register for a Bar and Barista Job Connect employer session next week. Run by Tourism WA, in partnership with AHA(WA), local hospitality businesses can attend the session on March 29 from 4.30 to 5.30pm and meet job-seekers who have completed training in RSA, barista basics, hospitality food service, hospitality bar basics and Covid-19 hygiene. Register your attendance here. Email workforce@westernaustralia.com for more information.

Small Business Hardship Grants program open

A new hardship grant program is open for small businesses. Eligible businesses that can demonstrate a 50 per cent reduction in revenue for any two-week consecutive period between January 1 and April 30, 2022 (compared to the equivalent period in 2021) can apply for grant payments between $3,000 and $50,000, according to their business size. Find out more on the Small Business Development Corporate website.

Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference announced

The Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference (AITC) dates have been announced, with the event set to take place from June 16 to 18, 2022 in Cairns. The theme for the 2022 event is ‘The Time is Now – Let’s Ignite’. The AITC is seeking Expressions of Interest for speakers at the conference. Visit AITC’s website for more information.

Register now for Tourism WA regional workshops

Tourism WA, in partnership with Australia's Golden Outback, Australia’s Coral Coast and the Midwest, Gascoyne, Goldfields-Esperance and Wheatbelt Development Commissions, is holding destination management planning sessions to support and guide sustainable tourism development for these regions over the next 10 years. The first workshops will be held in Esperance, Ravensthorpe, Merredin, Kalbarri and Geraldton throughout April. Registrations will open soon for Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Mt Magnet, Three Springs, Shark Bay, Carnarvon and Exmouth.

Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards individual categories close soon

The Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards individual category nominations will close soon. The Awards offer an opportunity to recognise those who have displayed individual excellence within the WA tourism industry. Across four separate categories, the Awards recognise individuals that have contributed outstanding commitment and quality to the tourism industry. Nominations will close March 29. For the full list of categories and further information on the submission process, visit the TCWA website.

Applications still open for tourism support programs

Applications are still open for all three programs of the Tourism Industry Support Package. The $15 million WA Tourism Deposit Refund Program and the $20 million WA Tourism Support Program both close next Thursday 31 March at 3pm so please ensure applications are submitted prior to this time. These programs, along with the $3m WA Travel Agents Support Fund, were announced as part of the State Government’s $77 million Safe Transition Industry Support Package, helping eligible WA tourism businesses offset some of the financial impact incurred by the delayed border reopening. Find out more on our corporate website.

Navigating COVID-related issues in the workplace

A number of free online support sessions for navigating COVID-related issues in the workplace are now available for hospitality workers. Run by not-for-profit Healthy Mind Menu, the sessions are designed to help hospitality staff focus on resilience, deal with change and navigate their way to mental wellbeing. Session topics include de-escalation of conflict and connecting with empathy, legal rights relating to mandates, prioritising mental health, preventing burnout and more. Register on the Eventbrite website to attend.

Small business rental relief package opens for applications

A rental relief grants scheme is open for eligible small businesses to offset the financial impact of reduced turnover related to the Level 1 Public Health and Social Measures Directions. Eligible small business tenants that experienced a 30 per cent reduction in revenue for any four-week consecutive timeframe between January 1, 2022 and April 30, 2022 (compared to the equivalent period in 2021) may apply for the $3,000 grant. Find out more on the Small Business Development Corporation website.

New development training program for tourism professionals

Australian Regional Tourism (ART) recently unveiled an online professional development training program for Local Government and tourism professionals. The program, sponsored by Tourism Australia, will be delivered online via a Tourism Hub. It provides a universally accessible tool for regional tourism industry professionals to better understand the role of the visitor economy in regional communities and best practice industry planning and development. Read more in the ART media release.