Paris to Perth Qantas service launches with French flair
The inaugural non-stop flight between Paris and Perth launched last week in true Parisian style. The route cuts more than three hours off the current fastest travel time between Paris and Perth and further elevates WA's status as the Western Gateway to Australia, with Perth still the only city in Australia providing non-stop aviation connections with Continental Europe and the United Kingdom. In 2023, WA welcomed 23,000 visitors from France and an additional 95,000 travellers arrived from the rest of mainland Europe, with a combined total expenditure of $386 million that year. Read more here.

Major cruise event docks in WA
More than two dozen global cruise industry leaders have sailed into WA, shining a spotlight on the state's world-class cruise tourism sector. Leading cruise lines such as Carnival, Coral Expeditions, MSC, Ponant, and Royal Caribbean are among the 14 companies bringing executive delegates to the WA Cruise Exchange held at Crown Towers Perth. The eighth annual event is a crucial driver of WA's cruise industry and brings together executives and shore-excursion ground handlers with representatives from WA ports and the wider tourism industry for meetings, information sharing and networking opportunities. Read more here.  

More speakers announced for global tourism summit in Perth
Top business leaders from global travel companies including TripAdvisor, Trip.com and Intrepid Travel are among those announced this week as speakers at the world's biggest tourism summit in Perth this October. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, taking place from 8-10 October at Crown Perth, brings together leaders from across the globe to discuss issues affecting tourism, trade and travel. The 2024 Summit is the first time the world-renowned conference has been held in Australia and will elevate WA as an emerging global leader in travel, tourism and trade. These leaders join renowned environmentalist Robert Irwin as guest speakers at the upcoming Summit. Read more here.

Busselton a shore thing for returning ocean events
Busselton will host the Australian Open Water Championships and OceanSwim Festival for a third consecutive year in 2025. Set to take place at the iconic Busselton Jetty from 23-26 January 2025, the festival is expected to attract hundreds of elite athletes, community swimmers and spectators and inject millions of dollars into the local economy. Supported by Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program, over the past two years the Championships have attracted a combined 4,300 visitors to the region, who generated close to $4.5 million in visitor expenditure for Australia’s South West. Read more here. 

Heritage Swan Valley winery project launches
The Swan Valley Old Vine Charter was launched on Friday at Sandalford Wines to recognise the importance of Swan Valley Old Vines. Initiated by local generational winemakers and based on the Barossa Old Vine Charter, this exciting initiative will preserve the vineyards for future generations - a culmination of over three years of planning by a Swan Valley working group with support from Tourism WA. Read more here.

Image credit: Tourism Australia

Pre-expedition cruising media coverage for Broome
Tourism WA’s PR team has secured national print and online media coverage in Escape following a partially hosted media visit led by Seabourn. The visit was scheduled to support the inaugural expedition of Seabourn’s newest vessel, Seabourn Pursuit, and the coverage highlights new products including Jarndu Ngaank Tours, Cable Beach House and Spinifex Brewery Cable Beach. Otherworldly experiences by Broome Adventure Cruises (a Tourism WA Trade Ready Induction Program participant) and The Mangrove Hotel are also featured, highlighting Staircase to the Moon and Broome’s prehistoric past. Escape has a national audience of more than 2.7 million Australians. Read the article here. 

Dreamy Infinity Holidays packages
on sale
Tourism WA has partnered with Australian travel wholesaler Infinity Holidays on a four-week domestic campaign running until Friday, 2 August. The tactical campaign aims to drive east coast visitors and longer stays with six hero road WA trips packages for retail travel agents to sell to their clients, as well as an agent sales incentive. The campaign is live across trade media publications KarryOn and Travel Daily, paid social and B2B email marketing. Read more here. 

Tourism WA partners with WA Good Food Guide
Tourism WA has partnered with the West Australian Good Food Guide (WAGFG) to increase awareness of the state’s culinary experiences and contribute to building industry capability. WAGFG recently launched a new hospitality platform, WA Good Food Guide Stays, which aims to showcase Western Australia’s best accommodation experiences and drive visitors and brand awareness for operators. Comprising a comprehensive accommodation guide with authentic writer reviews, the platform already showcases a range of properties, from luxury hotels to regional guesthouses and boutique accommodation providers, with more to follow. Tourism WA has partnered with the WAGFG to deliver marketing support and the creation of a new WAGFG awards category. Read more here.