Tourism leader Carolyn Turnbull departing Tourism WA
Tourism WA Managing Director Carolyn Turnbull has announced her departure from the role, effective Friday, 10 May. Over the past three years, under Carolyn’s leadership, Tourism WA achieved a record-breaking $17.7 billion in visitor spend, surpassing pre-COVID levels by 31 per cent. Stepping into the role of Acting Managing Director is Stephanie Underwood, Tourism WA’s Executive Director of Strategy and Engagement. Meanwhile, an extensive recruitment process will be initiated to appoint a new Managing Director. Read the full statement here.

New Aboriginal tourism offering opens in the Kimberley
A new Camping with Custodians campground opened at Lombadina, located in Australia’s North West, today. Camping with Custodians is an Australian-first initiative that provides high-quality campground accommodation owned and run by Aboriginal people, creating income, employment and training opportunities for local communities. At Lombadina, visitors can learn about local Aboriginal culture while staying on Bardi Country with the Traditional Owners. The operators will also be a booking agent for activities and tours in the area, ranging from mud crabbing to whale watching tours. Read more here.

Johannesburg to Perth non-stop service touches down
The first non-stop flight between Johannesburg and Perth touched down earlier this week, with South African Airways returning to Perth for the first time in over four years. The resumed service will operate three days per week on an Airbus A340-300, providing more than 39,000 additional inbound seats to Perth each year and reducing travel time from roughly 17 hours to just under 10. The resumed connection will boost tourism to Western Australia and is strategically timed prior to the Wallabies vs Springboks Rugby Championship match in August. Read more here.

Affordable Airfares soars into sixth year in 2024
The Affordable Airfares Program returns for its sixth consecutive year to make travelling within Western Australia more affordable and drive visitors to regional WA tourism hubs that heavily depend on air access. Funding has been allocated to Virgin Australia and Qantas to provide discounted airfares on services between Perth and Broome, Exmouth and Kununurra, and also to Airnorth and Nexus Airlines for the first time in the program’s history. Find out more here.

Wallabies vs. Springboks rugby blockbuster tickets on sale
Tickets are now on sale for an epic showdown between the Wallabies and South Africa’s Springboks at Optus Stadium, as part of the 2024 Rugby Championship. The Wallabies will take on the back-to-back world champions on Saturday, 17 August at the stadium for the first time ever, in an event expected to draw tens of thousands of local and out-of-state rugby fans. Ticket sales are expected to surge, with a nearly 50,000-strong South African expatriate community in WA. Read more here.

Image credit: Getty Images

Malaysia and Singapore Roadshow EOI now open 
WA tourism businesses are encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest for the upcoming Tourism WA Malaysia and Singapore Roadshow. Taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore from 21 - 26 July, the roadshow is aimed at tourism businesses interested in gaining a better understanding of the Malaysian and Singaporean market, showcasing their product to key buyers from the leisure and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sectors, and establishing commercial business relationships with Malaysian and Singaporean buyers. Expression of interest registrations close at 5pm AWST Friday, 10 May 2024. Register here.

The ‘ultimate’ Kununurra itinerary featured in Escape
The Kimberley has been front and centre in recent coverage by Escape in its online and print publications. Tourism WA supported a group media visit to Kununurra last year, in partnership with Nexus Airlines, to support the launch of the new Kimberley services, which has resulted in multiple articles being displayed to more than four million readers across its syndicated print and online platforms. Lake Argyle, Mirima National Park, the annual Ord Valley Muster and Waringarri Aboriginal Arts were among the features. Read more here.

Image credit: Sarah Duguid Photography

WA ambassadors visit the Great Southern and Coral Coast
Recently, Tourism WA hosted two prominent WA ambassadors, pro surfer Jack Robinson and television personality Natalie Barr. Jack Robinson celebrated his recent win at the Margaret River Pro with an Esperance adventure, supported by Tourism WA. Jack and his wife shared their Heyscape tiny cabin, scenic flight and beach driving experiences to a combined audience of over one million followers. See the highlights here. Journeying north to Australia’s Coral Coast, Natalie Barr attended the Abrolhos Long Table Lunch in Geraldton last weekend, on a Tourism WA hosted visit. In addition to joining the signature event of Shore Leave Festival, Natalie visited Kalbarri National Park, Jurien Bay and the Pinnacles. Natalie has 114,000 followers on Instagram and is a presenter on Channel 7’s Sunrise. See the highlights here.
 

Image credit: Aaron Hughes

Tourism WA represented at prestigious TravMedia Awards
Tourism WA's UK PR team recently attended the TravMedia Awards in London, which recognise exceptional journalists, influencers and PR achievements in travel. Tourism WA sponsored the ‘Specialist Travel Writer of the Year’ category, and the sponsorship included hosting a table for nominees and additional media, WA branding on display and promotion across website, social and email. The event provided a valuable networking opportunity with journalists from high-profile publications, and the team has identified several potential PR opportunities arising from the event. Read more about the awards here.

‘Drive the Dream’ featured in German lifestyle magazine
A native advertorial detailing the highlights of the Coral Coast Highway, including the Drive the Dream campaign video featuring Daniel Ricciardo, is live on female lifestyle magazine Brigitte.de. The publication is considered one of the leading titles targeting the High Yield Traveller in Germany. The content piece aims to inspire readers to undertake a once-in-a-lifetime road trip through WA and links to a bigger Tourism Australia driven native story board on the same platform, that was created as part of a Tourism Australia One Voice digital content campaign. It will remain live until Sunday, 19 May. Read more here.

Enrich your workplace with international students
StudyPerth is hosting a Tourism and Hospitality Employer Connect event on Wednesday, 22 May at Perth Town Hall to connect international students directly with industry employers. This initiative is funded by Tourism WA through the Tourism Workforce Development Program. With different cultural backgrounds and experiences, international students are often proficient in several languages, benefiting businesses working with international customers. Businesses with current job vacancies or interested in connecting with international students can register here.

Free sustainability webinars for tourism operators
Embracing sustainability can help businesses reach new customers, build staff satisfaction, improve profitability and increase resilience. Drawing from the new national Sustainable Tourism Toolkit, the Australian Government is currently hosting a free, four-part series of one-hour webinars. Designed to meet the needs of small-to-medium tourism enterprises, the webinars provide easy-to-understand advice on implementing sustainability practices, for businesses new to sustainability and well on the journey. Register here.

Early bird registration extended
The early bird ticket rate for the 2024 Perth Airport WA Tourism Conference, to be held on 10-12 June in Mandurah, has been extended until tomorrow (3 May). The conference provides delegates with opportunities for professional and business development, networking and engagement with industry colleagues, and the chance to hear from industry-leading speakers on critical industry issues and innovative ideas. Early bird pricing offers savings of $100 per conference ticket. Register here.

Finalists announced in Top Tourism Town Awards
Nineteen towns from across Western Australia have been named finalists across three categories in the highly coveted Top Tourism Town Awards program. The public can vote online for their favourite town or city and go into the draw to win a $5,000 holiday in Western Australia or a two-night stay at RAC Karri Valley Resort. Public voting is open until Wednesday, 22 May. Read more here.

State Budget Tourism Review
Tourism businesses are invited to attend Tourism Council WA’s upcoming State Budget Tourism Review on Wednesday, 15 May. Find out about the WA Government’s plans for investment in tourism, including marketing, nature-based attractions including Rottnest Island, Kings Park and National Parks, culture, and the arts. Tourism WA Executive Director Events Anna Last will also be speaking at the event. Register here.

Swan Valley Tourism Planning Strategy workshop
Tourism WA invites Swan Valley tourism operators to a workshop to learn about the agency’s vision for the future of tourism in the Swan Valley. Tourism WA is supporting the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage in developing a Swan Valley Tourism Planning Strategy, to guide sustainable tourism development and address potential changes to the planning framework to better facilitate tourism outcomes. This workshop will also include sharing recent consumer research and offering insights into the perspectives of visitors. Register here.