|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATE Daily - Australia Tourism
ATE Daily |
| Get all the news from ATE08 with ATE Daily - the event's official newspaper - which will be available here everyday from Saturday 14th June. ***Click on the images to see a PDF of the edition*** |
 |
Goodbye Perth 08, Hello Melbourne 09 |
 |
| Friday 20th June 2008 ATE 2008 wraps up today following a stellar week of meetings, networking and events to sell Australia to the world. Geoff Buckley, Managing Director of Tourism Australia said Perth has done a fantastic job, despite the state’s energy crisis, and thanked Tourism WA for extending its trademark hospitality to both sellers and international buyers during a very intensive week. Next year ATE heads to Melbourne and the brand new Melbourne Convention Centre on the edge of the Yarra River. The cutting edge venue has been constructed to a six star environmentally friendly design and is situated within the new retail and dining precinct at South Wharf. ATE 2009 will be held from 13-19 June 2009. See you there! Photo Caption: Tourism Victoria Chairman, John Morse and Tourism Western Australia CEO, Richard Muirhead. |
Australia Open for Business |
 |
| Friday 20th June 2008 Australia’s biggest tourism business event, ATE, may be drawing to a close but Australia is still very much open for business events. In addition to providing a spectacular backdrop for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, Australia is also heavily investing in a number of major infrastructure projects to the value of $3.7 billion across the country to support event business. New infrastructure projects include a number of new and expanded convention centres in the heart of cities such as Brisbane, Darwin and Melbourne. Busness Events Australia has been attending ATE for the first time this year to promote the sector to the 1,700 sellers, 600 international buyers and 60 media attending ATE over the week. Many of the sellers attending ATE are also active in the business events sector and have been promoting a range of events destinations that can support everything from major international association meetings to unique and specialised incentive experiences. Head of Tourism Australia’s dedicated business events unit, Business Events Australia, Joyce Di Mascio said Business Events Australia is available to talk to the industry while at ATE and also buyers interested in Australia as a sustainable business events destination. “Australia faces growing international competition in this sector – ATE represents another valuable forum to aggressively position Australia’s capability as a place to hold meetings,” she said. Business Events Australia has launched a brand to underpin all trade marketing of Australia as a sustainable business event destination. This is supported by a marketing toolkit which is available online to the industry at www.businessevents.australia.com Federal Tourism Minister, the Hon. Martin Ferguson also announced last month the establishment of a Business Events Working Group to deliver a strategy to improve the competitiveness of the industry. |
Snapshots provide new insights |
 |
| Thursday 19th June 2008 Tourism Research Australia (TRA) launched its 2008 Snapshot series to the industry at ATE today providing valuable insights into a range of specific market sectors. Covering Backpackers, Bed and Breakfast, Caravan or Camping, Cultural and Heritage Tourism, Mature Age Visitors, Indigenous Tourism and Nature Tourism, the snapshots offer top level information and research into trends, expenditure, demographics, destinations and activities. “Tourism Research Australia has been producing market sector Snapshots for several years now to assist the industry better understand the unique differences of each market sector so they can target their marketing and develop their product to better suit the customer,” said Paul Fairweather, General Manager Tourism Research Australia. Key data from this year’s Snapshots includes: • International backpacker visitation has increased by approximately three per cent per year since 2000 to reach 566,000 visitors. There were half a million domestic backpackers in 2007. • European visitors are more likely to use bed and breakfast accommodation than other visitors, accounting for nearly half of all international bed and breakfast visitors. • Domestic caravan or camping visitors tend to participate more than non-caravan or camping visitors in activities such as bushwalking or rainforest walks and fishing. • The top two cultural and heritage activities for both international and domestic visitors are visiting museums and art galleries, and visiting heritage buildings, sites or monuments. • International Indigenous tourism visitors accounted for around 16 per cent of all international visitors to Australia during 2007. • There were 45.4 million mature age domestic day visitors during 2007, 19.9 million mature age domestic overnight visitors and 1.2 million mature age international visitors. • New Zealand and Japan are in the top three countries in terms of nature visitor numbers, but they have the lowest spend per visitor. To download the full Snapshots go to www.tra.australia.com |
Tech travellers log-in to travel |
| Thursday 19th June 2008 IT-savvy travellers are re-shaping travel as we know it, using new technology to influence their purchase decisions and how they engage with a destination. As internet connectivity advances exponentially, so too online videos are quickly becoming the preferred tool for travellers to research and explore a destination before booking their tickets - online of course! According to one recent study, two-thirds of online adult leisure travellers use online video and audio clips. Furthermore, online research agency, eMarketer, predicts that in 2008 the array of online videos will increase dramatically, both from professional content producers and amateurs churning out user generated content. More and more tourism operators and organisations are utilising social media and social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube to engage with tech travellers on a one-to-one basis. Tourism Australia launched its own Facebook page in May this year and in less than a month had more than 3,000 people listed as fans of the page. NT Tourism has established its own video content channel www.youtube.com/australiasoutback, while Tourism Victoria (www.visitvictoria.com/videos/) and Tourism Western Australia (www.westernaustralia.tv/) host entire channels on their home websites. Travel blogs and websites such as www.tripadvisor.com are also being used by more and more online travellers for ‘unbiased’ user-generated reviews on destinations, hotels, tours and transport options to help them make purchase decisions. As such the industry needs to be prepared to communicate with travellers through more avenues than just their corporate website and develop strategies to regularly engage with user-generated websites. |
Capitalising on Australia’s Natural Assets |
 |
| Wednesday 18th June 2008 Tourism Australia and Parks Australia have formed a partnership to identify National Landscapes which capture the essence of Australia and offer distinctive natural and cultural experiences. These landscapes will be branded and marketed to Australia’s ‘Experience Seekers’ target market highlighting the uniqueness of each National Landscape. Each landscape was chosen against a set of core criteria devised by a group of conservation and tourism partners. These include having the capacity to attract visitors, provide iconic imagery and manage access without harming the landscape’s ecology or cultural significance. Tourism Australia General Manager, Trade Marketing, Matthew Cameron-Smith said many international visitors come to Australia with an idea of what to expect: the Outback, the Opera House, and some of our unique wildlife, but as the National Landscapes program highlights, that is only part of the picture. “Our National Landscapes transcend State and regional boundaries. They are natural and cultural environments that are special to Australia and the world,” he said. “The WOW factor makes itself felt again and again with each of these National Landscapes. It’s the inevitable and involuntary response to the experience of being in these landscapes, of being part of their history and culture, of witnessing up close the miracles that each animal and plant represents. The experience is genuinely awe-inspiring,” he said. Eight National Landscapes were announced at ATE by TA Chairman Rick Allert AO and travel identity Sorrel Wilby (pictured). The project is ongoing with the aim to have 16-20 Landscapes selected over the next two years including two already identified right here in WA - the Stirling Ranges and Ningaloo. |
Landscapes to inspire the world |
| Wednesday 18th June 2008 Australia’s first eight National Landscapes include: Australia’s Red Centre - The heart of Australia, the Red Centre is a land of arid beauty, endless plains and monuments of nature – World Heritage Uluru, Kata Tjuta, the McDonnell Ranges and Kings Canyon. Kakadu - Kakadu National Park is one of the great World Heritage areas and is recognised universally as a place with a living Aboriginal culture and features extraordinary natural landscapes. Flinders Ranges - South Australia’s largest mountain range stretches 430 kilometres. The Flinders Ranges are an emotionally uplifting, ancient place offering sanctuary and tranquility. Australian Alps – Stretching from Canberra through the Brindabella Range to the Snowy Mountains and along the Great Divide through Victoria, Australia’s alpine environments are unique and special. Great Ocean Road – A journey along the spectacular Great Ocean Road, where nature’s drama unfolds at every turn, offers breathtaking scenery with infinite diversity. Australia’s Green Cauldron – Including the world’s second largest shield volcano erosion crater, the Green Cauldron takes in World Heritage-listed Mount Warning, subtropical rainforests and breathtaking mountain ranges from Byron Bay to the Gold Coast. Australia’s Coastal Wilderness – Along the south east of Australia is a rare and relatively untouched wilderness coastline which takes in Croajingolong National Park, listed by UNESCO as a World Biosphere. Greater Blue Mountains – The Blue Mountains World Heritage Area stretches over one million hectares of accessible wilderness including a diverse mix of rainforest, canyons, tall forests and heathlands. www.tourism.australia.com |
Tourism prepares for global challenges |
| Tuesday 17th June 2008 Yesterday’s ATE played host to major press conferences by Tourism Australia, the Qantas Group and Tourism Western Australia – with one universal message – it will be a rocky road over the next 12 months but the industry is well prepared to meet the challenges of global uncertainty. Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, Geoff Buckley said it was going to be tough however the industry was currently working off a strong base and had plans in place to support a quick rebound when economic conditions improved. “In 2007 there were 5.6 million visitors to Australia – a record result - representing two per cent growth on the previous year. Furthermore we saw an increase of six percent in yield from those visitors,” he said. “We have some strong opportunities to meet the uncertainty created by increasing fuel prices and the strong Australian dollar. Our ‘experiences’ offer, particularly Aboriginal Australia, gives us the chance to promote something very unique.” Mr Buckley said Baz Lurhmann’s ‘Australia’ was an enormous opportunity with 20th Century Fox investing significantly in the production and marketing of the movie to 70 countries worldwide from November. “It is not often you see an epic film with your own brand in the title,” he said. “It will basically be a 2.5 hour advertisement for Australia; I don’t think we could get any better product placement!” Tourism Australia also welcomed the increased capacity into Australia from the arrival of Qantas’ A380 fleet and the start of V Australia services to and from the US in late 2008. Mr Buckley also reaffirmed that the ‘Where the bloody hell are you’ campaign would stay in place until TA’s new advertising agency was appointed. |
Aboriginal Australia comes of age |
 |
| Tuesday 17th June 2008 Executive Chairman of Indigenous Tourism Australia (ITA), Aden Ridgeway believes our Aboriginal Australia ‘experience’ provides Australia with the opportunity create a new identity that sits alongside already well know attributes of sun, surf and prawns on the barbie. As part of Tourism Australia, ITA is funded by the Australian Government as part of its commitment to grow quality Indigenous niche tourism experiences in Australia. “We’re here [at ATE] to waive the flag for the Indigenous Tourism experience and take every opportunity to talk business up around the oldest surviving culture on the planet,” Mr Ridgeway said. “The response to the Aboriginal Australia Showcase at ATE has been fantastic. TA are offering delegates the opportunity to experience Indigenous culture first hand through performance, art and craft, storytelling and bush tucker demonstrations at the stand. “Aboriginal tourism is vitally important for our Indigenous communities across the country giving us the opportunity to employ and train people and revive Indigenous culture by sharing our stories,” he said. www.indigenoustourism.australia.com |
Destination: Sustainability |
 |
| Monday 16th June 2008 With its own commitment to sustainability on show at ATE, Tourism Australia is actively encouraging the Australian tourism industry to make its own changes, no matter how small, to protect our environment, heritage and culture. Managing Director Geoff Buckley said there were practical things that everyone could do to act more responsibly. "Sustainability is not an add-on or a program that is run alongside tourism industry events. It needs to become an integrated part of everything we do as an industry," Mr Buckley said. "Being a sustainable business is not just good for members of the tourism industry, but it's also good for the communities in which we operate, as well as future generations." "We are also committed to helping our partners and industry members with education on the relevant issues and tips and advice on what they can do to become more sustainable. We have recently launched a new green toolkit that will give operators the skills they need to start the sustainability journey," Mr Buckley said. The green toolkit is available on the Tourism Australia website (www.tourism.australia.com) and provides advice on minimising energy and water consumption, reducing and recycling waste, information on green marketing, and advice on how to run green events. Meanwhile, ATE partners and delegates are embracing the 'Towards a Sustainable ATE' theme. Sellers and State Tourism Organisations are providing collateral on CDs or memory sticks, distributing press releases to media online and actively using the recycling bins around the halls. |
Thanks for your cooperation |
| Monday 16th June 2008 Tourism Western Australia has extended a big thank you to Eastern delegates and other ATE participants for their patience and support in light of Perth’s current gas shortage due to the major explosion which hit WA’s second largest natural gas plant earlier this month. The shortage, equivalent to a 30 per cent reduction in normal supply, has impacted all industries including tourism. Richard Muirhead, CEO of Tourism WA said ATE visitors had generously contributed to assisting the city manage the shortage. “By re-hanging and reusing towels and requesting not to change sheets daily, there has been a saving of 25-30 per cent on energy for laundering in hotels,” he said. “This has also been a great effort in not only helping us manage but also to reduce the footprint of this event which is all part of our ethos this year. It’s a great outcome for a ‘green’ event.” |
New marketing era begins with 'Australia' |
 |
| Sunday 15th June 2008 The Minister for Tourism, the Hon Martin Ferguson MP, today announced a major tourism marketing project designed to leverage global interest in Baz Luhrmann’s soon to be released movie; Australia. Minister Ferguson said: "I am pleased to officially announce that Tourism Australia is working closely with 20th Century Fox and Baz Luhrmann to maximise the national benefit from the release of Australia through the See the Movie, See the Country project." “Tourism Australia is putting in place global and country-specific activities designed to motivate people who see the movie, to then visit this great country of ours - Australia. "Tourism Australia has worked closely with 20th Century Fox to develop these promotional opportunities centred on the release of the movie scheduled for November 2008. “In collaboration with its State and Territory counterparts, Tourism Australia is developing fact sheets, imagery, movie maps, and location guides to translate the movie experience of Australia into the possibility of a real life travel adventure. “This movie will potentially be seen by tens of millions of people and it will bring to life little-known aspects of Australia’s extraordinary natural environment, history, and Indigenous culture. "The movie is expected to be released in 70 countries from November 2008 with the Australian launch scheduled for November 13. "The release of Australia offers the Australian tourism industry one of its greatest promotional opportunities in many years. "Key markets for the release are aligned to those markets from which Australia generates most visitors, including the United States, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, France and Italy. “The movie has the capacity to redefine the way Australians and the rest of the world see Australia as a destination and it is up to all of us to capture that potential for the Australian tourism industry. "I congratulate Tourism Australia - and the alliance of State and Territory tourism offices – that have worked successfully with 20th Century Fox to maximise the promotional opportunities from Australia for our tourism industry.” |
Welcome to ATE |
 |
| Saturday 14th June 2008 The Australian Tourism Exchange hits Western Australia today kicking off seven days of business meetings for Australia’s $85billion tourism industry. Over 1,700 sellers, 600 buyers and 60 media representatives will conduct more than 45,000 meetings this week with Perth providing a stunning backdrop for networking and daily events. This year’s ATE aims to promote two major themes: ‘Towards a Sustainable ATE’ and ‘Aboriginal Australia’, which will be reported on each day in ATE Daily. Tourism Australia Managing Director Geoff Buckley said this year’s themes were all about building a stronger industry within the next year and beyond. “Sustainability is a buzz word at the moment, but our role as an industry is to look beyond the hype and assess what we are all doing to ensure the long-term viability of our sector, communities and environments,” Mr Buckley said. “At this year’s ATE we are taking a step in the right direction by looking at how we can reduce the impact of staging and event of this size.” “Delegate manuals have been distributed digitally, invitations have been emailed and press releases will be distributed online. Sellers have also been encouraged to produce marketing materials online or on memory sticks.” TA’s major partners in ATE, Qantas and Tourism Western Australia, are also contributing towards a sustainable event with the airline offsetting all buyer and media flights to Perth and Tourism WA offsetting emissions generated by seven functions during the week. Aboriginal Australia is also a key theme in 2008, off the back of a milestone year in Australia’s reconciliation process. “Indigenous culture has been a critical part of what draws thousands of travellers to our shores each year and we as an industry have an important role in ensuring our indigenous communities are properly represented in our industry and benefit from it,” Mr Buckley said. Richard Muirhead Chief Executive Officer of Tourism WA said it was an honour to host the event in 2005 and that this year will be no different. “Tourism WA has embarked on an exciting program of functions and lunches for ATE delegates to enhance their networking opportunities, and these will include a number of local performance artists and some exciting national acts,” Mr Muirhead said. “Western Australia is a world class destination and ATE is a perfect opportunity for delegates to see more of "The Real Thing" - the Real Australia - here in WA.” |
Copyright © Tourism Australia 2008
