The forty million dollar campaign will be spread out across several distinct platforms, with Tourism Australia making sure that key international markets and demographic are targeted. As part of the campaign, the peak body has accentuated the popularity of aquatic and coastal experiences; according to newly gathered data, more than seventy percent of international visitors identified these kinds of experiences as central to their Australian holidays.

Accordingly, the new advertising feature will prominently feature coastal attractions including the Katherine Gorge in the Northern Territory, Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, the iconic Whitsunday Islands and the Gold Coast. Eight more ocean-side locations will be added to the feature as part of a concerted campaign to spread the benefits of the tourist dollar.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said it was natural that water and sea-side fun would appeal to an international audience. “Water is a huge part of the Australian way of life, whether it be catching a wave, swimming, beach cricket, snorkelling and scuba diving, marvelling our amazing marine wildlife or eating our incredible seafood,” he explained.

“We know our offering in this area is strong but we also know that we face increasingly stiff international competition from countries such as South Africa, Hawaii and the USA, who are all raising their game. Whilst these aquatic and coastal experiences have always been an important part of the Australia story, they’ve never before taken centre stage.”

By investing in a marketing push targeted at key perceptions of tourism within Australia, the authority believes that it can better connect with visitors’ expectations. “This campaign will do just that, by putting aquatic and coastal Australia on the main stage,” Mr. O’Sullivan added.

It might not be the freshest take on Australian tourism, but we know it works..

Iconic destinations for global travelers… but is it enough?

A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald has warned the Australian tourism industry it is already part of a figurative “arms race” for the Chinese tourist dollar. The piece asserts Australia and New Zealand will be left off the Chinese itinerary if services, infrastructure, amenities and signage is not improved.

Though both Australia and New Zealand are currently experiencing a boom time, several industry insiders say the two nations risk losing their regional relevance and stature in the tourism market. Simply put, Australian businesses are not adequately accommodating for the change in the market. Instead of improving Chinese-language communication skills and investing in newer, high-end hotels and accommodation, some say the industry is resting on its laurels.

Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce lunch in Sydney, Echo Entertainment CEO Matt Bekier examined the disconnect between Australia’s reputation and its bottom-line. “We’re number one in terms of where they want to go, but we’re only number 15 in terms of where they actually go,” he explained. “Countries are making it easy for people to come and visit not just once but multiple times. That’s what we have to compete against. We can’t just sit back and say ‘well our beaches are better’.”

With trillions of dollars worth of spending on the table, Mr. Bekier and others believe tourism will soon become Australia’s primary industry (currently, it’s the nation’s second largest export earning industry). “This is going to be the next mining boom,” Mr. Bekier added. For many, the government and other relevant authorities are simply not doing enough to ensure that the industry continues to attract the Chinese tourist dollar.

Tourism Australia, the federal tourism body, predicts the Chinese tourist market will expand to more than $13 billion by 2020. But recent reports indicate that the assessment may be flawed; a recent IHG/Oxford Economics study found Australia would not likely place in the top ten markets for Chinese visitor growth over the next decade.

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The St Jerome’s Laneway Festival has become one of Australia’s leading alternative music festivals, offering major cities a generous line-up of local and international talent. Organisers recently announced the 2016 program, which features some truly amazing musical talents including Flume, Chvrches, Grimes, Hermitude, Beach House and Thundercat.

Next year, EDM legend Flume will be rocking the festival with his unique blend of futuristic genres. The producer spoke to Triple J about working at the festival in his younger, less famous days. “I actually volunteered at the 2010 Laneway … I was carrying bottles of water between stages and all that,” Flume told triple J. “I walked past The xx [playing on stage]. I kind of stopped; I put the box of water down and watched the whole set. Got in heaps of trouble.”

Other major acts include indie-rock darlings Beach House, bass playing supremo Thundercat, live-wire electronic act Grimes and acclaimed singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. Rapper Vince Staples and Odd Future-related crew The Internet will bring their unique talents to Australian crowds, along with Chvrches, Hudson Mohawke and Hermitude. Local favourites will include Violent Soho, Big Scary, The Smith Street Band and Japanese Wallpaper.

The Laneway Festival is renowned for its relaxed atmosphere and welcoming vibe. With a smattering of other wonderful festival attractions and an overwhelmingly good line-up, don’t miss out on next year’s Laneway!

The 2016 St Jerome’s Laneway Festival Line-Up includes:
•    Banoffee
•    Battles
•    Beach House
•    Big Scary
•    Chvrhces
•    DMA’s
•    East India Youth
•    Flume
•    Grimes
•    Health
•    Hermitude
•    High Tension
•    Hudson Mohawke
•    Japanese Wallpaper
•    Majical Cloudz
•    METZ
•    Purity Ring
•    QT
•    Shamir
•    Silicon
•    The Internet
•    The Smith Street Band
•    Tobias Jesso Jr.
•    Vince Staples
•    Violent Soho

Tickets go on sale September 30.

When/Where:

• Friday 5 February: Harts Mill, Port Adelaide (16+)
• Saturday 6 February:  Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (16+)
• Sunday 7 February: Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney
• Saturday 13 February: Footscray Community Arts Centre And The River’s Edge, Melbourne
• Sunday 14 February: Esplanade Reserve and West End, Fremantle

For more information visit: http://lanewayfestival.com/

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An artist’s rendering of the site

The NSW Government has approved plans to build a $36-million cage-free zoo in Western Sydney. The ambitious and ethical tourism effort has been green-lit for development in the suburb of Blacktown, with advocates suggesting the new zoo could inject millions of dollars worth of revenue into state coffers.

The Sydney Zoo, which was approved for development in the Bungarribee precinct, will feature cage-free animal exhibits on a sprawling sixteen-and-a-half-hectare property. The zoo will feature elevated boardwalks, enclosed glass observation areas and other state-of-the-art zoo innovations. In the end, the park’s operators are pitching their zoo at families who wish to see a broad spectrum of exotic animals in a truly realistic and morally justifiable setting.

State Environment Minister Mark Speakman told the ABC the zoo would open in late 2017 and that it would be a great addition to the city’s flagging tourism scene. “Since Taronga Zoo was first established 100 years ago, Sydney’s population has absolutely ballooned,” Mr. Speakman explained. “We think now there is room [for] another world-class zoo here in Western Sydney.”

Locally, the development approval was warmly welcomed by those hoping to reap the economic benefits of the new attraction. According to the financial group KPMG, Sydney Zoo has the potential to add about $45-million worth of revenue to the state’s bottom line every year, with an extra $3-million in associated spending. About 160 jobs will be created during construction, with a further 120 jobs required for operation.

Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali expressed his satisfaction at the prospect of significant economic benefits for local businesses and workers. “We have a focus on jobs and appropriate sustainable development in the area,” he said. “It will be a cage-free zoo with limitless horizons which brings visitors safely face-to-face with animals, making it a hugely successful attraction.”

With Taronga Zoo and Featherdale Park experiencing a lull in their profitability, it’s hoped the new development will spark interest in the city’s other significant wildlife-centred attractions.

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An iconic celebration…

On Melbourne Cup Day, Australia’s institutions and inhabitants (human or otherwise) stop for an afternoon of fun and frivolity. The nationally celebrated cultural event is centred on a rich thoroughbred horserace, worth a staggering $6.2-million in prize money. This year’s Emirates Melbourne Cup is set to be the sporting event of the season, so visitors are encouraged to get gussied up for the racetrack!

Taking place on Tuesday the 3rd of November, the event is a crucial element of the Spring Racing Carnival, and the social festivities surrounding the main stage are always entertaining. At the racecourse, guests are likely to see the cream of the crop of racing’s high-society, but ordinary folks can also enjoy the ‘champagne-and-dollar-bets’ lifestyle. In short, it’s a vitally important mixer-type festival that brings out the best in everyone.

The Melbourne Cup’s roots stretch back to 1861, when the first race was held. The 3,200-metre turf race is the richest two-mile handicap event in the world, a factor that appeals to many of the world’s top trainers and owners. As such, the competition for first place is intense. The Cup has come a long way since its humble regional days, rightfully claiming its place near the top of the horseracing calendar.

On that first Tuesday of November, the nation’s pubs and bars will enjoy thriving business. Social and work-based events are designed to make the most of ‘Melbourne Cup Fever’, a truly perennial disease that affects the locals’ brains and impedes their ability to complete work. Everywhere you look, you’ll see people crowded around small or large TV screens, yelling in unison and glancing furtively at the small scraps of paper between their fingers. Win or lose, the celebration is all that matters.

Elsewhere, a scene of refreshing colour and unabashed style will be created as more than a hundred thousand spectators pack Flemington. The atmosphere is downright electric; the nation is watching. Will you be there too?

What: The 2015 Emirates Melbourne Cup
When: Tuesday the 3rd of November
Where: Flemington Racecourse, Flemington Drive, 428-550 Epsom Road, VIC
For more information visit: www.flemington.com.au

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Good clean family fun

For local and international guests, the Royal Melbourne Show is an iconic and distinctive part of Victorian culture. The community event brings together the best in agricultural and urban life, offering visitors a range of unique old-world social events and family fun. It’s not to be missed…

This year, the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) has organised one of its best festivals ever. There’ll be entertaining competitions and challenges, educational and interactive events for the young ones, and plenty of good food and beverages for the older folk. This year’s animal precinct will feature alpacas, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, cats and dogs, and, as always, there will be plenty of carnival rides, stunt shows and live performances to keep you entertained for days.

Gourmands will be pleased to hear that some of the region’s top producers will also be in attendance, offering patrons the chance to gain an intimate knowledge of some of Victoria’s finest fresh food. ‘Pop-up’ restaurants will serve a rotating roster of tasty treats throughout the event, and organisers have even lined up live cooking shows featuring some of Australia’s top chefs and cooking personalities. What more could a lover of all things food related ask for?

Live music acts, including Justice Crew and Jessica Mauboy, will have festivalgoers grooving throughout the Show, and festivities continue after dark with a nightly Fireworks Spectacular and Freestyle Motorcross Stunt Show, which wraps up at 7.45pm. Featuring a jet-theme and daredevil displays, it’s the perfect way to cap off a fun-filled day.

For tickets and bookings, be sure to visit the Royal Melbourne Show website. There you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the events, show times and maps for the whole family. It’s a rollicking good time, so dust off your cowboy boots and head out to the big country (the Melbourne Showgrounds) for a heck of an Australian show. And, of course, don’t forget the showbags!

What: The 2015 Royal Melbourne Show
Where: Melbourne Showgrounds, 276-318 Epsom Road, Flemington, VIC
When: 19 September–29 September, 10am – 9pm
For more information: www.royalshow.com.au

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A good thing gone bad…

Sydney’s 2015 Corroboree Festival has been cancelled, after it was revealed the event’s organisers were involved in a funding stoush with the Liberal Government. The indigenous cultural event entered an indefinite hiatus after Destination NSW, the State’s tourism and events authority, signalled it would not be meeting the request to increase funding for the festival.

Festival organisers claim the event could not go ahead without a significant boost to their bottom line. Artistic director Hetti Perkins told the Sydney Morning Herald that the decision was difficult, but principled. “There was not the appropriate amount of funding for this year to allow the festival to be financially sustainable nor to build on the successes of 2014 and to meet the KPIs set by DNSW,” she explained.

Ms. Perkins insisted that the lack of funding speaks to a wider attitude towards indigenous culture. “We’re just fed up with begging for scraps from the table,” she noted. “Where’s the support for Indigenous culture? The collective statistics tell the story of a festival which went from attendances of 35,000 in year one to almost 50,000 in year two – a significant uplift in just 12 months.”

Additionally, the experienced organiser expects the local indigenous community to be affected by the drastic decision. The local arts and cultural scene makes the most of the annual festival, and this year many will feel its absence. “There are many stakeholders who are impacted by this outcome, however it is not possible to continue the festival without adequate financial backing,” Ms. Perkins said, before launching into criticism of the state government’s tourism priorities. “Junk tourist shops – is that the best Sydney can offer?” she asked. “Is that all we’ve got to say to people when they come to Sydney?”

Destination NSW spokesperson Rhys Haynes refused to admit any funding had been withdrawn, adding (somewhat disingenuously) that the authority could not guarantee an increase in funding. “Destination NSW supported the approach of changing Corroboree Sydney to a biennial event but was not able to meet the requested significant increase in funding,” he said.

But somehow, we think that argument does little to explain how the state lost one of its most vibrant and culturally important festivals.

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A tourism boom?

It seems the Australian tourism sector is experiencing something of a renaissance. According to the new International Visitor Survey, the industry has hit its highest point since the Sydney Olympic Games. The data revealed that more than $91-million is spent by foreign visitors each and every day, a truly staggering and impressive figure.

In its strongest showing since 2001, the Australian tourism sector accounted for a whopping segment of the vacation-pie, with $33.4-billion injected into the national economy. The figure is up ten per cent on last year, with $3.2-billion in extra revenue making all the difference.

Federal Tourism Minister Andrew Robb was keen to spruik the results, a beacon of light in a sometimes dreary landscape. “Today’s result once again demonstrates that tourism is one of our greatest strengths,” Mr Robb told the media. “Tourism can be our fastest growing sector this decade if we continue to leverage our “clean, green and safe” brand to position ourselves as the number one, long-haul destination in Asia.”

Though some of those assertions are indeed contentious (‘clean’ and ‘green’, for instance), Mr. Robb seemed glad that the sector was back up and booming. He attributed this rise to the impact of tourists visiting from places such as China. In fact, the data revealed that Chinese tourists accounted more than 20 per cent of the total gains, with more than $7-billion dollars spent by Chinese nationals on holidays and short-term trips. “With China now accounting for one in every five dollars spent by international visitors, it is clear that China is vital to the sustained growth of our tourism sector,” Mr. Robb stated.

For the ebullient minister, the survey is an indicator of clear skies ahead. “With new records for international tourism, growth in spend not seen since the Sydney Olympic Games and a reinvigorated tourism investment pipeline, the Australian tourism industry is well positioned to prosper as one of our great economic strengths.”

Here’s hoping this positive assessment is right on the mark, and the money continues rolling in.

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Unregulated, or misunderstood?

Right now, as you read this article, millions of people are using the popular site ‘Airbnb’ to secure accommodation. The explosive rise in the number of users has led many within the traditional accommodation industry to complain about the lack of oversight and registration levied upon those renting out their spaces in Australia.

As with ride-sharing (taxi) company Uber, the presence of a new, internet-based player has disrupted the traditional business model associated with the service. According to Tourism Accommodation Australia, the issue exposes guests and owners to a host of unintended consequences. As such, many within the industry are calling for ‘Airbnb’ owners to be registered.

Martin Ferguson, the former federal tourism minister under Labor, says that registration should be essential for those using a ‘home-sharing’ service. According to the former government insider, there are many health, taxation and regulatory requirements that have yet to be satisfied by many Airbnb owners. He recommends a national register for these kinds of premises, so that there can be some oversight of the service provided.

“We are not against the ‘sharing’ economy, but we are opposed to the ‘taking’ economy, where unregulated commercial short-term accommodation providers take lots of money without meeting their obligations to guests, the community and the wider economy,” Mr. Ferguson told the Australian Financial Review.

“If there is rampant growth of illegal short-stay commercial accommodation, it will significantly reduce the likelihood of investment in tourist accommodation, which has the potential to be one of the most sustainable generators of future employment in Australia.”

A spokesman for the high-flying tech company stated that its operators were “encouraged to familiarise themselves with locally set regulations, which differed from council to council and even street to street, all over the world”. The somewhat implausible defence continued. “These laws can be confusing and we’re working with policymakers around the world on clear, progressive and fair laws that allow for home-sharing,” the spokesman offered.

For now, it seems home-sharing is here to stay.

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A projected image of Barangaroo…

Tourism Australia has recently been battling suggestions that the industry is in need of an overhaul, after a Bloomberg article criticised Australia’s tourism industry for outdated ‘Crocodile Dundee’-era hotels, less-than-ideal customer service and an inability to capitalise and compete with growing regional hot-spots.

In the Bloomberg article, former PM Paul Keating gave his own, unique summary of the situation. “Chinese visitors aren’t going to come here for hotels and resorts built in the 1980s and 1990s,” Mr. Keating wrote to Bloomberg. “They will drift off to bigger and better things, along the lines of what’s being done in China itself and in countries like Vietnam.”

“We will have to lift the bar in terms of the quality of what we have to offer,” Mr. Keating suggested. “This will be a challenge for the next five to seven years given incomes in China will continue to rise and expectations with it. The capital stock in Australian tourism will require large increments.”

In Australia, new developments such as Barangaroo will hope to make the most of a fresh start. With all eyes trained on the entertainment and accommodation precinct being carved out along the Sydney Harbour, Tourism Australia is hoping that its latest efforts will result in heightened interest.

As part of their ‘Restaurant Australia’ campaign, the organisation is spending a whopping $500,000 to bring Noma, the world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant, down to Sydney for an exclusive 10 week residency. The event – set to take place in January of 2016 – will surely attract a sizeable crowd. But is it worth the money?

A spokesman for Tourism Australia explained the figure to the attendant media. “TA is spending approximately $500,000 on this campaign, half of which will be given to our airline partner Singapore Airline for discounted tickets to facilitate travel for Rene and his team to Australia,” he explained. “Rene will be back and forth to Australia several times before the official opening in Australia – which we plan to use to develop content and PR ops around.”

Echoing this sentiment, Tourism Australia boss John O’Sullivan said the PR move would hopefully revive our ‘culinary standing’. “A big part of Restaurant Australia has been about improving Australia’s perception as a food and wine destination,” he said. “And, with one of the world’s top ranked restaurants about to open in Sydney, I’d say our country’s culinary standing has never been higher.”

With recent statistics revealing a boost to Australia’s tourism receipts, the announcement has left some scratching their heads as to the credence of Bloomberg’s claims. After all, tourists flock to Australia for much more than a five-star hotel and a fine meal, don’t they? But as PM Keating points out, our regional competitors are also re-doubling their efforts to attract a new generation of cashed-up international travellers. And that’s where we might run into trouble.

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