News in Brief: Wednesday May 14
The recent visit of two celebrity families to our shores is expected to further fuel interest in Australia as a travel destination, says Tourism Australia.
The two visits – first by the cast and crew of American sitcom Modern Family and then the more recent visit by the royal British couple – generated enormous international exposure for Australia, which is hoped to translate into more international guests visiting.
Currently the US and UK are Australia’s fourth and third largest international visitor markets, together accounting for more than one sixth of all international arrivals, which are jointly worth $5m annually in visitor spending.
June will see 270 of the top travel agents from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan converge on the Gold Coast for Tourism Australia's inaugural Corroboree Greater China.
"This represents one of the largest international trade events staged in Australia during 2014 and, all up, will see around 400 people attend, including Australian tourism operators, media and, of course, a significant number of Greater China's top travel agents,” TA managing director John O’Sullivan said.
At this year’s Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE14) figures have been released that indicate annual spending by Chinese visitors to Australia could rise to AUD$13 billion by 2020.
This projection represents nearly 50% increase on the previously estimate of AUD$9 billion.
A new phone app has been launched as part of a new strategy to inspire travellers to connect with Australia’s nature.
The Tourism Australia app showcases many of the country’s best nature-based experiences, covering 200 different products and experiences across 16 of Australia’s natural icons, from swimming with dwarf whales to sleeping in tents on the wetlands.
“With this new app we can now capitalize on this competitive advantage by showcasing many of the world class tourism experiences that travellers can enjoy and book in the heart of our country’s most spectacular natural landscapes,” TA managing director John O’Sullivan said.
&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in Tanzania now offers visitors a choice of three walking adventures in addition to game drives conducted on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater.
The walks range from full-day to half-day walks, and all are led by experienced &Beyond guides.
Wyndham Hotel Group has appointed Warren Cullum as general manager to oversee Australia’s first TRYP-brand hotel which opens in July in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley,.
The TRYP (pronounced trip) hotel is a 65-room, four storey hotel which upon completion will boast a ground floor restaurant, executive meeting room and one of Brisbane’s largest rooftop bars.
In keeping with the "hip and youthful" tone of the TRYP brand, the hotel is also set to feature street art by world famous artists Magee, Rone and Beastsman.
The Ecruising Group has appointed Amanda Hennessy as product and hotel executive for its online cruise specialist company ecruising.travel.
Hennessy joins ecruising after 12 years at Pinpoint Travel Group.
The recent opening of OZO Colombo on Marine Drive in Sri Lanka is the first of three hotels set to open in the country.
The OZO Colombo places an emphasis on sleep with their ‘Snooze Zone’ comprising of four categories: Sleep, Dream, Dream Ocean and Ozo Suites, across 158 guest rooms and suites.
Each room features free WiFi, IPTV and multimedia connectivity, while the hotel itself features ‘Splash’, a swimming pool that overlooks the Indian Ocean, ‘ON14’ a rooftop bar and lounge and meeting room ‘Aqua’ which can accommodate 220 guests for cocktail receptions, conferences, product launches or weddings.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
australian tourism exchange china corroboree ecruising group greater ozo colombo tourism australia wyndham hotel groupLatest News
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