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TRADE SHOW REVIEW AUSTRALIA


ATE shows off This year’s Australian Tourism Exchange in Sydney (April


26-30) ran under a new format combining buyers and sellers from both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Jo Austin reports


Sport boosts UK visitor numbers


THE 125th year anniversary tour of the British and Irish Lions attracted an amazing 25,000 UK and Irish rugby fans over its six week-tour across Australia and the Ashes will once again put Oz in the limelight on our screens when the series starts in Brisbane in November. Barmy Army followers are expected to reach anything up to 10,000, bringing a welcome boost to visitor numbers. australia.com


Sealink invests in new product


SEALINK Travel Group has invested Aus$3 million in its popular Sydney Harbour Captain Cook operation with the addition of Rocket, a high-speed passenger vessel with seating for up to 200 passengers. A three-day Sydney Harbour Pass, costing Aus$99, allows passengers to hop from one attraction to another around the harbour. In South Australia the Group is building a new passenger terminal on Kangaroo Island and on the Murray River, where high water levels have contributed to a 10% increase in bookings last year. The Murray Princess is having a complete makeover. In Townsville, North Queensland, Sealink is investing $1.3 million into cruise ship tourism. sealink.com.au; captaincook.com.au


IN BRIEF


Top of the range for AAT Kings: AAT Kings has made an Aus$8.5 million investment in 17 top-of-the-range coaches, bringing its fleet to 81 vehicles for tours, breaks and guided expeditions. Best of Tasmania is an 11-day tour taking in Mt. Field National Park, Russell Falls, the Gordon River, and Cradle Mountain National Park. aatkings.com


Excursion rail packages included: Platinum and Gold Service guests travelling on Great Southern Rail’s Indian Pacific


Surfing road trip: Let's Go Surfing or The Ghan can now enjoy


exclusive ‘Time to Explore' off-train excursions as a standard inclusion to their fare. Guests on The Ghan can explore Alice and the spectacular scenery around Katherine. greatsouthernrail.com.au


showcases the best of the NSW East Coast with a new five-day surfing road trip from Bondi to Byron Bay. Tours include surfing lessons in different locations along the coast, as well as key tourism experiences like a visit to Port Macquarie's Koala Hospital. letsgosurfing.co.au


ANDREW McEvoy, (pictured) Managing Director of Tourism Australia, said a "new kind of tourism" is emerging ifor Australia based around "more sophisticated, well- travelled visitors who are looking for a special experience". “While arrival figures out of the UK


continue to be down by around three per cent, we see this decline slowing up. The UK remains the most important international leisure market for Australia in terms of total spend, visitor nights and dispersed nights," he said. “Looking at visitor numbers, China


exceeded the UK in 2012 and India exceeded Germany, which is a reflection of the shift from 'West to East'. At the same time, visitors from the West tend


to travel more extensively within the country


Australia is ranked 'Number one in the world'


for natural beauty while also


being perceived safe.” Commenting on the success of this


year's ATE, Sandra Chipchase (pictured), Chief Executive Officer of Destination NSW, host of this year's event, said: "The highlight for me at ATE was the way in which the travel trade embraced all our digital marketing tools. "It is clear they are no longer toys and


we are now able to link products and services in a fun and interactive way. People know how to package events to drive sales". australia.com; destinationnsw.comriv


and research shows that


"This was my fi rst ATE and I found it a very useful event for learning all about


Australia's tourism products. Australia is a popular destination with Channel Islanders. Balloons Aloft, based in the Hunter Valley, was one product that I managed to experience and will defi nitely recommend to my clients. Let’s Go Surfi ng (see story brief below) was another product I was bowled over by – I experienced it for myself early one morning on Bondi Beach. To my total disbelief I even managed to stand up on my surfboard and ride a wave into shore! Jenny Grut, Aussie Specialist World Travel, Guernsey


'Australia is growing up'


ATE COMMENTS From the show fl oor...


“THIS was my third ATE. I fi nd the show invaluable and ATE Sydney


was really


well organised. The new four-day formula, combining both Western and Eastern buyers , worked well and resulted in a busy business atmosphere. "This year I met with over 95 suppliers,


many of them new contacts, including Shawn from Sea Charters Sydney, Brian and Karina of Bells at Killcare and Lyn of The Byron at Byron Bay . These are three products I will certainly be adding to my suggested itineraries when selling Australia in the future.” Kathi Hirst, Aussie Specialist and Director traveltime@EtonTravel


www.sellinglonghaul.com


July/August 2013 31


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