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Matt Moran to experience Australia 'T-QUAL Style'

Last Thursday, renowned chef, Matt Moran, celebrated the launch of the T-QUAL Tick Tour, which will see him travel around Australia to visit some of the country’s best tourism experiences that are endorsed by the Australian Government’s new national symbol of tourism quality, the T-QUAL Tick.

Tourism Australia is responsible for promoting the T-QUAL Tick on behalf of the Tourism Quality Council of Australia, and has designed the T-QUAL Tick Tour to showcase some of the quality tourism businesses that are endorsed by T-QUAL Accreditation.

Matt kicked off his tour on Friday with an overnight adventure to Taronga Zoo’s Roar and Snore and said “I’m so excited to get started on the T-QUAL Tick Tour. As co-owner of ARIA, I understand the importance of promoting quality in the industry. I can’t wait to discover the best that Australia has to offer and to experience the high-quality products that are available right on our doorstep.”

Matt will continue his journey around the country, visiting some quality tourism experiences in destinations such as Hobart, Darwin, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Broome.

Follow Matt’s journey online via his travel log.

To learn more about the marketing of T-QUAL Accreditation, attend Tourism Australia’s webinar at 1pm (EST) on Tuesday 3 April.

Tourism Australia campaigns around the globe

Digital campaign wins in UK
Tourism Australia UK won ‘Best use of Digital Communications’ for the Find Barry’s Keys youth promotion at the Travel Marketing Awards in London last week. The event was organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. The awards were selected by an influential panel of agency and travel industry professionals, including Google Head of Travel, Nigel Huddleston. The 30 Days in Oz campaign came runner up in the same category. The award is one of a number of recent recognitions for Tourism Australia work on the youth market in the UK, including winner of ‘Best use of Social Media’ for Find Barry’s Keys and finalist for ‘Best International Youth Destination’ at the British Youth Travel Awards in December last year.

UK New Product Workshop
Last week 29 Australian suppliers had the opportunity to showcase their product to 58 buyers from across Europe and the UK as part of a New Product Workshop in London. One on one appointments enabled buyers to meet face to face with sellers and influential Product Managers and learn more about the unique products and experiences Australia has to offer British and European holiday makers. The new WA properties Kuri Bay and Berkeley River as well as Cradle Mountain Canyons, Heritage Lodge and Spa – Daintree and Jacobs Creek Retreat were among first time sellers at the event.

Industry news

Jetstar-China Eastern tie up to further grow visitors from Greater China
Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy has welcomed the announcement of a new strategic alliance between Jetstar and China Eastern Airlines as further proof of the growth potential of Greater China and Asia more generally.

“As an industry in transition but, importantly, one whose future growth strategy is so closely aligned to the powerhouse markets within Asia, the improved capacity wrapped into this deal is good for Australian inbound tourism,” Mr McEvoy said.

China is Australia's fastest growing and most valuable international tourism market, with 558,000 visitors from China for the twelve months to January 2012, a rise of just under 20 per cent. In the same period, direct visitor arrivals from Hong Kong rose to 166,500, up two per cent.

Read the press release.

New SilkAir Darwin service to boost Top End tourism
The launch by SilkAir of its new Singapore-Darwin service - the first venture into Australia by the regional wing of Singapore Airlines - has been hailed as a welcome tourism boost for the Top End by Tourism Australia Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy.

The four-times-per-week service features the reintroduction of international business class into and out of Darwin, which Mr McEvoy believes will help tourism operators in the Territory tap into the fast-growing markets of Asia and the region's increasing affluent travellers.

Read the press release.

Qantas begins new Santiago services
Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy believes that, as the fastest and only direct connection to Australia from South America, the new Qantas Santiago service will provide a critical tourism gateway.

"Given the market's growing importance to Australian tourism, we're delighted that Qantas is maintaining a strong and growing presence in South America,” Mr McEvoy said.
“It will undoubtedly help the fast-growing trade, tourism and cultural ties between the Asia-Pacific and South American markets.

"Visitor numbers from South America are growing sharply, with arrivals from Chile, Brazil and Argentina up around 9-10% in 2011, which suggests that’s there’ll be strong demand for the new service," Mr McEvoy said.

Read the press release.

In This Edition:
28 March

•	Matt Moran Ready to Experience Australia 'T-QUAL Style’
•	Digital campaign wins in UK
•	UK New Product Workshop
•	Jetstar-China Eastern tie up to further grow visitors from Greater China
•	New SilkAir Darwin service to boost Top End tourism
•	Qantas begins new Santiago services
•	TTF Outlook 2012 Hotel & Tourism & Hotel Industry Conference
•	T-QUAL Grants 2012 - New presentation material

News In Brief

TTF Outlook 2012 Hotel & Tourism & Hotel Industry Conference
TTF is once again holding the Outlook 2012 Hotel & Tourism Industry Conference. Now in its sixth year, this year’s conference will address key trends, opportunities, challenges and strategies for the hotel, tourism and aviation sectors.

Some of the international keynote speakers include Christopher Rodriguez CBE - Chairman, Visit Britain; Mark Lancaster - Chief Executive Officer, Tune Hotels Group; Tim Hunter - Chief Executive, Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism; Brett Tollman - President and Chief Executive, The Travel Corporation and Kathy Zhang - General Manager Oceania, China Eastern Airlines.

View the event invitation and register.

Whats New Online

T-QUAL Grants 2012 - New presentation material
Video presentation material about the 2012 Round of Tourism Quality Projects is now available. Click here and then follow the link (under About Tourism Quality Projects) to a set of five short videos.

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