MELBOURNE — The 44th edition of the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) launched this weekend with the ritual of a ‘Welcome to Country’ by the Aboriginal Traditional Owners.
Taking place May 19 – 23 in Melbourne (also known by its Aboriginal name, Narrm), this is the largest ATE to date, with 1,500 seller delegates from over 30 nations.
Australia’s Minister of Trade and Tourism, addressing ATE delegates as the tourism conference got underway, made a bold prediction.
“With the industry recovering, and the continued success of our ‘Come and Say G’day’ campaign, I predict we’ll exceed our pre-COVID inbound travel numbers by the end of the year,” said Senator the Hon. Don Farrell, who is also a Special Minister of State for Australia.
Melbourne’s central business district
It has been 40 years since the launch of the first Come and Say G’day campaign, which starred Paul Hogan, aka the beloved Mick Dundee of the popular blockbuster film Crocodile Dundee which hit theatres in 1986. The current campaign, launched in 2022, is an invitation to the world to come to Australia, and stars Ruby, a CGI animated kangaroo voiced by Australian actress Rose Byrne, and Louie, a toy unicorn representing international visitors, and voiced by actor Will Arnett.
Australia is also focused on the ‘Green and Gold Decade’, leaning into the numerous sporting events like the BMX World Championships in 2026 and the Rugby World Cup in 2027, leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032 in Brisbane. Melbourne and Sydney were both former hosts of the Olympic Games.
With 50,000 appointments playing out on the extensive exhibition floor over the next few days, the buzz is already overwhelmingly positive: there are 15 key markets in attendance, including Canada, Korea, New Zealand, U.S., India and China, which represent 80% of inbound tourism.
From January 2022 (when Australia opened its borders) to March 2024, Tourism Australia can proudly boast of a 91% increase overall, with Canada coming in at 87%.
Phillipa Harrison, Managing Director for Tourism Australia, spoke about the growth in tourism offerings across this island nation including an increase of 236 hotels opening since 2020, adding 22,000 rooms to the country’s accommodation portfolio.
Making connections at International Media Marketplace at ATE 2024 (credit Rob Blackburn Photography)
“Australia is home to the longest continuing living culture on earth, the Aboriginal Peoples,” explained Harrison, who detailed Indigenous tourism, agritourism, premium (luxury) redefined and cruise and self-drive as key components of Tourism Australia’s extensive marketing and promotions.
Along with sustainability and accessibility, Tourism Australia is focused on widening and deepening its tourism offerings, knowing that its cultures, cuisine, wine and wildlife are irresistible lures to travellers.
As host to ATE 2024, Melbourne and the State of Victoria are happily on the post- pandemic road to recovery.
“In December 2023, Melbourne saw $37.8 billion added to our economy from tourism, a $5 billion increase over pre-pandemic numbers,” said Brendan McClements, CEO, Visit Victoria. “We’re forecasting hitting $53 billion by 2027.”
As Australia’s largest hotel market, Melbourne will be adding 25% more hotel rooms by the end of 2024 and is welcoming several new airline routes, including Turkish Airlines, which debuted Istanbul to Melbourne via Singapore this past March.
Melbourne is proud to boast of its packed event schedule, with sporting events such as the Australian Open, Australian Grand Prix and major events like pop star Taylor Swift who played three consecutive nights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), resulting in 288,000 in attendance and the largest shows of the American singer/songwriter’s career.
ATE 2024 International Media Marketplace (credit Remco Jansen Photography)
Additional highlights from Australia’s states and territories revealed at ATE 2024 …
QUEENSLAND
- Home to four out of the 10 most popular destinations in Australia as voted by visitors: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Sunshine Coast
- The Calile Hotel in Brisbane was chosen as one of the World’s 50 Best Hotels, while the city was named to the Time Magazine 100 List and The New York Times Travel 52 Places to go this year
NORTHERN TERRITORY
- With 10 times the Indigenous population of the rest of Australia, the territory has more than 100 Aboriginal groups and is currently offering 150+ Indigenous tourism options
- Darwin Distilling Company now offering heli-foraging trip, where visitors can experience foraging for botanicals on the distillery’s former cattle station and making gin that can be brought home
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
- With 680 wineries and 18 wine regions, this state is producing half of the country’s supply of wine
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
- Western Australia’s Margaret River Region, well-known for its whale watching season, is now more accessible thanks to new flights into Busselton
- The Pilbara, the northern area of the state, is close to UNESCO World Heritage site designation for its rock art in the Burrup Peninsula
NEW SOUTH WALES
- New hotels include W Sydney (October 2023) and Capella Sydney (March 2023)
- The second incarnation of SXSW Sydney takes place in October 2024, connecting tech, screen, music, games and culture
- Truffle season runs June to August and Beltana Farm offers private truffle hunting experiences during the season
- Australia’s capital city of Canberra features 13 cultural attractions, many which offer free entry including the National Gallery of Australia and the National Museum of Australia
For information about travel to Australia see Australia.com.
