Tourism Western Australia

Tourism WA recently brought 30 Trailfinders travel agents to WA in partnership with Qantas and Tourism Australia.     The agents spent three action-packed days in Perth as part of Trailfinders’ Academy initiative, which combines supplier training with destination experiences and increase sales among frontline sellers.     This included a gourmet lunch and wine pairing in the Swan Valley, exploring the Pinnacles and Rottnest Island/Wadjemup, and walking tours in Perth city and Fremantle, and some agents participated in a famil to the Kimberley.    Trailfinders is the UK’s largest tour operator to Australia and this event was the first of its kind. View the video here: https://lnkd.in/gMjYhzj6

A new initiative is seeking to savour WA’s oldest wine region’s history.    The Swan Valley Old Vine Charter was recently launched at Sandalford Wines to recognise the importance of Swan Valley Old Vines and the region’s 180 years of winemaking.     Initiated by local generational winemakers and based on the Barossa Old Vine Charter, this exciting initiative will preserve the vineyards for future generations - a culmination of over three years of planning by a Swan Valley working group with support from Tourism WA.     Read more here: https://bit.ly/46cGFST   Image credit: Tourism Australia

More than two dozen global cruise industry leaders have sailed into WA for the WA Cruise Exchange which runs until Monday, 22 July.    Leading cruise lines such as Carnival, Coral Expeditions, MSC, Ponant, and Royal Caribbean are among those with executives in attendance meeting, networking and sharing information with shore-excursion ground handlers and representatives from WA ports and the wider tourism industry.  The conference also provides the chance to shine a spotlight on the incredible careers in WA’s cruise tourism sector and opportunities for adventure seekers looking to sail off into a successful career. From remote locations in the Kimberley to the spectacular South West coast, there are incredible paid and volunteer cruise opportunities across #WAtheDreamState. Among the cruise tourism workforce is Alan, a cruise tourism volunteer dedicated to ensuring visitors to WA’s historic port city of Fremantle have a world-class experience:    Discover Alan’s story: https://bit.ly/3W1F4dS  

Perfectly timed ahead of the Paris Olympics, the inaugural non-stop Qantas flight between Paris and Perth has launched, with celebrations held over the weekend. On Saturday, a function was held to mark the new service and on Sunday, celebrations continued at Perth Airport, to coincide with Bastille Day, with Tourism WA Chair Di Bain presenting an opening address. The near 17-hour flight will operate four days per week throughout the European summer and continue three times per week from mid-August 2024.     It’s the second non-stop connection between Continental Europe and Perth, alongside Qantas’ existing service between Rome and Perth.     Read more here: https://bit.ly/4cGMbzM

This week, Tourism WA is celebrating 2024 National NAIDOC Week (7 – 14 July), and its theme ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’.     We encourage you to take part in one of the many activations around WA which honour the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture.      One of the acts to get along to is Karla Yaanginy (meaning ’sharing about the fire’) at Yagan Square Amphitheatre, a free, family-friendly special NAIDOC event featuring stories about what fire (karla) means to the local Noongar people and animals. Taking place on Friday night, 12 July, this celebration of Noongar culture will include dance, music, pyrotechnics, visual art and shadow puppetry.    There are so many events taking place throughout the week – see the full list here: https://bit.ly/3WbTZ6C     Image credit: 2024 National NAIDOC Week Poster - Urapun Muy by Deb Belyea 

There are only two more days to register for Tourism WA’s ‘Cruise Ready Workshop’ on Wednesday, 17 July. Hosted in Perth as part of the WA Cruise Exchange, the workshop will: 🚢 Provide insights into how to successfully service the cruise market,  🚢 Share valuable information on the state of the industry during the return of cruise, 🚢 Discuss protocols and logistics,  🚢 Identify the future opportunities in a growing sector and; 🚢 Discuss how to work with destinations to deliver world-class experiences.  Guest speakers include Jill Abel, CEO of Australian Cruise Association, and specialist ground handlers. In person attendance is encouraged, with online streaming available for regional attendees.  Registrations close Thursday, 11 July.    Register here: https://bit.ly/4bqBLCQ 

Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards list for Australia in 2024 have named WA’s own Kings Park and Botanic Garden as the best attraction in Australia.    Kings Park and Botanic Garden, known for its spectacular views, abundant native flora displays within the WA Botanic Garden and the significant State War Memorial took out the top spot, while Fremantle Prison was named the ninth best attraction in Australia.    The awards are based on ratings and reviews from Tripadvisor travellers.    What a fantastic result for #WAtheDreamState, and a great testament to our tourism industry who are dedicated to creating world-class and memorable visitor experiences.    Find out more about dreamlike, otherworldly Western Australia here: https://bit.ly/3W9pluQ  

Perth’s new winter arts and cultural festival RE//Perth is now live, activating multiple spaces in Destination Perth in a celebration of creativity and urban exploration.  Perfectly timed to coincide with the winter school holidays, RE//Perth will run until Sunday, 14 July, with a hero production running from 2 - 27 July.  Its varied program includes flagship large-scale production, The Mirror, kids activities, bespoke dining experiences, live entertainment and performances, and sustainable fashion activations. Among the fun are activities like: - (RE//BIRTH) – a Winter Banquet with high-end food and wine experiences, plus a food market with winter favourites  - (RE//FLECT) – the exclusive, large-scale WA premiere of dance and acrobatic show The Mirror, which will run for four weeks;  - (RE//PLAY) – enlivening the school holidays with entertainment, winter-themed activities, snow cone creations, snowflake projections, ice carving, and marshmallow toasting; - (RE//PURPOSE) – highlighting the value of repurposed fashion with interactive workshops.    This new homegrown festival is being delivered by ARTRAGE, known for producing the annual FRINGE WORLD festival. Read more here  https://bit.ly/4cqBKAg Image credit: City of Perth

A special naming ceremony has been held for the Seabourn Pursuit, the latest vessel from luxury cruise and expedition travel line, Seabourn Cruise Line, which recently undertook its maiden voyage in the Kimberley region, in Australia’s North West.    The Wunambal Gaambera People, custodial owners of Ngula Jar Island, were formally recognised as the vessel’s godparents at an official naming ceremony held over the weekend.     It marked the first time in maritime history that Traditional Owners have been named as the godparents of a cruise ship.    Congratulations to the Wunambal Gaambera People and Seabourn – Tourism WA is proud to provide its support in bringing more visitors to The Kimberley to experience authentic Aboriginal tourism offerings.     Image credits: Seabourn Cruise Line    Read more about WA's cruise industry: https://bit.ly/4eM2wVi 

There are only a few more days to apply for Tourism WA and Tourism Council Western Australia's recognition program, The Dream Collective Western Australia.     This exciting new program has been developed to promote and showcase the best of Western Australia’s tourism offerings, recognising the state's leading tourism operators who consistently deliver high-quality visitor experiences.     Tourism operators must meet the eligibility criteria and participate in an annual evaluation process across a set of criteria, including customer reviews, online platforms, marketing activity, training, accreditation, and awards, to be considered for inclusion.     Applications close Friday, 12 July. Apply here https://bit.ly/3znaO5Q