Australian Tourism Exchange 2023 (ATE23) has returned to its traditional four-day format, after two years of condensed hybrid events, and is taking place at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 30 to May 4.
The 43rd edition of the Australian tourism industry’s largest annual B2B event – comprising scheduled business appointments and networking events – is expected to welcome around 1,500 sellers and 650 buyers from over 30 countries.
Phillipa Harrison, managing director of Tourism Australia, told TTG Asia: “With the return of international travel, our focus is on providing the inspiration for travellers in Asia to book and travel to Australia for their next holiday. As aviation capacity steadily returns towards 2019 levels, we want to ensure that Australia is at the top of the list of places to visit for our target travellers across key markets in Asia.”
ATE23 also provides international buyers with the opportunity to experience Australia’s tourism offerings first-hand through pre- and post-event fam trips, which Harrison pointed out is “important” in giving them a “first-hand experience of the destination”.
When asked if the broader tourism strategy also includes domestic travellers, Harrison shared that domestic travel spend is now back to pre-pandemic, and as such has “eased off on our domestic focus and really ramped up our activities to rebuild travel to Australia from our key markets overseas”.
She acknowledged that the domestic market played an important role in helping Australia’s tourism industry prepare to welcome returning international visitors “by booking and engaging in a range of tourism experiences and attractions”.
Other global marketing efforts include the Come and Say G’day campaign launched in October last year, which continues to “build momentum”.
The further easing of pandemic measures in China, Harrison added, is positive news for the industry.
“Mid-way through this year, we also have plans to launch our Come and Say G’day campaign in China, while leveraging Australia’s hosting of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (to draw in even more visitors),” she indicated.
