Oysters, merry-go-round and new caves at ATE 2010
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The Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) Western Module has got into full swing in Adelaide. Delegates were entertained at the Adelaide Showground with a sumptuous cascade of South Australian produce, including Coffin Bay oysters, beers (South Australia’s renowned Coopers was not forgotten), gourmet cheese and wines from the Barossa.
At the Show Me South Australia event at ATE 2010: Preferred Hotel Group managing director Lynne Ireland (left) with Rowena Thomas of the Lyall Hotel.
A large merry-go-round, on which delegates rode, formed the centrepiece of the “Show Me South Australia” event. Entertainment included mentalist and magician Nicholas Tweedy, who astounded delegates by spinning their business cards through the air, making them disappear or setting them on fire (the business cards, not the delegates) and then restoring them to their original form.
Eastern and Western module delegates attended the evening. Tourism Australia’s new “There’s nothing like Australia” commercial, written by television, cinema, and pop music composer Josh Abrahams and produced by ad agency DDB was well received by the ATE crowd, drawing applause.
The Sydney Morning Herald published an article panning the commercial but the consensus among ATE delegates was that the new ad was refreshing and fun. Eastern module delegates liked the kangaroos. Western module delegates liked the happy, open-air images.
“It has the feel-good quality of a Vegemite commercial,” commented Jill Collins, group public relations manager for Hamilton Island. “I liked the good mix of iconic elements and unexpected, lesser-known attractions.”
Sellers and buyers at the ATE 2010 booths reported a “strong positive vibe”. There’s plenty of new product about as well as existing product represented at ATE for the first time. One new product is Capricorn Caves, a spectacular labyrinth of strange, above-ground caves located in a limestone ridge north of Rockhampton, Queensland. Tours of these range from easy walking, wheelchair accessible caves to wild caving adventure tours.
With merry-go-round in background, Tourism Australia's Global Public Relations Manager Kerry I'Anson.
Delegates were briefed on Australia’s National Landscapes, areas of outstanding natural beauty and cultural significance. The Kimberley has just become one of these, joining the program to become the Australia’s 10th National Landscape. Australia will have 15 Landscapes in total. Others are Australian Alps, Great Ocean Road, Australia’s Red Centre, Flinders Ranges, Australia’s Coastal Wilderness, Kangaroo Island, Australia’s Green Cauldron, Greater Blue Mountains and Kakadu.
Delegates also heard about the Legendary Pacific Coast Touring Route (PCTR) – spanning the east coast of NSW from Sydney to Tweed
Heads on the Queensland borderTE. It includes a number of tourism areas, such as the Central Coast, Hunter, Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers. It recently received AUD500,000 in TQUAL grants “to assist the development of a strong and vibrant tourism brand”. The project will involve two State Tourism Organisations, 24 Local Government Associations, 21 Local Tourism Associations and about 6000 NSW individual tourism businesses and operators. The goal is to position the PCTR an iconic self drive experience that attracts tourists from all over the world.
Meanwhile, some 23,000 travel agents around the world have registered on the Aussie Specialist Program (ASP). It has just instituted a program called New Solution, available in over 110 countries worldwide. There are two key components: online training to teach travel agents to become Aussie Specialists, equipped with the skills and knowledge to promote and sell Australia; and the ASP website, designed to provide ongoing support, marketing and management of trade-related matters for ASP agents seeking to promote and sell Australia.
Booth at ATE 2010
New products, or companies that have not exhibited at ATE for at least the past four years, at ATE 2010 include: (accommodation category) Bilpin Springs Lodge, Broome Sanctuary Resort, Castaways Resort & Spa, Chateau Elan at The Vintage, Delaware North Parks and Resorts, DULC, Dunk Island and Bedarra, Eight Hotels Australia, Golden Chain Australia, Hilton Adelaide, Hotel Heritage, Jacobs Creek Retreat – The Barossa, Latitude 16, Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa, McLaren Vale Motel and Apartments, North Bundaleer, Sanctuary Palm Cove, Seppeltsfield Vineyard Cottage, Silky Oaks Lodge and Healing Waters Spa, Spicers Retreats, Hotels and Lodges, The Carrington Hotel, The Villas Palm Cove; (attraction category) Capricorn Caves, Flames of the Forest, Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney: (Special Interest and Tour Operator categories) Coorong Wilderness Lodge, Dreamtime Journey by Kookaburra Tours, Adrenalin Snorkel & Dive, Freycinet Adventures, Tobruk Sheep Station, Adventure Bay Charters, Bayplay Adventure, Education and Marine Tours, Kimberley Wild Expeditions, SEIT Outback Australia, and Tri State Safaris.
Written by Peter Needham
