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  • Tourism Australia appoints new RGM UK & Northern Europe

    Tourism Australia has announced the appointment of Denise von Wald to the role of Regional General Manager Uk (UK) & Northern Europe.

    Denise von Wald will take in the role with Tourism Australia, based in its London office, from 26 August 2013.

    Ms von Wald joins Tourism Australia from Education Adelaide where, as Chief Executive, she has led the organisation achieve impressive results for the past seven years.

    Prior to joining Education Adelaide, Ms von Wald also held management positions on the South Australian Tourism Commission and was a published journalist and producer on the ABC.

    Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said Ms von Wald was a robust leader and communicator in addition a strategic marketer, with solid experience within the tourism sector.

    “With a proven track record in tourism and marketing, I actually have without doubt Denise would be a powerful asset to Tourism Australia’s presence within the UK and can have the ability to continue the legacy of the nice work done by her predecessor Rod Harrex,” Mr McEvoy said.   

    “Growth in visitation from the united kingdom have been stymied by global economic factors lately. However, with the British and Irish Lions tour set to kick off next month, followed by the Ashes cricket series later this year, Australia is decided to receive a welcome addition in visitors from the united kingdom in 2013.” 

    The UK is currently Australia’s third largest source marketplace for international visitors (delivering 593,000 visitors in 2012)  but is the second one largest marketplace for Australia in the case of spend and visitor nights, delivering A$2.9 billion and 22.5 million visitor nights during 2012.

  • Queen Mary 2 recalls maiden arrival of original Queen Mary into The big apple

    Queen Mary 2 sailed into Big apple on Saturday 1 June 2013, she arrived at the 77th anniversary of the maiden call of the unique Queen Mary in The big apple in 1936.

    Queen Mary’s Maiden Voyage began in Southampton on 27 May 1936 and she or he left to the sounds of bands and ecstatic crowds. On board were the famous bandleader, Henry Hall , scheduled to present a sequence of live radio broadcasts in the course of the crossing; the virtuoso harmonica player, Larry Adler ; and a well-known singer of the time, Frances Day , who performed a song written specially for Queen Mary by Henry Hall , ‘Somewhere at Sea’. And, much as she can have liked being at sea, Miss Day didn’t trust the ship’s eggs to be fresh by the top of the voyage so she took along her own chickens. Queen Mary received a rapturous welcome in Manhattan.

    Peter Shanks , Cunard President and Managing Director, said:
    “Since her launch to great acclaim in 2004, Queen Mary 2 has proudly continued the Transatlantic legacy of elegance and glamour that Queen Mary personified during her long reign of service – the legend lives on.

    “On this special anniversary, we’re also pleased to continue to name Ny our homeport inside the USA, a city which has embraced our ships during the centuries and played a prominent role in lots of of Cunard’s historical milestones.”

    77 years on, Queen Mary 2 left Southampton last Saturday (25 May) for brand new York. Onboard to talk is Jeffrey Weinberg , adviser to seven US Presidents, and passengers are enjoying our legendary entertainment including presentations from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). Today the eggs – all 45,000 of them – are fresh and plentiful and our legendary experiences live to tell the tale.

    Queen Mary would cross the Atlantic another 1,000 times during her 31-year career before being retired in 1967. Queen Mary 2 will make her 200th crossing on 6 July in this, her ninth year at the Atlantic.

  • Investment continues to drive growth inside the Australian tourism industry

    Investment in Australian tourism infrastructure demonstrates strong growth in line with a brand new report from Tourism Research Australia (TRA).

    The TRA 2013 Tourism Investment Monitor, released today, confirms the Australian tourism investment pipeline is estimated at $44.1 billion in 2012, up 22 per cent on 2011.

    “We’ve seen continuing growth inside the tourism investment pipeline over the past one year, with a further $7.9 billion within the pipeline in 2012,” Dr Leo Jago, Chief Economist and General Manager of TRA, said.

    “Investment in new aviation fleets by our leading airlines continues to dominate the expansion in tourism investment” confirmed Dr Jago.

    “This investment though should be better balanced with adequate levels of investment in airports, in addition to accommodation and humanities and recreation infrastructure, to completely leverage increased aviation capacities in and around Australia,” Dr Jago cautioned.

    On the back of continued strong international visitor arrivals and high accommodation occupancy rates, growth within the investment pipeline further confirms Australia is a horny environment to take a position in tourism infrastructure.

    The TRA report draws on data sources from the Deloitte Access Economics Investment Monitor, property data from Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, and the STR Global Asia Pacific Pipeline database.

    Key findings from the report include:
    *    The tourism investment pipeline is estimated to were $44.1 billion in 2012, up by 22 per cent on 2011.
    *    The 2012 pipeline consisted of $5.6 billion in accommodation investment; $22.5 billion in new aircraft investment; $6.4 billion in airport infrastructure investment; and $9.6 billion in arts and recreation services investment.
    *    25 hotel/resort major asset transfers were recorded in 2012 at a complete value of $1.4 billion – the top value for the reason that Global Financial Crisis.
    *    If the $5.6 billion invested within the accommodation pipeline is realised, this can provide a further 9,760 rooms to satisfy growing accommodation demand.
    *    Moreover, when taking new accommodation supply from mixed use developments under consideration, total supply of latest accommodation rooms could potentially provide around 12,250 rooms.

  • “Family Bonding” holidays at the rise

    With recent research revealing that families are increasingly using holidays to succeed in “quality time” together and with Father’s Day fast approaching, tour operator The Mighty Fine Company has unveiled its top six “memory-making” and “bonding” holidays.

  • Kyoto City targets tourists because it expands free Wi-Fi network

    Free Wi-Fi points around the city of Kyoto, Japan were significantly increased with the intention to provide convenient internet access for locals, business travellers and particularly tourists. Free Wi-Fi is now available at 385 locations, including 297 bus stops and 78 “Seven Eleven” convenience stores.

    There are two forms of free Wi-Fi on offer; visitors can find either a “3 Hours Free” point or a “7 Days Free” point. Tourists can search for the blue and purple symbols around the city.

    The Wi-Fi is accessed through on the search for the SSID on a smartphone or device, a good way to be KYOTO_WiFi01 or KYOTO_WiFi02 after which obtaining a guest code from the scannable QR code at the nearby purple or blue tag or sending an e-mail to the address provided. Once guests are allocated a guest code, they’re able to simply log-in after which free Wi-Fi is out there.

    Since June 2012, in a push to maintain with international standards for business and leisure travellers, Kyoto City has gradually been putting in place free Wi-Fi spots at bus stops, major subway stations, vending machines, public facilities and seven-eleven convenient stores and this announcement is the newest step within the process. The ultimate aim is to eventually set-up 630 free Wi-Fi spots.