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JUNE 2013 PAGE 10
ATE 2013
PERTH is to open its first new hotel in ten years, Fraser Suites Perth offers five-star, short and long term accommodation with 236 studio, one and two bedroom apartments – all complemented by a range of onsite facilities including restaurant, 24-hour gym, swimming pool and lobby lounge with bar. The Terrace Hotel is a four level $20 million luxury boutique hotel with 15 rooms. Crown Perth will re-brand from Intercontinental Perth Burswood) and Four Points by Sheraton Perth. www.perth.frasershospitality.com; www.terracehotelperth.com.au
SEBEL Pier One Sydney has unveiled seven of the city’s most spectacular over-water suites with views of landmarks including Luna Park, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. The hotel’s seven new suites have been designed by Bates Smart Architects and include four Harbour View Balcony Suites which have direct access to private, expansive balconies with Sydney Harbour views. The largest balcony measures 40sq meters . Accor, has signed a partnership agreement with Great Golf Courses of Australia to provide a range of golf itineraries.
CAPTAIN COOK SeaLink Travel
Group Managing Director, Jeff Ellison says the group is investing $3m into Sydney Harbour with the building of a new high speed passenger boat joining Captain Cook Cruise's fleet of 11 vessels. The Rocket will have two passenger levels seating 200 passengers.
PORT MACQUARIE, NSW has
CAIRNS ZOOm the world's first Challenge Ropes Course in a wildlife park, and is now open to the public. Situated in the Cairns Wildlife Dome on the roof of the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, the new attraction consist of 65 elements of crossings and ziplines. opened five new nature attractions.
MELBOURNE Convention Bureau
has expanded its Melbourne Values You program to more than 100 premium hotels, venues and service providers.
QANTASand the NSW Government have announced a million partnership to promote Sydney and regional NSW to the world, aimed at attracting more international visitors.
SUNSHINE Coast Destination Ltd has launched six new tourism trails.
ACCOR has taken over the former Radisson Resort Gold Coast and re-branded the hotel Mercure Gold Coast Resort.
VICTORIA International visitor numbers travelling between the Great Ocean Road and Mornington Peninsula onboard Searoad Ferries has increased by 50% this summer, ■ Eoghan Corry travelled to Australia with Emirates who fly Dublin to Dubai daily at 13.50 and who have 84 weekly connections to five Australian cities Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney and a further 14 connections with partners Qantas, as well as connectivity with Qantas domestic network.
ATE MOVES TO CAIRNS IN 2014
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ustralian Tourism Exchange will be held in Cairns next year, the first time the tourism event has moved away from its traditional circuit, of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The 2013 event in Sydney was a shorter, more focussed event than it has been in recent years. The Eastern and western modules which were separated in 2001 were brought back together.
CEO Andrew McEvoy reported a third successive year of tourism growth into Australia with international visitors rising nearly 5pc in the past 12 months. “The world travels to experience difference, we want to showcase our difference.“ China has overtaken Britain and Pacific rim countries are now eight of the ten most important markets into Australia. Increased one stop access is as im-
portant as economics in driving this growth. This was the first ATE since the ground-breaking Qantas-Emirates deal which switched the principle entry point from Singapore to Dubai. McEvoy said that Irish visitors have a high yield and tend to disperse more. Australia will host five Irish travel agents at their trade-only event Corroboree later in the year.
‘Visit Aus anyway’ Australia’s message to 350,000 best job applicants
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ustralia’s” best jobs in the world” campaign has provided Tourism Australia with an invaluable database of potential young travellers, CEO Andrew McEvoy says. “One of the things we are keen on doing is capturing the database of people. The SEA are working with us to try and convert more of the people who applied into visitors.” Three candidates from Ireland have made it through to the next stage of the competition., Richard Cullen, Allan Dixon and Heber Hanly are amongst 150 candidates from 35 countries still in contention for the six dream jobs: Wildlife Caretaker in South Australia, Chief Funster in New South Wales, Park Ranger in Queensland, Taste Master in Western Australia, Outback Adventurer in Northern Territory and Lifestyle Photographer in Melbourne, Victoria. Andrew McEvoy, Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, said we are looking for great storytellers, someone adventurous, inspiring – a person eager to jump into the role and soak up all Australia has to offer. Applications for the global competition closed on 10 April with more than 600,000 expressions of interest submitted by 350,000 people from
Andrew McEvoy speaking at ATE 2013, (inset) Irish who made the final 150 Richard Cullen, Allan Dixon and Heber Hanly 196 different countries, with successful candidates submitting video entries from as far afield as Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, Korea, Latvia and Mexico. Applicants were asked to complete a 30 second video explaining why they should get the job. The United States has provided the highest number of short-listed candidates (33) followed by the UK (23), Australia (17), France (17), Canada (8) and Italy (5). Richard and Heber applied for the role of Lifestyle Photographer and Allan for Outback Adventurer. Each short listed applicant will now be asked to provide supporting job references which, if successful, would see them invited to a final assessment in Australia in mid-June, with the six
successful job candidates announced on June 21st. Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Jobs in the World’ competition is part of a major international marketing push to promote tourism opportunities provided by Australia’s Working Holiday Maker programme. Ireland has the tenth highest takeup of working visas with 25,827 Working Holiday Visas granted for the 12 month period ending June 2012, up 19pc compared to the same period the previous year. Ireland is the second highest country to apply for the second year of the Working Holiday visa after Britain, up 33.7pc to 3,735 in 2012.
until the end of 2014. The airline operates 25 flights a week to Australia, including twice daily to Sydney and daily to Melbourne. It also code-shares on three weekly Virgin Australia flights to Abu Dhabi.
Etihad also reiterated that it intends to increase its stake in Virgin Australia beyond its existing holding of 9pc, but highlighted that it would have to be ''at the right time''.
ETIHAD: PERTH ROUTE IN 2 YEARS
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tihad says its focus will be on bedding down its operations on routes to Australia over the next two years before it looks to expand services to Perth. Etihad's next big order of new planes is not due to begin to arrive