Travel, Tourism & Events

Australian tourism on track to boost visitor spend to $140billion by 2020

IN SPITE of the high Australian dollar, the Australian tourism industry seems to be on track to meet its aim of increasing overnight visitor spending to between $115 billion and $140 billion by 2020. 

That official assessment was relayed to the Australian Tourism Directions Conference in Canberra last week by Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb, who said the new Federal Government recognised the huge challenges the industry still faced, including cost-of-labour challenges compared with rival markets.

As part of its Tourism 2020 plan, last week the government launched its new Tourism Employment Plan Guide and a new Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service.

Mr Robb also congratulated the industry on achieving an average international visitor spend that was already more than three times the global average.

Mr Robb announced plans to attract more international investment to the sector and said early government moves to scrap the Carbon Tax and freeze the Passenger Movement Charge were just the start in a range of initiatives that will ultimately make the tourism industry more competitive.

"The government is committed to creating the right operating environment for the tourism sector by freezing the Passenger Movement Charge, scrapping the Carbon Tax and helping employers find workers with the right skills," Mr Robb told the Australian Tourism Directions Conference.

"I plan to attract more international investment, create more jobs and strengthen Australia's prosperity.

"Our role in government is to support tourism businesses to do what they do best by creating the right operating environment," he said.

"Tourism is important to the Australian economy. It is worth $107 billion, directly employs more than half a million Australians and is our largest services industry export, earning $26 billion a year.

"Freezing the Passenger Movement Charge will provide certainty for the tourism industry and allow it to focus on developing new high quality products that will drive demand.

"Abolishing the Carbon Tax will save the industry money and provide tourism businesses with more capacity to develop more world class experiences," Mr Robb said.

To help industry overcome regional labour and skill shortages in tourism, the Federal Government launched the Tourism Employment Plan Guide and a new Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service.

Mr Robb said the Tourism Employment Guide would provide regions with a blueprint for how to address their unique labour and skills issues, while the Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service would ensure regions had enough support to help find solutions that work best for them.

http://www.tourism2020.gov.au/

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Creation theory for business innovation - two experts tell why

MOST of the rallying calls for Australian business progress right now mention the word ‘innovation'. There are scores of government department names that bear it; industry awards that reward it; buildings named after it; major organisations like Nissan, NEC and IBM  that catch-cry with it; and epic quantities of paper and megabyte research devoted to it.

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Dr Michael Rosemann of QUT's Information Systems School.

 

Yet innovation defies simple description - other than we know it when we see it - and most research acknowledges ‘innovation' as a form of commercial and industrial ‘creativity'.

This week's Innovation Series event in Brisbane on Wednesday (June 19) considers how the challenges of fostering innovation are similar to quests in ‘developing' creativity.

Headlining the event are Tania de Jong, founder of the Creativity Australia and Creative Universe business event series, and Dr Michael Rosemann, professor and head of the Information Systems School at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

The Innovation Series theme, Creative Thinking as a Driver of Innovation? is highly topical in these challenging business times, in which organisations and individuals are seeking that innovative edge that will help them to develop and prosper.

In fact, creativity is a great strategic engine for business, according to Tania de Jong, AM, founder of Creativity Australia and Creative Universe. Her theme at the Innovation Series, Creativity: The Strategic Tool of the 21st Century, outlines why creativity has become what she calls Australia's "most endangered species". 

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Tania de Jong: business creativity an 'endangered species'.

 

Ms de Jong believes creativity is a lever for improved wellbeing, social inclusion, innovation, leadership, productivity and transformation. She will flesh out her experiences on why diversity is critical to unleashing the creative potential of individuals and organisations, and how Australia can develop a culture where creativity and innovation flourishes.

Those concepts have blossomed in the events she has created to bring this topic to the fore, including Creative Innovation Global's acclaimed Ci2010, Ci2011 and Ci2012 conferences.

Dr Michael Rosemann takes a different view, discussing the real value in the innovation process of what he calls 'ideation'. Dr Rosemann believes 'ideation' as part of innovation processes is often perceived as a 'miracle' - and few structured approaches beyond creativity techniques guide the derivation of innovative practices.

Dr Rosemann's presentation, Innovating without the need for creativity, will position ideation in the context of three drivers for innovation:  problems, constraints and opportunities. His focus is on how patterns, principles and evidence can be used in the idea generation process, proposing "inspiration as a service" as a possible pathway for the innovation community.

As the author and editor of seven books, more than 200 refereed papers, editorial board member of 10 international journals and co-inventor of US patents, Dr Rosemann's views are in demand at conferences across the globe - and his research projects have been funded by diverse industry partners including Accenture, Brisbane Airport, Infosys, Rio Tinto, the Queensland Government, SAP, Suncorp and Woolworths.

Innovation Series Brisbane events are managed by Zernike Australia and supported by the Australian Institute for Commercialisation, QUT, CSIRO, Hynes Legal and Business Acumen magazine. This week's event is at the Stamford Plaza Brisbane on Wednesday at 12 noon.

www.innovationseries.com.au

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State Library opens up the books on Qld business history

QUEENSLAND's State Library will host a symposium for historians, business leaders, educators and researchers, Navigating our business history, on June 19 in Brisbane.

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Queensland's State Library has a special event on June 19 charting the importance of the state's business history.

 

The event is the first time a forum has been convened to ‘open the books' on the state's diverse business history and will feature an open conversation with travel industry ‘game changer' Flight Centre's Graham ‘Skroo' Turner, along with keynote addresses from historians including Dr David Allison, the associate director for Curatorial Affairs at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

"The Navigating our business history symposium at State Library of Queensland on 19 June 2013 will explore why Queensland's business history matters," said State Librarian, Janette Wright.

The symposium will be an opportunity to open up discussion around the important role of Queensland business history in the broader historical context of Queensland and Australia.

The symposium will challenge participants to consider and discuss the impact and influence of Queensland's business history on Australia's cultural, economic and social landscape.

Designed for historians, business leaders, researchers, students, educators, librarians, and those working with their own business stories and heritage collections, the symposium will feature keynote addresses from Professor Geoffrey Bolton AO, distinguished Australian historian and author, and the Smithsonian's Dr Allison.

Both sessions are to be facilitated by award-winning Australian journalist and broadcaster Geraldine Doogue.

Navigating our business history is an initiative of the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame, founded by the State Library of Queensland, Queensland Library Foundation, and QUT Business School. The event complements the highly successful Game Changers entrepreneur talk series that also kicked off this year through the State Library.

The day-long symposium will be followed by the final Game Changers series talk, In conversation with Graham ‘Skroo' Turner, being held at State Library of Queensland at 6pm.

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Flight Centre's Graham 'Skroo' Turner takes part in an evening 'conversation' at the symposium.

 

The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame partnership recognises and extends understanding and access to information about the contribution Queensland businesses and business leaders have made to the development of the state. Each year the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame recognises business leaders and organisations that have helped shape the disctinctive economic and social landscape of Queensland.

An invitation only masterclass for specialists working with historical collections will be delivered by Dr David Allison from the Smithsonian at State Library of Queensland the day after the symposium. It will focus on the use and interpretation of historical collections.

Executive manager for Queensland Memory, Louise Denoon said, "State Library's commitment to co-create Queensland's memory for future generations and to foster learning and engagement with State Library collections is manifest in the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame initiative.

"We must embrace Queensland's business history and this symposium is an important step in ensuring we are recording, interpreting and inspiring use of this information to help us better understand our past and create our future," Ms Denoon said.

She said tickets for Navigating our business history are on sale for $120 for the entire event of $60 for the half-day sessions. (Tel: 07 3840 7979).

www.slq.eventbrite.com

Ticket giveaway!

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Singapore Airlines secures its Australian aviation platform with Virgin stake

THE Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) is expected to approve the application by Singapore Airlines to increase its stake in Virgin Australia, while Virgin's own purchase of a controlling stake in budget carrier Tiger Airways Australia - itself largely owned and controlled by Singapore Airlines - is FIRB approved and set to proceed in July.

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Singapore Airlines Airbus A380s are popular among Australian business travellers.

 

Singapore Airlines has agreed to acquire another 9.9 percent of Virgin Australia in a move that will increase its stake to 19.9 percent. Singapore Airlines reported it would purchase 255.5 million shares at 48 Australian cents per share for a total consideration of A$122.6 million.

The strategic stake will be acquired through the purchase of shares held by Richard Branson's Virgin Group and will help secure Singapore Airline's long, steady approach to establishing Australia as its most important market after Singapore itself.

Apart from the commercial advantages of the move in tapping into a strong domestic travel market, it is expected to boost other related activities, such as the extensive Singapore Airlines pilot training and maintenance services conducted in association with Aeromil Pacific on the Sunshine Coast.

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... and no wonder, with suites like this onboard.

 

Last month the FIRB approved Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd's plan to take control of loss-making rival Tiger Airways Australia.

This will accelerate the battle for domestic budget air travellers with Qantas Airways' Jetstar unit, according to industry analysts, while Virgin Australia continues to upgrade its service offering to compete more directly with Qantas.

Virgin announced plans in October to buy 60 percent of Tiger Australia for $35 million and invest a further $62.5 million to increase the fleet size to 35 aircraft from 11 by 2018.

The moves by Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines are also seen as a repositioning in response to Qantas establishing its global alliance with Emirates Airlines. Virgin has an alliance with United Arab Emirates rival and national carrier, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.

"Our partnership with Virgin Australia has been going from strength to strength, offering a wide range of consumer benefits," said Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong.

"Increasing our stake in Virgin Australia is another example of Singapore Airlines' deep commitment to the important Australian market.

"It also demonstrates our support for the ongoing transformation of Virgin Australia, which has created a more competitive aviation market in Australia."

Singapore Airlines acquired 10 percent of Virgin Australia in late 2012 through an injection of funds in Virgin Australia Holdings.

The two airlines entered into a long-term partnership in 2011, encompassing code-sharing, reciprocal frequent flyer programme benefits and lounge access, co-ordinated schedules to provide seamless connections, and joint sales, marketing and distribution activities.

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Virgin Australia continues its ascendancy, with more SIA help.

 

Singapore Airlines is already Australia's largest foreign carrier and operates a total of 112 weekly services from Adelaide (10 Airbus A330 flights a week), Brisbane (three daily with Airbus A330s), Melbourne (three daily with A380s and Boeing 777s), Perth (four daily with A330s and B777s), Sydney (four daily with A380s and B777s), and Darwin (four weekly with Airbus A320s operated by subsidiary SilkAir).

Singapore Airlines and SilkAir are currently offering customers transiting through Changi Airport S$40 worth of vouchers to use at more than 450 retail outlets in the transit and public areas of Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The vouchers will be issued until June 30 and are valid for use through to March 31, 2014.

www.singaporeair.com

www.virginaustralia.com

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Queensland revels in last-minute Easter road holiday bookings

AN UNUSUAL ‘last minute rush' is being experienced by Queensland caravan and tourist parks for Easter.

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Caravanning Qld welcomes the last minute Eaqster rush: great lift for tourism industry. Image: TQ

 

Reports coming through today (March 28) from Caravanning Queensland reveal destinations fielding a flurry of last minute bookings and inquiries as a high number of holidaymakers are opting for a last-minute Easter escape.

Caravanning Queensland CEO Ron Chapman said current forecasts of warm and mostly-fine conditions had spurred a rush for the last remaining vacancies at tourist hot spots.  He said while many Queenslanders booked their Easter getaway months ago, others held off on making a decision because of the weather.

"Parks are saying their phones are running off the hook as last minute holidaymakers try to lock in their Easter plans," Mr Chapman said.

"Easter is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for caravan and tourist parks as it is seen as the final fling before the arrival of winter. There are still some spots available for those still putting the finishing touches on their travel plans, but these are filling fast.

"The industry is expecting a big boost over Easter as road travellers finally get the chance to get out and enjoy some of Queensland's top destinations."

Mr Chapman said families make up about 60 percent of road travellers because of the flexibility, freedom and affordability of a holiday on the road.

"Queenslanders have always loved touring holidays and this popularity continues to grow," he said.

"Couples and families through to retirees are realising it is the best way to explore our own backyard without breaking the bank."

Mr Chapman said there are currently about 475,000 caravans, motorhomes and camper trailers registered in Australia, making it one of the world's most caravan-friendly countries. There are 115,000 registered in Queensland alone.

Thousands of road travel enthusiasts are also expected to converge on the Queensland Caravan, Camping and Touring Holiday Show, being staged in Brisbane from June 5-11 this year, Mr Chapman said.

"It will unveil new caravan, motorhome and RV models, and the latest road travel accessories."

http://www.caravanqld.com.au/

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Queensland tourism businesses must ‘re-shape' after disasters

The recent Queensland floods have not helped a tourism industry struggling through an already dramatic downturn - but operators are being urged to rebuild strategically.

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Daniel Gschwind.

 

Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) wants tourism businesses to rebuild by evaluating their products and keeping pace with changes demanded by domestic and international visitors. To assist, QTIC has created a state-wide Reshaping Queensland's Tourism Landscape program starting in Brisbane on February 19.

QTIC chief executive Daniel Gschwind said many operators would now be entering another rebuilding phase following on from recent weather disasters, but whether or not they were directly affected, businesses could never stay stagnant.

"The tourism industry signed up to the Queensland Government's DestinationQ partnership agreement with the goal of doubling visitor expenditure by 2020," Mr Gschwind said.

"QTIC believes to achieve this goal, the industry needs to constantly review its products and make customer-focused decisions to maintain successful business growth into the future.

"It is essential for tourism operators to renew their products and services if they want Queensland to be the number one tourism destination in Australia," Mr Gschwind said.

"QTIC is pleased to see many tourism operators are maintaining the momentum of post-flood efforts by repositioning themselves to remain viable.

"However, many more need to embrace a new way of thinking despite their fear about making business changes. It's time for Queensland tourism operators to get serious about better management of the overall tourism experience."

He said QTIC's state-wide business program, Reshaping Queensland's Tourism Landscape, provides tourism operators with tailor-made training, product analysis and quality service assessment.

Brisbane tourism operators are invited to register for the Brisbane Reshaping Queensland's Tourism Landscape program to be held on Tuesday, February 19.

The Reshaping program provides businesses with an opportunity to put into operation Tourism and Events Queensland's Hero Experience activity, developed in partnership with Regional Tourism Organisations.

The Hero Experience activity is supported by the State Government's $20 million Tourism Investment Strategy to support destination marketing and development. The project works to identify a suite of unique tourism selling points for Queensland destinations which can be used to guide marketing strategies, product development and renewal.

Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Jann Stuckey agreed with QTIC's assessment that operators need to be prepared to adapt to change in order to meet visitor expectations.

"Many travellers have embraced new technology to the point where they have become almost totally reliant on it and as an industry we need to provide new options to avoid alienating a significant and growing share of the available marke," Ms Stuckey said.

"I would encourage all operators, where possible, to participate in the Reshaping Queensland's Tourism Landscape program."

The Reshaping Queensland's Tourism Landscape business development program costs $640 and includes a full-day facilitated session, combined with three hours of commercial-in-confidence coaching. The program can run in any location subject to a minimum of five attendees, according to Mr Gschwind.

Registrations for business development sessions (held in addition to the February 19 program in Brisbane) must be confirmed by the end of February 2013 and training sessions need to be undertaken before May 2013.

The program is subsidised by Skills Queensland's Strategic Investment Fund to support skills and workforce development.

QTIC is the state's peak body for tourism. The council is a not-for-profit membership organisation representing more than 3,000 regional members, operating in all sectors of the tourism industry.

Tel: (07) 3236 1445

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

http://www.qtic.com.au/

 

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AEG Ogden takes lead on 'new' Darling Harbour events precinct

The Destination Sydney consortium -- led by AEG Ogden with Lend Lease, Capella Capital and Spotless Facilities Services -- is the New South Wales Government's preferred developer of a rejuvenated and integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour.

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SCEC and Darling Harbour will be transformed into an even more spectacular events precinct with ICC Sydney.

Dubbed the International Convention Centre (ICC Sydney), it will replace the existing Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. Construction will start in December this year and is due for completion in December 2016.

AEG Ogden, with its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane, is the leading venue manager in the Asia Pacific region and will be the operator of the $1.1 billion ICC Sydney.

AEG Ogden chairman and CEO Harvey Lister commended the NSW Government’s vision to create a world-class, integrated facility that will ensure Sydney is a leading player in the business and events industries well into the 21st century.

“AEG Ogden is privileged and excited by the opportunity to work with Government and industry in ensuring the venue is a key contributor to economic growth in Sydney," Mr Lister said.

“ICC Sydney is destined to be a showcase international venue in one of the world’s leading cities and is a welcome addition to the AEG Ogden family of award winning venues in Australia, Asia and the Middle East."

AEG Ogden’s director of convention centres, Geoff Donaghy said the new venue, featuring waterfront facilities in a prime CBD location, would position Sydney as one of the world’s most desirable meeting destinations.

“Utilising our international operational and marketing experience and our global venue network, we plan on taking the meeting and events business to a new level through ICC Sydney,” Mr Donaghy said.

Mr Donaghy, who will also assume the role as CEO of the new venue’s management company and is a former chairman of the Business Events Council of Australia, said the ICC Sydney would include a convention facility capable of holding four fully separated concurrent events of over 12,000 delegates in a total exhibition capacity of 40,000sqm.

There would be an external event deck of 5,000sqm featuring spectacular views of the Sydney CBD and a premier red carpet theatre with a capacity of 8,000 suitable for international entertainment acts and being used for major convention plenary sessions.

There would be a Grand Ballroom to provide Sydney’s premium banqueting space for more than 2,000 and a new ICC hotel complex with up to 900 rooms.

Destination Sydney will take control of the project and site in December 2013 when construction of the new facility begins. The ICC Sydney will replace the existing Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Up to 1,600 jobs will be created in the construction period, according to AEG Ogden, which is a joint venture between Australian interests (AEG Ogden originally began managing the Brisbane Entertainment Centre when it opened in 1986) and AEG Facilities of the United States.

AEG Ogden manages venues throughout the Asia Pacific region, including the Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Kuala Lumpur and Qatar and Oman (under construction) Convention Centres, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and live theatres including Perth’s His Majesty’s Theatre and the Perth Concert Hall. Sydney’s Allphones Arena, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, and the Perth Arena.

In Western Australia, AEG Ogden also manages the State Theatre Centre, Albany Entertainment Centre, and Subiaco Arts Centre.

AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports, entertainment and venue operator in the world.

AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns, operates or consults with 100 of the industry’s preeminent venues worldwide, across five continents, and works in concert with affiliated AEG entities, including live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships, AEG Development and AEG 1Earth to support the success of AEG venues across the globe.

AEG owns, operates or provides services to venues including STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.), Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE (Los Angeles, Calif.), Citizens Business Bank Arena (Ontario, Calif.), Valley View Casino Center (San Diego, Calif.) Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), XL Center and Rentschler Field (Hartford, Conn.), The Rose Garden (Portland, Ore.), KeyArena (Seattle, Wash.), KFC YUM! Center (Louisville, Ky.), American Airlines Arena (Miami, Fla.), AT&T Center (San Antonio, Texas), Time Warner Cable Arena (Charlotte, N.C.), Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.), Target Center (Minneapolis, Minn.), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), MasterCard Center (Beijing, China), The O2 Arena (London, England), O2 World (Berlin, Germany), O2 World Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany), Ahoy Arena (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Pernambuco Stadium (Recife, Brazil), Allphones Arena (Sydney, Australia), Globe Arenas (Stockholm, Sweden), Ulker Sports Arena (Istanbul, Turkey) and the Qatar National Convention Centre (Doha, Qatar).

www.aegogden.com

www.aegworldwide.com

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