Minister Birmingham to open inaugural Beyond the Barrel wine tourism conference

FEDERAL Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham, will officially open the first-ever National Wine Tourism Conference Beyond the Barrel in South Australia today.

The three day conference (June 18–20, 2019) delivered by Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is for Australian wine businesses looking to enhance their wine tourism offering and increase the number and expenditure of international tourists visiting their regions.

ATEC has introduced the conference after securing a $35,000 grant through the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package, which is administered by Wine Australia.

The event will feature educational workshops, commercial businesses meetings, conference sessions and networking events – all designed to propel wine businesses into the world of tourism.

Mr Birmingham officially opened the first conference session on Thursday June 20, 2019 at the National Wine Centre.

“Australia is lucky to have some of the best wine regions in the world and there is no doubt we are well positioned to capitalise on this growing part of the tourism market and attract more international visitors seeking premium food and wine experiences,” Mr Birmingham said. 

 
“We want people from around the world to not only taste our world class wines but to also visit the spectacular regions in which they are made, where visitors can genuinely indulge in the experiences of a lifetime.
 
“Our Government has backed Beyond the Barrel because we want Australian wine businesses to have the capabilities, connections and knowledge to deliver world-class premium experiences, which ultimately injects more tourism dollars into our economy and creates more jobs.”

ATEC managing director, Peter Shelley, said, “Beyond the Barrel recognises the value of our wine industry as part of the tapestry of offerings Australia brings to the international tourism marketplace.

“Our wine industry is an important part of the future growth and expansion of the international visitor experience and Beyond the Barrel will focus on helping businesses and tourism regions develop and deliver quality, authentic and engaging wine tourism experiences.”
 
Beyond the Barrel provides a unique opportunity for wine businesses to participate in commercially focused discussions with international travel buyers and to find insights and advice on how to create and expand a sought-after wine tourism experience.  Speakers including MONA’s CEO Mark Wilsdon and Mat Janes, the head of Winery and Restaurant Innocent Bystander will both shed light on their experiences, challenges and inspirations.

www.atec.net.au

 
Background
 
The International Wine Tourism Competitive Grants program is administered by Wine Australia on behalf of the Australian Government. Grant applications were assessed by an Independent Expert Assessment Panel in accordance with the grant guidelines, and co-contributions applied. More information about the $50m package is available at:  http://erwsp.wineaustralia.com