Tourism Australia’s signature incentive travel tradeshow and extended fam trips wrapped up this week with big announcements – it will be rebranded to Australia Next, aligning with the name of its incentive travel magazine.
“I want to assure you that this event is going to remain the incredible showcase that it is. It’s not going to change in any way, other than (the rename)” said Tourism Australia managing director, Phillipa Harrison.
“We think that the alignment just works better in a competitive international market. Australia is right up there (among the most competitive) and I think it’s a very action-oriented title,” she said at Penfolds Magill Estate, the venue for Dreamtime’s gala dinner with 80 international buyers in attendance.
Also announced was the return of the event for the next two consecutive years rather than a wait till 2025, with Cairns in Tropical North Queensland declared the next destination host city. This is aimed at building on the momentum for the return of the incentive travel market.
“We haven’t had the opportunity to run (this showcase) for the last four years. So, we’re doing this because we want to supercharge this industry and we want business events to come back in force, and they are,” added Harrison.
Dreamtime in Adelaide – which kicked off on November 7 – was Tourism Australia’s opportunity to reconnect with international Incentive planners for the first time since the pandemic.
Tourism Australia’s executive general manager of commercial and Business Events Australia, Robin Mack, said Dreamtime is crucial to get the Australian business events industry back to pre-pandemic levels.
“The return of Dreamtime in Adelaide this year and Australia Next in the future will help the business events industry to once again attract more than a million visitors a year to our country, contributing A$4.5 billion (US$2.9 billion),” he said.
Thanking Business Events Adelaide for an outstanding Dreamtime, Mack said Tourism Australia will be working with Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef to deliver Australia Next in 2024, with the challenge to make it “just as memorable”.
TTGmice has learnt that Australia Next in Cairns is expected to be held in 3Q2024.
