Business Events Australia is working to rebuild business events demand from Singapore, as well as the greater Asia-Pacific region, through conversion-driving activities that tap into the short- and mid-term business.
Among the activities is the Business Events Australia Asia Showcase 2022, which will be held from March 8 to 11 this year. The hybrid event will bring together key customers from the South and South-east Asia and Greater China markets in their respective locations, and provide them with the opportunity to meet virtually with Australian industry representatives and learn more about the destination’s business events offerings.
Australia has developed new hardware that will interest business event planners. These include the Winx Stand at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse and the refurbished Cairn Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Skyfarm, when completed in mid-2022, will feature a sustainable café, education programmes, conference facilities and event spaces. Guests will be able to enjoy a post-meeting tour of the working farm, visit the rooftop orchard and herb gardens, and sample produce.
Robin Mack, executive general manager of commercial & business events Australia, Tourism Australia, said a fam trip would be organised in the near future for qualified planners and media based in South and South-east Asia.
“Business events have always been a critical part of Australia’s visitor economy, and pre-pandemic demand from Singapore was strong. In 2019, Australia welcomed 74,000 business events visitors from Singapore who spent a total of A$270 million (US$193.6 million),” said Mack.
With China’s borders still closed, Mack said Tourism Australia’s business events strategy will focus on “international markets offering the best potential return on investment”.
These include the US and the UK/Europe for both incentive travel and association meetings, while New Zealand, South Asia, and South-east Asia will be targeted for incentive travel traffic.
However, the tourism board is not giving up on China.
Mack said: “In China, Australia continues to be perceived as an aspirational longhaul destination and benefits from being the closest Western destination to China in terms of proximity. We are witnessing pent-up demand for Australia with enquiries for travel from 2023 onwards.”
Overall, Mack has good cause for optimism, for findings from Tourism Australia’s Business Events Consumer Demand Project in 2021 revealed that a majority of decision-makers across the association and incentive travel sectors have indicated that the number of events held post-lockdown will be the same or greater, and the available budget will also increase.
This is because Australia is “still seen as a highly desirable destination that has a strong reputation for excellent business events facilities, world-class beauty and natural environments, a range of accommodation options and local attractions, clean cities, good infrastructure and an appealing climate”, Mack said. These attributes give Australia a competitive edge against other business events cities in the world.
Western Australia will finally permit interstate and international entry from March 3, 2022, announced premier Mark McGowan today.
Triple-vaccinated interstate travellers will be allowed into Western Australia without the need for quarantine, while international arrivals will be permitted if they meet the Commonwealth requirements to enter Australia, and take an ART within 12 hours of arrival. Positive results must be reported.
Unvaccinated returning Australians to the state will have to undergo seven days of hotel quarantine.
McGowan conceded that “the virus is already here and we cannot stop its spread”. According to news reports, the state set to reach a peak of 10,000 new cases a day by the end of March.
McGowan had earlier in January cancelled intended border reopening on February 5 due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.
He confirms that the March 3 reopening is final, and a further change is unlikely.