Edition 126 · July 2018

Overtourism as a topic is receiving extraordinary commentary. The release of WTTC’s, McKinsey report in late 2017,  Coping with Success – managing overcrowding in tourism destinations  has stimulated enormous interest.  Many iconic destinations around the world are struggling to cope under the pressure.  Tourism numbers are creating impacts beyond the capacity of communities to absorb, or the capacity of natural and cultural heritage places to sustain, or both. This issue is, of course,  not new. Back in the early 1980’s references were made to popular National Park’s being ‘loved to death.’ This issue will be examined in detail by a number of the keynote speakers at the Global Eco Asia-Pacific conference this coming November in Townsville, Queensland.

Canadian, Anna Pollock of Conscious Travel will join New Zealander Prof. Ken Hughey of Lincoln University and Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service’s Jason Jacobi to explore the topic of Ecotourism – Protected Areas and Overtourism.

Go to www.globaleco.com.au to view the whole program and the extraordinary group of speakers that has been assembled.

A new self-healing tent from Imperial Motion is made from a nylon rip-stop material which doesn’t tear when punctured. The layers simply move apart when pierced with a small object and can then be repaired without the need of tools or kits. In addition, the Nano Cure Technology tent features a waterproof silicon layer, mesh for air ventilation and a simple rapid setup system. Further information: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1041121651/nano-cure-tent-the-worlds-first-self-healing-tent

The Peninsula Hot Springs in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has unveiled plans for a $13 million expansion including Bath House Amphitheatre which enables future onsite accommodation facilities to be developed within three years. The Bath House Amphitheatre will be open to the public in September and includes ‘Fire and Ice,’ the first Australian hot and cold therapy sauna providing a unique wellbeing and healing experience for guests.

Further information: https://www.peninsulahotsprings.com/

Whistler has opened the new Cloudraker Skybridge which is accessible to skiers and snowboarders in the winter, and hikers in the summer. The bridge spans 130 metres from Whistler Peak to the West Ridge over Whistler Bowl to the Raven’s Eye Viewing Platform, a 360-degree sightline of the Coast Mountains. The suspension bridge is just one of six construction projects underway on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain as part of a $66 million investment by Vail Resorts.

Further information: https://www.whistler.com/blog/post/2018/07/05/whistler-peak-suspension-bridge/

Japan National Tourism Organisation has launched its latest digital campaign in partnership with Japan Airlines and Canon Australia. The ‘Master’s Apprentice’ campaign gives aspiring Australian photographers the chance to pursue their ‘ikigai’ (age-old Japanese concept that means ‘reason for being’) with a once-in-a-lifetime photography expedition through Hokkaido in northern Japan. The campaign runs from July to September 2018.

Further information: https://www.jnto.org.au/masters-apprentice/

An online travel poll has been launched to determine the ‘Seven Wonders of Australia’. The campaign asks Australians of voting age to select from a shortlist of 50 iconic Australian natural sites, landmarks and architectural icons from across the country. A shortlist of 20 finalists will then be vetted by an expert panel of judges from tourism, conservation and non-for-profit sectors including the Foundation for National Parks, World Wildlife Fund, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, The Wilderness Society, RACQ, TicketMates and Experience Oz. Public voting closes 7 October 2018.

Further information: https://www.experienceoz.com.au/en/7Wonders

The Queensland Government will fund the design and business case for the Wangetti Trail, a 76-kilometre dual use track between Palm Cove and Port Douglas in Tropical North Queensland. The trail aims to be one of Australia’s leading adventure-based experiences for walkers and mountain-bike riders showcasing the beauty of the Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef World Heritage areas. The Traditional Owners of the land (the Yirrganydji people) will also work on the planning, development and construction.

Further information: https://www.ditid.qld.gov.au/tourism/special-projects/wangetti-trail

The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has launched Voco, a new upscale hotel brand in the $40 billion segment. Voco which is inspired by the meaning ‘to invite’ or to ‘come together’ in Latin will combine the informality and charm of an individual hotel with the quality and reassurance of a global and respected brand. The roll-out of voco will begin in IHG’s Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa regions with plans to open more than 200 hotels in attractive urban and leisure locations over the next 10 years.

Further information: https://www.vocohotels.com/

French hotel chain Le Club AccorHotels is leveraging biometric technology to better understand customers’ vacation desires and deliver tailored luxury travel. The Seeker project immerses guests into an interactive sensory experience and stimulates the senses to collect data on behavioural and biometric responses including measuring EEG, heart rate, galvanic skin response and brain activity. In addition to an online version, AccorHotels plans to place Seeker kiosks in their hotels by the end of July 2018.

Further information: https://seekerproject.com/

W Hotels part of Marriott International will build a third hotel in Sydney following the opening of W Brisbane and W Melbourne in 2020. The new hotel will be part of ‘The Ribbon’ development in Darling Harbour designed by the award-winning architect firm HASSEL. The hotel will feature 593 stylish guestrooms, suites and serviced apartments. W Sydney will be part of Marriott International’s rapidly-expanding portfolio of 18 hotels in Australia and its goal of 75 hotels in Asia by the end of 2020.

Further information: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/index.html

Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport in Sweden has developed a ‘Climate Portal’ to let travellers test weather in any destination around the world without having to leave the airport. The booth uses a temperature-control system, wind machines and audio-visual cues to simulate different climates by using live weather data from places around the world. About 60,000 people have tried out the Climate Portal and airport officials hope it spurs travellers to want to book a future flight or visit one of the duty-free shops to grab extra clothes.

Further information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laA-jscbX4A

Adelaide Airport in South Australia has announced work will begin on a $65 million expansion of the airport’s main terminal to improve the arrivals and departures experience for passengers and create more retail and dining options for domestic and international travellers. The project is the largest upgrade at the airport since the existing terminal was opened and is due for completion in 2021.

Further information: https://www.adelaideairport.com.au/

The Queensland Government has opened Expressions of Interest for stage one of the new Growing Tourism Infrastructure Fund. The fund forms part of the $36 million commitment to growing tourism infrastructure in Queensland by creating sustainable new jobs and increasing visitor expenditure. Funds are available for delivery of large scale significant infrastructure projects which are a catalyst for future economic development across the state.

Further information: https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/growing-tourism-infrastructure-fund

Etihad Airways has signed a three-year commercial partnership agreement with Warner Bros World encompassing several collaborations aimed at increasing tourism to Abu Dhabi including the world’s first Warner Bros branded indoor theme park. It will feature a total of 29 state-of-the-art rides, interactive family-friendly attractions and unique live entertainment across six fully immersive lands. The airline will work closely with Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi on areas of brand partnership, marketing, inflight programming, and travel trade support.

Further information: https://www.etihad.com/en/about-us/etihad-news/archive/2018/warner-bros-world-abu-dhabi-signs-airline-partnership-with-etihad-airways/

The Travel Corporation has announced that it will phase out all single-use plastics from its extensive selection of award-winning travel and tourism companies over the next five years. The ‘Multi-Year Plastics Elimination Strategy’ will be implemented under the guidance of the TreadRight Foundation and will ban more than 60 types of single-use plastic items such as straws, stir sticks, water bottles, plastic bags and cutlery from 40 offices across its global portfolio.

Further information: https://ttc.com/

AccorHotels has released its second Corporate Responsibility Report detailing the work the organisation undertook in 2017 to provide positive hospitality experiences for guests and employees through ongoing sustainability and diversity initiatives. The report provides details about the completion of the rollout of the Planet 21 program which spans six key pillars aligned to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. AccorHotels also entered its 10th year of partnership with Greening Australia which has planted 46,763 trees around the country.

Further information: https://jobsataccor.com.au/about-accorhotels/

According to Destination Canada’s 2017 Global Tourism Watch report released in July 2018 a staggering 2.67 million Australian travellers are likely to visit Canada in the next two years. This represents an increase of five per cent since 2016, with visitation from Australia ranked sixth among Canada’s international markets in 2017. The primary purpose of the Global Tourism Watch research program is to provide consumer-based intelligence in core markets around the world.

Further information: https://www.destinationcanada.com/en/global-tourism-watch

Research by Booking.com has revealed that the equivalent of 2.4 million full time working Australians have not taken leave for more than a year, with over 85% experiencing burnout. The new research surveyed 1000 working Aussies on their annual leave habits and motivations. The survey also uncovered a strong need for Australian workers to take advantage of their leave and take a break for their health as many admit to leaving work early due to exhaustion, while others admitted to falling asleep at work.

Further information: https://www.booking.com/general.html?tmpl=pr_promotion;aid=1529965

The Canberra Cycle Tourism Strategy provides a framework to inform and support an integrated approach to developing, managing and promoting cycle tourism in the region to interstate and international visitors. Tourism Research Australia and VisitCanberra contracted Destination Marketing Store and ARUP Australia to develop the Canberra Cycle Tourism Strategy which included economic analysis, a comprehensive research review and stakeholder consultation.

Further information: https://tourism.act.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CBR_Cycle_strategy_WEB.pdf

The Australian Government’s export credit agency (Efic) has published an eBook on finance solutions it can provide for Australian Tourism businesses that need funding to grow and build their businesses through international visitors. Austrade also has a network of specialists around the world who can provide comprehensive assistance to connect tourism operators with business networks and strategic partners in new markets.

Further information: https://www.efic.gov.au/resources-news/news-events/video-room/2018/july/how-efic-can-help-tourism-businesses/

The World Tourism Forum Lucerne Start-Up Innovation Camp will be held in Malaysia on 12 September 2018 at the PATA Travel Mart. The unique platform for CEOs, Ministers, Academia, Finance and Start-Ups provides an opportunity to exchange and share the future challenges of the industry.

Further information: https://www.wtflucerne.org/

The World Travel Market will be held in London from 5-7 November 2018. The World Travel Market (WTM) 2018 is one of the world’s leading travel exhibitions attracting over 50,000 travel industry professionals to network and negotiate new business.

Further information: http://london.wtm.com/

The Southern Hemisphere’s largest ecotourism conference will be held in Townsville from 26-28 November 2018. The conference is organised by Ecotourism Australia with support from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville Enterprise Limited and Sustainable Townsville Limited.

Further information: https://globaleco.com.au/