Sunshine Coast Destination and Fraser Coast Opportunities continue to join forces and will expand their marketing push of Australia’s Nature Coast into the UK, a key international market for both regions. Just over 12 months old, the ANC initiative is designed to showcase the environmental assets of the neighbouring regions, in order to increase international appeal.

Australia welcomed 6.3 million visitors in the 12 month period ending August 2013, an increase of 5.6 per cent relative to the previous year. Of the total, 611,300 visitors arrived from the UK representing a three per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

Travellers Autobarn is launching brand new 2013 2-berth campervan rental models - the newest of its kind in the Australian budget market.

Investment in Australian tourism infrastructure demonstrates strong growth according to a new report from Tourism Research Australia (TRA). The TRA 2013 Tourism Investment Monitor, released today, confirms the Australian tourism investment pipeline is estimated at $44.1 billion in 2012, up 22 per cent on 2011.

Tourism Australia has enlisted the support of popular Hong Kong actor and ‘cantopop’ singer Ekin Cheng to showcase Cairns and Sydney’s best tourism experiences in a new television travel series aimed at encouraging more visitors from Greater China.

The Realities of Remaining Competitive: speakers at the PATA Hub City Forum Sydney on 12 February addressed the issue of congestion at Sydney airport and the need for a new secondary airport to ease constraints. It was pointed out by aviation expert Peter Harbison that this issue was first raised by the government in January 1969 and was considered ‘urgent’ back then. As he quite rightly pointed out, “If it was ‘urgent’ then, the situation 44 years on is now ‘critical’.”