NZ-SA back, Qantas aircraft base in SA, Virgin airfare sale, world's biggest conference & more...
It’s been a week of confidence votes in South Australia’s tourism industry, spanning aviation, hotels, conferences, and events.
Direct flights from Auckland to Adelaide have restarted bringing our state’s first international tourists in more than a year. A new partnership with Virgin Australia provides up to 30 per cent off flights into Adelaide from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is in Adelaide today, having just announced the establishment of an Embraer E190s aircraft base in SA which will create aviation and maintenance jobs, increase tourism and position Adelaide as Australia’s regional aviation hub.
In the hotel space, we’ve seen a major injection of private investment over recent days, with Marriott International starting construction on the $200 million luxury hotel on the historic GPO site on King William Street, IHG Group and InterContinental Adelaide announce a $32 million renovation to the riverbank hotel, and the G’Day Group released its golf resort masterplan for the Fleurieu Peninsula, as part of a $40 million upgrade to the McCracken Country Club.
In a coup for our state and the conference sector, Adelaide played host to the world’s biggest hotel conference since COVID hit, with 900 delegates in attendance, filling city hotels and reigniting confidence in corporate travel. Held at Adelaide Oval, it was the first time the Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition has come to our city and in a further sign of endorsement, Adelaide will also host the event next year.
As for events, it’s been a blockbuster week for Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel. Prior to the opening of the festival, over 75 per cent of tickets had sold across the more than 140 events. Numbers have been very strong so far, and we’re looking forward to a big last few days. I’d encourage you to head to Town Square in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga to explore for yourself.
The Murray River, Lakes & Coorong region is welcoming back Supercars with the OTR Supersprint event running today until Sunday and it’s fantastic to see visitors flocking to the area. The SATC continues to work with The Bend Motorsport Park to support future opportunities, and I am looking forward to catching some of the action trackside.
It is an important event for business and tourism in the region. As we’ve been hearing, many regions are reporting strong occupancy data, and it is pleasing to see more visitors exploring SA. I met with our Regional Tourism Chairs this week, where we covered many issues impacting our regions. It is always valuable to hear their insights and feedback from operators – as well as their passion for the tourism sector.
Read on for details of these updates and other opportunities for our tourism sector.
Rodney Harrex
Chief Executive
View the full Industry Update – 7 May 2021 here.
