Your latest SA Tourism news

In what is some very exciting news for our State’s tourism industry, it has been confirmed today that Adelaide will host the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in 2026. Approximately 2,500 leading tourism industry delegates from across the nation – and the world - are expected to attend Tourism Australia’s largest annual trade event, which will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre from 10 to 14 May 2026.   

South Australia last held ATE in 2018, with hosting in 2026 providing an important opportunity to show key decision makers firsthand the significant growth in tourism offerings across the State since then - such as luxury hotel investment and our diverse industry-leading experiences.

The announcement was made today at the 2025 event held in Brisbane, where over 50 South Australian tourism operators have been meeting with key decision-making industry stakeholders to ensure South Australia is top of mind when it comes to investment and promotion.

With our new Celebrate the Simple Pleasures campaign now in market, the first tactical push of our new campaign will be from mid-May, with a focus on creating more bookings this Winter. You too can be included in this campaign, simply by listing any Winter-based experiences, deals and offers and events on your ATDW listings that will be live and available during the campaign period. More info on this is below.  

Tasting Australia presented by Journey Beyond will be dishing up the best of our State’s produce from tomorrow, enticing foodies and festivalgoers from across the nation to South Australia. Over 10 days, more than 150 events across our State will plate up produce that are distinctly South Australian, helping to further cement South Australia as a leading food and beverage destination. Events include masterclasses, long lunches, perfect pairings, talks – and even plane and train experiences.

We continue to see how events bolster visitation and expenditure, as AFL Gather Round drove record high tourism results, including the greatest number of Adelaide hotel rooms booked and the busiest week in Adelaide Airport’s history. The Friday night of AFL Gather Round 2025 was the strongest night ever for hotel rooms occupied and revenue across greater metropolitan Adelaide, with 10,669 rooms occupied, generating revenue of $4.8 million. The benefits of this event were felt across our tourism regions too, as footy fans extended their trip and discovered more of SA.

Emma Terry

Chief Executive Officer
South Australian Tourism Commission

Read full Industry Update - 1 May 2025