Media release

More than 1,000 members of the tourism industry have taken part in Tourism Australia’s annual Destination Australia conference, at Centrepiece in Melbourne Park, to hear from speakers about Reimaging the Future of Tourism.

With the tourism industry emerging from its most difficult period on record, the 2022 Destination Australia conference looked to inspire industry to rebuild bigger and better, with high profile speakers discussing the lessons learnt and highlighting upcoming opportunities.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, told the conference after a really difficult time for the tourism industry over the past two years, there is plenty to be optimistic about as we start to emerge from the global pandemic.

“We have all come to accept what has changed during the pandemic – the global environment, the way we live and work, the way we connect and, as a result, we have to reimagine the future of tourism,” Ms Harrison said.

“COVID has disrupted how travellers think about travel, their destination choices and the sorts of experiences they are looking to have, with some plans being curtailed for months and even years.”

“If there is a silver lining it is that this disruption has provided a once in a lifetime reset moment and an opportunity to consider how we will recover, grow and ultimately thrive as a tourism industry.”

“At Tourism Australia we have reviewed our international consumer demand and insights, and what we have found is that wellness, nature and our indigenous story are some of the things our key markets are interested in, so they will be areas of focus for us going forward.” 

The Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Dan Tehan MP also addressed the conference, along with the CEO and Managing Director of Virgin Australia Jayne Hrdlicka and the Chairman of Tourism Australia Michael Issenberg.

More than 600 people registered to attend the Destination Australia conference in Melbourne in person, while more than 400 more registered to watch the event online.