Melbourne Conferences: Melbourne to Host AIME 2012

The 20th anniversary AIME will be held on 21-22 February 2012 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in Melbourne, Australia.

With approximately 850 international Exhibitors expected, AIME 2012 will present ample opportunity for buyers to make important business connections as well as receive a range of exclusive benefits available only in AIME's VIP Hosted Buyer Program.

Melbourne Conferences: Melbourne to Host AIME 2012

Melbourne Conferences: Victoria Tourism Week -5-10 September 2011

Victoria Tourism Week (VTW) is a ground-breaking project that will help people understand the social and economic contribution the tourism industry brings to the community.

It was created by a ground swell of interest from the tourism industry. It is an opportunity to get together and celebrate the best things about tourism.

Melbourne Conferences: Victoria Tourism Week -5-10 September 2011

NRL Finals - All about Rugby League Australia: State of Origin Series to Kick Off in Melbourne

Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher and the Minister for Sport and Recreation Hugh Delahunty last week launched public ticket sales for the first game of the 2012 Harvey Norman State of Origin series to be played in Melbourne.

This will be the second time game one has been played outside of Queensland or NSW. In 2009 Melbourne attracted record crowds of almost 51,000 people for a State of Origin event, yielding an economic benefit to Victoria of around $17.1 million.

NRL Finals - All about Rugby League Australia: State of Origin Series to Kick Off in Melbourne

Melbourne Conferences: Tourism and Events Excellence Conference - Melbourne

The 2011 Tourism and Events Excellence Conference showcases business excellence within the tourism and events industries.

The Conference will bring together industry experts and leaders, business owners and operators, destination managers and visitor service providers, offering a unique opportunity to share knowledge, learn from each other, form new business relationships and discuss the issues that matter most to your business and our industry.

Melbourne Conferences: Tourism and Events Excellence Conference - Melbourne

Tutankhamun Half-Million Milestone Shatters Australian Records

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs this week became the most successful touring exhibition in Australian history announcing its 500,000th visitor.

The exhibition had previously set a record when it opened to the public on 8 April with 150,000 tickets pre-sold. Now four months into its seven-month run, the exhibition has exceeded attendance figures for all exhibitions held in Australia.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs has been a coup for Victorian tourism with 35 per cent of attendees visiting from interstate or overseas, making it the state’s leading cultural tourism driver.

Reaching the 500,000th visitor mark ranks the exhibition higher than Melbourne Museum’s Titanic the Artefact exhibition in 2010 which reached 480,879 in its six-month run. Not only has Tutankhamun surpassed Titanic’s previous record, but it has done so in just four months.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs runs until 6 November. For more information visit kingtutmelbourne.com.au

(Source: Tourism Victoria enewsletter – edition 83)

Jumbo Surprise in Store with Record Zoo Visitation

Melbourne Zoo is set to hear the patter of giant feet with the announcement of Asian Elephant Num-Oi's pregnancy.

If the 22-month pregnancy goes according to plan, Num-Oi could give birth any time between New Year's Eve 2012 and the end of January 2013.

The announcement coincided with the release of new visitor figures that showed total zoo visitation increased 33 per cent in 2010-11, compared to the same time last year. Melbourne Zoo also experienced record day visitation on 15 July this year with 10,672 visitors on a single day.

These results were aided by the Victorian Government's free zoo entry for kids policy, which gave free entry to over 75,500 children during the 2011 winter school holidays. The free entry for kids policy is available on weekends, public and school holidays.

(Source: Tourism Victoria enewsletter – edition 83)

Metro Apartments on Bank Place, Melbourne: $95 -- 4-Star Studios in the Heart of Melbourne, 40% Off*

The 4-star Metro Apartments on Bank Place in the heart of Melbourne is offering Travelzoo subscribers the exclusive rate of just $95 per night for their Studio Apartments.

This is 40% off the regular rates and you will also receive an extended checkout of 11am.

For travel all the way into next year, Travelzoo subscribers also have the option of a special upgrade offer, with 1-Bedroom Apartments just $104 per night, a 44% saving off usual rates.

Metro Apartments on Bank Place, Melbourne: $95 -- 4-Star Studios in the Heart of Melbourne, 40% Off*

Elite Athletes to Tough it out in Melbourne Ironman Championship

Victoria has scored another major events coup with the announcement that Melbourne will host the newly-created Ironman Asia Pacific Championship Melbourne for three years starting in March 2012.

Launching the new event, Premier Ted Baillieu said securing the Ironman Asia Pacific Championship reinforced Melbourne's reputation as Australia's home of sport and a leading international city for major events.

"Through a national and international television broadcast, the Ironman Asia Pacific Championship will celebrate and showcase our bayside city, from Frankston to St Kilda," Mr Baillieu said.

The Ironman Asia Pacific Championship Melbourne will be one of three regional Championship events, joinomg the Ironman US Championship in New York and the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt as Ironman's premier qualifying events. The Melbourne course will comprise a 3.8 km swim along the Frankston foreshore, followed by a 180.2 km bike leg on EastLink and concluding with a 42.195 km marathon distance run from Frankston to St Kilda.

The event is expected to generate an estimated economic benefit of approximately $10 million each year, with strong tourism and broadcast benefits for Victoria.

(Source: Tourism Victoria enewsletter – edition 83)

Shows Australia: Taylor Swift Will Return to Australia in 2012

Taylor Swift has extended her Speak Now world tour, adding six dates in Australia and New Zealand in 2012. In less than a year, the globetrotting superstar will have visited nearly 20 countries spanning four continents since the hugely successful tour's official kick-off in Singapore in February.

Shows Australia: Taylor Swift Will Return to Australia in 2012

Australian Open Tennis Package at Metro Apartments Bank Place @ Metro Apartments on Bank Place - Metro Hotels

Metro Apartments on Bank Place is offering this Australian Open Tennis Package for:

$215.00 per One Bedroom Apartment per night OR

$210.00 per Studio Apartment per night

Including:

Bottle of Wine on Arrival
Late Check-out at 11.00 Am
Free Internet.

Australian Open Tennis Package at Metro Apartments Bank Place @ Metro Apartments on Bank Place - Metro Hotels

Melbourne Thrashes Other Cities on Tourism Plans

Melbourne stands head and shoulders above all other Australian cities when it comes to being tuned in to the future needs of tourists, a new industry survey has found.

Of the 350 tourism industry people surveyed, 45 per cent nominated Melbourne as the city with the best strategies to meet the future needs of the industry, with Sydney and Brisbane trailing far behind.

Tony Charters, the convenor of next month's Tourism and Events Excellence conference at the MCG in Melbourne, says the Roy Morgan research should be a massive wake-up call.

"Melbourne was seen as the powerhouse of the future with Sydney way back on 13 per cent and Brisbane just a pathetic four per cent, Adelaide one step away on three per cent, and Darwin and Perth on two per cent," Mr Charters said.

"The results don't say a lot for how the industry itself perceives Brisbane, and also Sydney for that matter.

"We thought the result may have been biased by the sample being taken in Victoria but we checked back with Roy Morgan and there is not a discernible issue there - the figures are statistically valid."

Mr Charters said Brisbane has lost its way, has been living off the coat tails of destinations like the Gold and Sunshine Coasts far too long, and needs to stand on its own two feet.

He believes the river city needs to develop more attractions like the Gallery of Modern Art, which has been very effective in attracting large numbers of tourists and interstate visitors through its major exhibitions.

"For many years Queensland was seen as the leading tourism state and everyone was very satisfied that its desirability as a destination was sitting at the top of the pile, but over the last 10 years it's been on a continual downward slide.

"There's been a bit of complacency and other destinations have been working much harder - there's nothing like being the underdog to drive you and there's evidence of that coming through in these figures."

Mr Charters said it was important to remember that the survey asked which city was the best attuned to the future needs of the tourism industry.

"If the question was who has got the greatest attractions or who has the most appeal, you might get a slightly different answer.

"But the feeling is that Melbourne has worked out what tourism needs and is responding to the needs of the tourism industry, and that's the critical difference."

The Tourism and Events Excellence conference will be held at the MCG from September 5.

New Years Eve at Metro Apartments on Bank Place @ Metro Apartments on Bank Place - Metro Hotels

Metro Apartments on Bank Place is offering you this New Years Eve special offer:

Stay in a one bedroom for $215.00 per night
Stay in a studio bedroom for $210.00 per night

Including:

A bottle of wine upon arrival
Late check-out at 11.00 am
Free internet

New Years Eve at Metro Apartments on Bank Place @ Metro Apartments on Bank Place - Metro Hotels

Melbourne Ranks No.1 in the Country to Meet Tourism Needs

MELBOURNE stands head and shoulders above all other Australian cities when it comes to being tuned in to the future needs of tourists, an industry survey has found.

Of the 350 tourism industry people surveyed, 45 per cent nominated Melbourne as the city with the best strategies to meet the future needs of the industry, while Sydney and Brisbane trailed far behind.

Tony Charters, the convenor of next month's Tourism and Events Excellence conference at the MCG, says the Roy Morgan research should be a huge wake-up call.

"Melbourne was seen as the powerhouse of the future with Sydney way back on 13 per cent and Brisbane a pathetic 4 per cent, Adelaide one step away on 3 per cent, and Darwin and Perth on 2 per cent," Mr Charters said.

"The results don't say a lot for how the industry itself perceives Brisbane, and also Sydney for that matter.

"We thought the result might have been biased by the sample being taken in Victoria, but we checked back with Roy Morgan and there is not a discernible issue there - the figures are statistically valid."

Mr Charters said Brisbane had lost its way, living off the coat tails of destinations such as the Gold and Sunshine coasts far too long and needed to stand on its own two feet.

He believed Melbourne needed to develop more attractions like Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, which has been effective in attracting big numbers of tourists and interstate visitors through its major exhibitions.

Mr Charters said it was important to remember the survey asked which city was best attuned to the future needs of the tourism industry.

"If the question was who has got the greatest attractions or who has the most appeal, you might get a slightly different answer.

"But the feeling is that Melbourne has worked out what tourism needs and is responding to the needs

of the tourism industry, and that's the critical difference."

The Tourism and Events Excellence conference will be held from September 5.

Tiger Airways Resumes Services With Flights Between Melbourne and Sydney

Tiger Airways Australia has resumed domestic services with the return of flights between Melbourne Airport and Sydney.

Following the reinstatement of Tiger's Air Operator's Certificate by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the airline will now focus on reassuring the Australian public that safety is the airline's highest priority, whilst providing Australia’s most affordable airfares along with an enhanced focus on reliability.

The airline is resuming services with a simplified flight programme in order to focus on flying popular and profitable routes. Whilst flights will initially resume between Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) and Sydney, other routes will be announced shortly. Tickets for flights between Melbourne and Sydney are on sale now.

On the first flight was Tony Davis, Tiger Airways Australia CEO together with Tiger’s newly appointed Safety Advisor, Captain Chris Manning. The departure of the first flight was marked during an event at Melbourne Airport attended by Victoria Minister for Aviation, Gordon Rich-Phillips, Senator Nick Xenophon and Melbourne Airport CEO, Chris Woodruff.

Tiger Airways Australia is committed to a safe, viable and long term future in Australia. The airline remains committed to regaining the confidence its customers through an enhanced focus on punctuality and convenience, while continuing to offer Australia's most affordable air fares.

Check the Tiger Airways website for regular updates on services at www.tigerairways.com.

(Source: travmedia.com, 12 August 2011)

AFL Grand Finals Offer @ Metro Apartments on Bank Place - Metro Hotels

Metro Apartments on Bank Place are offering this AFL Grand Finals Accommodation Offer including:

A bottle of wine upon arrival
Late check-out of 11.00 AM
Free Internet

$215.00 per night - One Bedroom Apartment

$210.00 per night - Studio Apartment

AFL Grand Finals Offer @ Metro Apartments on Bank Place - Metro Hotels

Cyclists in a Spin as Melbourne Recognised as Australia’s Bike Capital

Cadel Evans' inspirational Tour de France victory has coincided with the launch of a new cycle tourism plan and the recognition of Melbourne as Australia's first Bike City.

Victoria's Cycle Tourism Action Plan 2011-2015 has been designed to help to boost participation, interest and enthusiasm for cycling at every level across Victoria.

Launching the plan last week, Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher said the industry-led action plan outlined how the Victorian Government would leverage and enhance opportunities in cycle tourism.

Melbourne has also secured the title of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Bike City, making it only the second Bike City in the world after Copenhagen.

Melbourne's international recognition as a UCI Bike City is particularly timely with Scody Cup Cycling Classic starting this week, the inaugural Amy Gillett Gran Fondo in September, and the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in April 2012.

"The sporting and events culture of Melbourne, together with the diverse terrain and natural beauty of regional Victoria, enhance the state's position as a premium cycle tourism destination," Ms Asher said.