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