One of India’s leading inbound tour operator, Distant Frontier’s product line explore features ‘out of the ordinary tours for everyone,’ giving individuals and small groups an authentic and sustainable travel experience. Travellers will experience the great outdoors, local customs and charming hospitality, flavourful traditional cooking, stimulating art and music and intriguing architecture in a unique yet easily accessible manner. Driving this initiative at Distant Frontiers is its Destination Knowledge Centre which travels all over the Indian subcontinent in search of compelling stories to inspire destination travel and to ensure that your clients are in the know. For more information check www.distantfrontiers.in or contact Lovleen Sagar (lovleen.sagar@distantfrontiers.in)

The Unique Tourism Collection is a boutique sales and marketing consultancy that specialises in representing and promoting niche, unique and luxury travel products and destinations to the Australian and New Zealand consumer and trade markets.

Founded in 1992 by Jonica Paramor, the company is a leader in its field, one of the few companies specialising in the luxury and experiential tourism sector offering an integrated marketing representation of public relations, social media, advertising and travel trade sales and marketing destination representation. For more information check www.uniquetourism.com or contact Jonica Paramor (Jonica@UniqueTourism.com)

To seize the best of Pink City Jaipur in Rajasthan India ibis Jaipur Civil Lines is the perfect family destination, strategically located in the centre of the city, near Civil Lines Metro Station (500 m), Jaipur Railway Station (2.8 km) & Airport (12 km). Take a swim in their rooftop pool & relax at Spice it, our multi-cuisine restaurant & bar for a refreshing start to the holiday. Amenities include bicycle rides, indoor games, outdoor cricket net, foosball, foot massager, poolside games, PlayStation, badminton court, dedicated kids play areas, and a gym.

You’ll be close to shopping venues like Nehru Bazar, Sireh Deori Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar, Mirza Ismail Road, Kishanpol Bazaar, Chandpol Bazaar, Tripolia Bazaar, Johari Bazaar & must-visit attractions like Hawa Mahal (5.7 km), City Palace (6 km), and Amber Fort (15 km). Do not miss the Jaigarh Fort (19 km), Nahargarh Fort (24 km) and Birla Auditorium (4 km). Ibis Jaipur is also ideal for business, being close to C Scheme (2 km), Bais Godam Industrial Area and Jaipur Exhibition Convention Centre.

AUSTRALIAN Tourism Export Council’s (ATEC) new India Host program will help Australian tourism businesses host Indian tourists. The new industry program is designed to support the trade in catering to the market, with India now the country’s fastest-growing export tourism source, with visitor numbers from the south Asian country also expected to grow by 20% in the next two years. The program was launched recently at ATEC’s annual Meeting Place conference in Brisbane, and will be run in partnership with Tourism Australia and Austrade. “ATEC established an industry working group of key stakeholders currently working in the Indian market to provide critical advice and oversight in the development of India Host,” said ATEC MD Peter Shelley

With more hotel rooms in the pipeline than any other city in Australia, the trend of new high end accommodation will continue next year with Melbourne to welcome new boutique and internationally acclaimed brands.

Lancemore Crossley St (opening early 2020)

Crossley Street is the pinnacle of Melbournian culture, centrally located between the Paris end of Bourke Street, Theatre District, restaurants such as Gingerboy, Becco and Pellegrinis, and tempting sights and sounds of Chinatown. It will be the first Melbourne based hotel from the team behind highly respective boutique Victorian properties Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill, Lancemore Milawa, Lancemore Macedon Ranges and Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park. Undergoing a $10M transformation, by award-winning Carr Design Group, Lancemore Crossley St. will feature five room types for guests to choose from, it’s walls hung with bespoke commissions from emerging artists, and a quintessentially-Melbourne rooftop terrace boasting sparkling city skyline views. Guests can choose whether to retreat to the exquisite calm the 113 private rooms offer or experience the captivating program of the public spaces.

Ovolo South Melbourne (opening TBC 2020)

Popular independent and innovative hotel brand Ovolo will open their second popular in Melbourne in 2020. Complementing the brand’s existing Ovolo Laneways, located in the city on Little Bourke St, the new six-storey 100-room upper upscale designer hotel will open in the South Melbourne neighbourhood. With a striking design from Plus Architects it will also feature restaurants, bar, function rooms and rooftop pool recreation facilities for guests. The hotel is conveniently located right on the cusp of the major tourism and business nodes of Melbourne’s CBD, St Kilda Road, Stadium Precinct, Southbank, the Casino, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street (Q2 2020)

The famous Hilton brand will return to Melbourne with the opening of a centrally located property on the corner of Little Queen Street and Bourke Street in Melbourne’s central business district (CBD). The hotel will feature 244 stylish guest rooms, including 10 spacious suites, a restaurant and bar, a fully equipped gym, an executive lounge and five meeting & event spaces. The Hilton will be located in the Equity Chambers building, built in 1931, which is known for its beautiful revival architectural style and Italian Romanesque and Gothic detailing.

W Hotel (June 2020)

Luxe hotel chain W Hotel are anticipated to open their first property in Melbourne in June 2020. W Melbourne will feature 294 rooms and suites, along with a bar, restaurant, spa, gym and a heated indoor pool. The new hotel will be located in the towering new precinct called Collins Arch on Collins St, with the hotel lobby located on Flinders Lane, the hugely popular gastronomical precinct.

Sebel Yarrawonga (mid 2020)

Alongside the picturesque mighty Murray River and the shores of stunning Lake Mulwala, The Sebel Yarrawonga is a $48 million luxury international 4.5-star boutique hotel and serviced apartments. Part of the Silverwoods the No.1 Golf & Lifestyle Resort on the Murray River, the waterfront precinct features Black Bull 18-hole Championship Golf Course, a health spa, gymnasium, and waterfront pool, as well as multiple dining options. Visitors can enjoy an abundance of water sports, including swimming, boating, water-skiing, fishing or hit of golf.

A flagship event of the national body, the annual AIBC Australia India Address was recently held in Sydney. The keynote speakers were  Hon Bridget McKenzie, Deputy Leader of the National Party of Australia and Federal Minister of Agriculture officially representing the Hon Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia, Peter Varghese Former Foreign Secretary DFAT and the main architect behind Australia Government’s India Economic Strategy, Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, Former Secretary Ministry of external Affairs in India and the driving force behind the development of India Government’s Australia Economic Strategy and Manish Gupta Consul General of India in Sydney. The various addresses and subsequent discussions were timely and relevant prior to the visit of Australia’s Prime Minister to India in January 2020.

The Australia India Business Council is Australia’s premier national bi-lateral business council which had been setup 33 years ago by the former Prime Ministers of Australia and India. The AIBC has grown to foster a strong presence in the states of NSW, VIC, ACT, QLD, SA and WA.

Recent years have seen remarkable growth in the trading relationship between India and Australia and it is set to grow exponentially with Australia’s launch of the India Economic Strategy 2035 and the proposed Australia Economic Strategy to be launched by India.

The event attracted business leaders, government representatives, key stakeholders, dignitaries and media from both Australia and India.

A highlight of the evening was Life Membership Award to immediate past AIBC National Chair Sheba Nandkeolayer , the CEO of Multi Connexions – Australia’s largest multicultural marketing agency and  a corporate member of AITTC.

It’s the Southern Hemisphere’s only luxury business event that connects the world’s best luxury travel providers and specialist buyers in the premium travel market. It was launched in 2012 as an annual three and a half day luxury travel business exchange event with the aim to provide delegates inspirational ideas and create long term meaningful connections.

Next year the event will be returning to the International Convention Centre, Sydney on 12 -15 October 2020.

For the first time, Luxperience will be hosted in October and organisers can’t be more pleased with the great response to this from their from partners, exhibitors and buyers.

Tourism bodies, tour operators, hotels and airlines keen on growth Australia India bilateral travel , both ways will find this event as an effective platform to connect with each other.

There were 32000 visitor arrivals from India during September 2019, an increase of 17.4% relative to the same period of the previous year. This brings year ending arrivals  to 386400, an increase of 11.8 % per cent relative to the previous year.

As per current results, India still ranks at the 8th place on international arrivals with China topping the list followed by New Zealand, USA, UK, Singapore , Japan, and Malaysia.

Registration is now open for the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s (ATTA) Adventure Travel World Summit 2020 that will be held in Adelaide from 6 to 9 October 2020.The summit will be delivered by ATTA in partnership with Tourism Australia and the South Australian Tourism Commission.

Eight hundred global delegates including niche adventure tour operators, front line travel sellers, international media and adventure travel industry experts will participate in a comprehensive three-day program of educational sessions, business meetings and networking.

A familiarization program will be supported by additional State and Territory partners, offering pre and post adventures.

Summit space is limited and is expected to sell out. For registration see:  – https://www.adventuretravel.biz/events/summit/australia-2020/register/

Perth has been on show in December to the lucrative global business events sector with Tourism Australia’s signature bi-annual showcase Dreamtime. One hundred and twenty business events planners and media from Greater China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand had the opportunity to meet and network with 87 representatives from Australia’s business events industry over the course of two days.

Australia’s Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said, “Dreamtime will showcase Australia’s strong credentials as an outstanding business destination from our world-class accommodation and venue offerings, unique experiences, world-class food and wine to our welcoming people.”

Dreamtime culminated with a dinner for 280 guests in the gardens of Government House