Brisbane Meanjin will host Australia’s largest annual tourism trade event, the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), for the first time in nearly two decades in 2025.
The event will take place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from Monday, 28 April to Thursday, 1 May 2025, with the Queensland capital confirmed as host city for the first time since 2007.
This will be the fourth time Brisbane has hosted the Australian Tourism Exchange, having previously held it in 2001, 2002, and 2007.
With wholesalers and retailers from around 30 countries present at each event, Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell, stressed the importance of ATE for Australia’s tourism industry.
“The Australian Tourism Exchange is an important event for Australian tourism businesses to sell their products and show the world why there is no place like Australia,” Mr Farrell said.
“With Queensland gearing up to host the Olympics in 2032, it’s terrific to see ATE returning to Brisbane next year connecting international buyers and local businesses to take advantage of the green and gold decade.
“Queensland is home to some of the most beautiful and authentic Australian experiences and will be an excellent host for ATE in 2025.”
As Australians’ most popular holiday destination, Queensland is a perfect host for the big bash.
“ATE is our industry’s marquee event and we can’t wait to welcome hundreds of international buyers and sellers to Brisbane once again, with the city thriving in new tourism infrastructure and opportunities,” Queensland Tourism Minister Michael Healy said.
“Queensland always puts on a great show for ATE and we know when we are the host, demand is high for our incredible familiarisation and event program.
“We’ve previously helped Tourism Australia reach one of their highest delegation numbers in the event’s history and we look forward to reaching new heights in 2025.”
Meanwhile, Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said next year’s event will be particularly pertinent given that tourism has just about fully recovered.
“Melbourne has once again done a great job hosting ATE and we look forward to taking this great event back to Queensland which is home to so many tourism operators and experiences,” Ms Harrison stated.
“By the time ATE returns to Brisbane next year we expect that the Australian tourism industry would have surpassed the 2019 numbers we have been using as a benchmark and will once again be firmly focused on the future.”
“Cream of the crop”
Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) CEO, Patricia O’Callaghan, said the Australian Tourism Exchange would bring big bucks to the state.
“We are proud to be Australia’s number one holiday destination so it’s great to welcome ATE back to Queensland which we estimate will benefit the Queensland economy by $8.5 million,” Ms O’Callaghan remarked.
“Queensland hosts many key trade events as we understand the importance they play in growing tourism in our state, but it is fair to say ATE is the cream of the crop.
“The long-term benefits from ATE are substantial – the relationships and future business it establishes will help us build to our goal of reaching $44 billion by 2032 in overnight visitor expenditure.”
Brisbane Economic Development Agency CEO Anthony Ryan said Brisbane was thrilled to host the Australian Tourism Exchange after an 18 year absence.
“This is Brisbane’s time. Hosting ATE will provide an invaluable platform for Brisbane to shine on the world stage, with tourism operators nationwide able to connect and conduct business with international buyers from around the world in our city,” he added.
“We look forward to welcoming ATE 2025, and we’re ready to showcase an abundance of new attractions, hotels, dining experiences, and cultural gems across Brisbane, ensuring an unforgettable visit for all attendees.”
ATE25 will be hosted by Tourism Australia with TEQ and Brisbane EDA.
Karryon spoke with Phillipa Harrison to discuss air capacity, the markets that are providing the best potential for inbound tourism and the huge opportunities that cruising presents at ATE24.
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