A strong fundraising effort set the tone at this year’s CATO Christmas Lunch, with the travel industry rallying behind the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
Guests dug deep through donations and Christmas bauble purchases, helping raise almost AU$40,000 for the cause. It gave the sold-out event a powerful purpose beyond touring and travel.
Held at Sydney’s Sheraton on the Park hotel, the fourth edition of the Council of Australian Tour Operators’ annual lunch brought together tour operators, wholesalers, partners, travel advisors and supporters for a full afternoon – and anyone who’s attended the annual event can attest that it is a full afternoon, with pre-drinks and the after-party stretching the event out to six hours.
Sponsored by G Adventures, a fireside chat saw Australian actor Gyton Grantley share a warm and funny storytelling session that offered a look behind the curtain of his screen career. The Underbelly star is also writing a travel memoir that follows his 18-month stay in Sardinia, Italy.
Guests also enjoyed lively Latin dancers sponsored by LATAM Airlines, before kicking on at post-event drinks supported by Gow-Gates Insurance Brokers.
Sri Lanka spotlight
The afternoon opened with a Sri Lankan-themed welcome backed by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. CATO also hosted Her Excellency Ms Yasoja Gunasekera, High Commissioner-designate of Sri Lanka to Australia, who spent time connecting with members across the sector.
In addition, CATO Chair Dennis Bunnik highlighted the devastation the recent Cyclone Ditwah wreaked on the South Asian nation, including flooding, landslides and damage to infrastructure.
The major sponsors of the Christmas Lunch included Abercrombie & Kent, Bunnik Tours, Collette, G Adventures, Inside Travel Group, Intrepid Travel, Keith Prowse Travel, Sun Island Tours and Travel Puglia/Tours of Tuscany. Additional support came from Xe, TravelPay, Collette, Tours of Tuscany, Travel Puglia and Reforest. Prizes were donated by Philippines Airlines, Philippines Tourism and the Sheraton Grand.
With another sold-out year in the books, CATO has already opened ticket sales for its next major gathering: the International Women’s Day Luncheon in Brisbane on 10 March 2026.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Events like this remind us that the touring community shows up for each other well beyond business. The fundraising effort stood out not just for the amount but for the atmosphere in the room – people happy to give, chat and reconnect. For agents, it’s also a snapshot of how active and collaborative the touring sector remains, especially with so many brands backing the event.
