ATE attracts 1,700 delegates to Perth

 Australian tourism minister Martin Ferguson,  Geoff Buckley, CEO of Tourism Australia and Sheila McHale, WA Minister for Tourism [pictured left to right] joined forces to welcome the global travel industry to ATE 2008, being held over the next week in Perth, Western Australia.

Ferguson said: “As the largest trade show of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and Australia’s premier tourism trade event, ATE plays a pivotal role in shaping Australia’s A$80 billion tourism industry and contributing to the value of tourism exports.

“With around 600 key overseas buyers from over 40 countries, ATE is an invaluable opportunity for the Australian tourism industry to form key business contacts and showcase the unique and compelling tourism experiences on offer in Australia.

“Of significance, ATE in 2008 will have a focus on sustainability and new, innovative measures will be in place this year to deliver the event with minimised impact on the environment.”

McHale Minister said that Western Australia was proud to host Australia’s premier tourism trade event for the second time in three years and that WA looked forward to making this year’s event another great success.

“Not only will ATE provide an important forum for Australian tourism businesses to showcase their products to international wholesalers, it is also an opportunity for you to experience Western Australia first-hand,” she said:

Buckley said that among the highlights of ATE08 will be an Aboriginal Tourism Showcase, where delegates can be immersed in the world’s oldest living culture, as it is today, with the ancient culture expressed through art, story-telling, dance, music and the land itself.

He added: “Australia’s natural tourism assets will also be highlighted during ATE08 and as part of Tourism Australia’s commitment to preserving the natural wonders that entice travellers to come and experience Australia, Tourism Australia is stepping up its commitment to creating a more sustainable ATE.”

He added: “For ATE08 we have has introduced a number of measures to reduce, reuse, recycle and offset the event’s environmental footprint.

“Over the next seven days, 1,700 delegates from nearly 650 companies will meet and do business with 600 buyers’ from around 40 countries and we are very excited that ATE 2008 is being hosted in Perth by Tourism Western Australia, which boasts some of Australia’s best tourism experiences.

“This event is all about the relationships between Australian tourism operators and our partners around the world who help us grow inbound tourism to Australia.”

ATE will run until the end of the week with the first section featuring the Eastern Hemisphere buyers and the second Western Hemisphere buyers.

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