Darwin conference 'critical' for inbound tourism

The future of Australiaâs inbound tourism sector will go under the spotlight at an upcoming conference which will attract the best minds in the industry, event organisers have said.
The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) Symposium 2009 conference will bring more than 500 inbound tourism operators, decision-makers and tourism product suppliers to Darwin from 28th April to 1st May.
ATEC Managing Director Matt Hingerty said that Darwin was an ideal location to host Symposium 2009, Australiaâs key annual national inbound tourism conference, as it was one of the hottest destinations in the current tourist itinerary.
Hingerty explained that âthis yearâs Symposium is arguably one of the most critical conferences in the tourism industryâs history (as it) occurs at a historic conjunction of the Global Financial Crisis, the pending appointment of new leadership at Tourism Australia and the release of the Rudd Governmentâs Long-Term Tourism Strategy, all of which will help set the future of the Australian inbound tourism industry for years to come.
"ATEC is proud to be bringing Australian inbound tour operators to Darwin. The transformation which the city has undergone is breathtaking, with new hotels, new conference facilities and other new infrastructure complementing the Northern Territoryâs natural assets to place Darwin at the forefront of must-see experiences for foreign travellers coming to Australia.
"Trading conditions have rarely been more challenging for tourism businesses than in the past few months, with more to come.
âThatâs why it is important that we bring ATEC members to see places like Darwin and show that there are still destinations and operators willing to invest, to innovate and look to the future."
The ATEC Managing Director said that 156,000 international visitors visited Darwin last year, spending 1.4 million nights in the area and injecting $123 million into the local economy during their stay.
This year's two-day ATEC Symposium conference program features the theme 'Trading through troubled times⦠the journey to recovery'. Speaker topics include Conservation and Tourism â Busting the Myths; Youth Travel Matters: Understanding The Global Phenomenon Of Youth Travel; Education Tourism; Adventure Tourism and indigenous tourism.

http://www.atec.net.au