Daily News & Opinion

Hilton has launched Tempo by Hilton, an approachable lifestyle brand curated to serve the growing segment of ‘modern achievers’ who seek a hotel experience that reflects their ambition. Some features of the hotels will include relaxing guest rooms, shared spaces and amenities, culinary journeys and a focus on sustainability. There are more than 30 individual commitments to date with properties confirmed in several prime markets across the US, including New York, Maui, Boston, Los Angeles, Lexington, Nashville, San Diego and Charlotte.

Brisbane international and interstate visitor and spending records have been broken after a dramatic surge in interstate visitors and key markets, including North America. The latest International Visitor Survey from Tourism Research Australia showed that visitors to Brisbane were up 3.6 per cent to 1.4 million, with visitors from Canada up by 26.5 per cent to 42,000, the US up by 6.3 per cent to 106,000 and China up 2.3 per cent to 264,000.

Free bushfire relief concert Play It Forward will take place on January 26 at Hindmarsh Park in Kiama. The event is being supported by Destination Kiama, Kiama Leagues Club and the Council. Local up-and-comers 19 Twenty, fresh from supporting Cold Chisel, have already signed up for Play It Forward, with other acts to be confirmed. All money raised will go directly towards the South Coast communities affected by the bushfires.

Additional flights to Sunshine Coast Airport and the opening of the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre have contributed significantly to record tourism expenditure in the region in the year to September 2019. The latest National Visitor Survey confirmed that the region’s overnight visitor expenditure climbed by 12.5 per cent to $2.6 billion, with total nights up 17.4 per cent to 14.2 million. Business visitation was up 34.6 per cent, totalling 379,000 visitors.

The Westin Melbourne has joined forces with Four Pillars Gin to introduce the ‘High Seas’ Seafood High Tea. High Seas will be available from today until the end of March, and feature seafood dishes and bites that pair perfectly with gin. Executive chef of The Westin Melbourne Michael Greenlaw has worked closely with creative director of Four Pillars Gin to create the menu, which features three new gin cocktails.

New figures have shown that a combined $5.9 billion was injected into the Gold Coast’s economy from visitors last year. The recent National Visitor Survey and International Visitor Survey confirmed that 13.9 million international, domestic overnight and daytrip visitors experienced the region in the year to September 2019, representing a 13.2 per cent rise. Total expenditure for the Gold Coast increased by 8.7 per cent. The Japanese market attracted 70,000 arrivals, which was up by 3.7 per cent on the previous year.

Destination Marketing Services’ (DMS) annual roadshow, DMS Connect, is now open for registrations. The show brings PCOs, corporate event managers and incentive agents together with high-end leisure agents across Australia and New Zealand. The Sydney show will take place on February 27 at the Sydney Opera House; the Melbourne show will take place on February 25 at Aerial; and the Auckland show will take place on February 24 at The Maritime Room.

Accor has announced the arrival of two Mondrian-branded hotels in France, which will represent its first foray into Europe. The first is Cannes Grand Hotel, which is forecasted to re-open in 2021 offering 75 guestrooms, a restaurant and bar and adjustable meeting rooms. The second is a property in Bordeaux, which will be built around a 19th century building and feature 97 guestrooms, a restaurant, a meeting space and an open-air terrace. This property is slated to open in 2021.