Scenic Cairns: host city for Australia Next 2024. Photo Credit: Adobe stock/169169
Dreamtime 2023 which concluded recently in Adelaide, has announced Cairns as the host city for Australia’s next incentive showcase in September 2024. Dreamtime will also be renamed to Australia Next to align it with Business Events Australia’s bespoke magazine for incentive planners.
Tourism Australia MD, Phillipa Harrison, said to help fast track the Australian business events industry’s recovery, international incentive planners will be hosted in Australia in consecutive years, with the showcase returning to every two years after 2025.
“After having the event on hold for four years we are so pleased Dreamtime has returned in 2023, giving us the opportunity to welcome international business events planners and media back to Australia,” Harrison said.
“We know there is so much more for the international buyers to see around the country, so it is great our signature business events showcase will return once again in 2024 with ‘Australia Next’ to be held in Cairns.”
Tourism Australia’s executive GM of Commercial & Business Events Australia, Robin Mack, said the signature business events showcase will be crucial to lead the Australian business events industry back to where it was in 2019.
“The return of Dreamtime in Adelaide this year and Australia Next in the future will help the business events industry to once again attract more than a million visitors a year to our country, contributing A$4.5 billion (US$2.8 billion),” Mack said.
“We look forward to showcasing our natural assets, first nations culture, and unique offsite venues to incentive buyers from around the world where they will connect with our locals to create great incentive programs,” said Mark Olsen Tourism, CEO, Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Queensland has seen business travel growing by 77% to a record A$4.7 billion in the last year.
“With a runway to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Queensland brings together a perfect mix of business and leisure for building and accelerating industry partnerships and knowhow,” said Olsen.