WA Gets Taste of Big Apple Arts Scene

Perth will get a bite of The Big Apple from June with an exclusive series of exhibitions from New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). 

The Picasso to Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters exhibition is a result of collaboration between the Art Gallery of WA and MoMA, with funding support from Eventscorp. 

As the only venue in the Southern Hemisphere to host an exclusive series of six exhibitions across three years, this is a major opportunity for West Australians to be a part of a unique cultural experience. 

The Picasso to Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters exhibition will be on display at the Art Gallery of WA from June 16-December 3, 2012.

(Source: Talking Tourism issue 217)

Jetstar Launches New Link Between WA and China

Jetstar has launched a new four-times weekly connection between Haikou, the capital of the Hainan Province in China, and Perth via a technical stop in Singapore. 

Passengers on these flights will have a short layover of two hours in Singapore each way, and will be re-boarding the same aircraft. Jetstar has operated low fare services between Haikou and Singapore since 2009, and is working with the Hainan Provincial Government to market the one stop service to Perth. 

Hainan is home to more than eight million people, providing WA with an opportunity to gain greater access to the China market.

Australia's Airline War Hots Up With Virgin Plans to Steal Market Share

TRAVELLERS will reap the rewards of an airline war with cheaper fares and more regional routes, Virgin Australia boss John Borghetti said.

The airline chief executive who used to work for rival Qantas has revealed ambitious plans to steal market share from his old employer and expan services to regional areas.

"A lot of these routes have not had competition. All you have to do is look at the airfares that are being charged,'' he said.

He also questioned why Qantas had dramatically dropped prices on certain flights after his airline launched business-class services on the same routes.

Mr Borghetti said Qantas reduced business-class fares between Sydney and Perth by nearly 25 per cent after Virgin introduced the same service.

After Virgin announced launch business class fares on the Sydney to Perth route for $1399, Qantas reduced their fares from $2,013 to $1,519.

"Why haven't they done that in the last ten years?''

As well as returning Australian aviation to the kind of competition not seen since the Ansett days, Mr Borghetti also wants to increase his frequent-flyer membership to three million.

Membership of Virgin's Velocity has increased 10 per cent to 2.75 million members in 3 1/2 months.

Pop star Dannii Minogue helped launch a frequent-flyer partnership with Westfield online last week.

Virgin was also given regulatory approval to form an alliance with Singapore Airlines, allowing passengers who book flights with the airline the chance to fly on Singapore Airlines flights, get lounge access and accumulate frequent flyer points.

In addition to previous alliances with Etihad, Delta and Air New Zealand, it will take the number of destinations it flies to to more than 400 worldwide.

Mr Borghetti said the move would open up emerging markets such as China and India and continue the airline's
expansion into regional Australia.

The airline also recently began flying between Brisbane and Port Macquarie and Brisbane and Gladstone and plans to announce new regional routes soon.

"We will now be able to promote regional Australia through those 400 odd destinations around the world, from Dallas to Port Macquarie,'' he said.

As well as reconfiguring the interiors of its domestic planes this year and will launch business class services across the network on January 18.

At the moment, Qantas boasts 41 per cent capacity share in the domestic market or 65 per cent including its low-cost subidiary Jetstar, while Virgin's is about 30 per cent.

But Mr Borghetti said he had no desire for Virgin to be the biggest airline in the country.

"Whatever market share gives the best return is the market share that I want,'' he said.

"What we do have the desire to do is be the airline of choice.''

Wallabies' Matches Secured for WA

The State Government, through Evenstcorp, had secured a three-year deal which will see the Australian rugby union team play test matches at Patersons Stadium in Subiaco.

From 2012, the current Tri-Nations series between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will expand to include a fourth southern hemisphere heavyweight, Argentina. The first Perth match in the expanded competition will be staged in September 2012 when the Wallabies take on South Africa.

This will be the only time the Springboks play on Australian soil in 2012 and the match is expected to attract interstate and overseas visitors as well as local fans. The Wallabies will play Argentina in Perth in 2013 and the Springboks again in 2014. Both matches will also be exclusive to WA. The deal will also see the British and Irish Lions play the Western Force as part of the visitor's 2013 tour of Australia.

Fashionista’s Ready to Soak-Up Style

Perth is fast becoming a fashion mecca - and with iconic events like Perth Fashion Festival there's little wonder why. Each year, thousands of fashionistas make the pilgrimage to Perth to experience high fashion events at a range of unique venues. Now in its 13th year, Perth Fashion Festival has 'come of age' with its 2011 calendar. With world-class runway shows, styling workshops, fashion lunches and an international model search, this year's line-up is being touted as the most sophisticated yet.

Fashion followers can soak-up styles from more than 130 designers from around Western Australia and across the country - like WA's Aurelio Costarella, Story By Tang, Ae'lkemi and S2, not to mention national designers Magdalena Velevska and Yeojin Bae. Celebrating its silver jubilee, iconic WA label Wheels & Dollbaby will put on a spectacular show at His Majesty's Theatre to close the Festival. Dressing everyone from Deborah Harry to Katy Perry, this iconic range offers the perfect fusion of fashion with good ol' rock 'n' roll.

Don't miss this year's calendar of more than 40 free, ticketed and invitation-only events from September 21 to 27 2011.

This edgy, evolutionary fashion festival is set to sizzle.

W: perthfashionfestival.com.au

WA Showcased in Top Model Shoot

One of China's top supermodels Shu Pei Qin was the star of a celebrity photo shoot in the Pinnacles recently. Tourism WA's Singapore office arranged the itinerary and assisted with the arrangements of the photo shoot.

The shoot was organised by Nuyou, a leading Chinese women's fashion magazine from Singapore, for its bumper anniversary issue in September.

The shoot saw Qin wearing the latest fall/winter collection by Chanel, Celine and other international designers, and was photographed by Singapore celebrity photographer Wee Khim.

Based in New York, Qin has graced the covers of international women's magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Glamour and Harper's Bazaar and sashayed along the catwalks of some of the greatest designers such as Dior, Valentino, Givenchy and Chanel.

Wicked! - The Broadway Musical at Burswood Theatre Perth

WICKED tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

When WICKED opened on Broadway, it worked its magic on critics and audiences alike. Winner of 35 major awards including a Grammy®, three Tony Awards® and six Helpmann Awards® including Best Musical, WICKED has been http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifdescribed as the "Best Musical of the Decade." (Entertainment Weekly).

After its success on Broadway, in North America, London, Germany, Japan, Melbourne and Sydney, WICKED is coming to Perth from 19 June!

Tickets are on sale through Ticketek.

http://www.wickedthemusical.com.au

Find Great Quality Accommodation at Metro Hotel Perth

Tourism WA to Triple Chinese Visitation

THE boss of Tourism WA wants to more than triple WA's share of the lucrative Chinese visitor market with a five-pronged strategy.
Delivering an overview of the agency’s strategic agenda last week, TWA chief executive Stephanie Buckland said the key to growing the State’s share of the burgeoning Chinese market hinged on securing a deal with China Southern Airlines.

As previously reported by The Sunday Times, Asia’s biggest airline is currently finalising an agreement with the State Government which would see direct flights commence between Perth and Guangzhou.

“The objective will be to significantly increase our share,” Ms Buckland said.

“Right now we’ve got about 3 per cent of all Chinese visitors to Australia.

“The aim is to grow that to about 10 per cent.”

In 2010, 12,000 Chinese visitors came to WA, an increase of 32.1 per cent on 2009, and they spent $80 million last year, an increase of 135.3 per cent from $34 million spent in 2009.

Ms Buckland said TWA representatives will travel to China this week to “make sure Western Australia is promoted as one of their key feature destinations”.

Beyond enhancing trade and consumer marketing efforts and working closely with the local tourism industry, she said strategic partnerships with other non-tourism related sectors, such as producers of premium products like Margaret River wines, South Sea Pearls and pink argyle diamonds, would be invaluable.

“One of the things we will be leveraging with consumers is some of the very premium products we have in Western Australia that can’t be found elsewhere,” she said.

“All those types of luxury and premium products do appeal to Chinese consumers who are very brand conscious.”


GOLDEN TOUCH: Vicki Tang has presided over a jump in Chinese tourist numbers in her role as north Queensland tourism manager. Now WA hopes to increase its share of the lucrative market. Picture: Tom Lee

Perth wins two awards

Perth has scooped two awards in as many months in the UK. It was voted a hero in the Sunday Times Travel Magazine Reader Awards (circulation 66,000) under the best city category.

Readers of Wanderlust, the UK's leading independent travel magazine, also listed it in its top five favourite cities this month, beating Tokyo and San Francisco in the satisfaction ratings.