Federal Tourism Minister to open Australian Cruise Association Conference as final registration date nears

Federal Tourism Minister to open Australian Cruise Association Conference as final registration date nears
Edited by Travel Weekly


Federal Tourism Minister Don Farrell will open this year’s Australian Cruise Association (ACA) Conference and AGM, to be held from 4-6 September in Adelaide, SA.

Minister Farrell will speak at the Welcome Event, to be held at local landmark, Skycity Adelaide, which officially begins the two-day conference. Zoe Bettison, MP, the South Australian Minister for Tourism and Multicultural Affairs also will attend the gathering along with cruise sector dignitaries including ACA Board members, the Chair of CLIA Australasia and a number of senior cruise line executives.

“We are delighted that Minister Farrell will open our Conference. His attendance reflects the importance of the cruise sector’s contribution to the Australian visitor economy,” said Jill Abel, CEO of the Australian Cruise Association.

“As we look to the future of the industry, we will continue to work closely with Government as well as other key stakeholders to ensure we are well positioned for growth.”

Local media personality Steph Frick will emcee the Welcome Event as well as the conference which will be attended by around 150 people from all sectors of the cruise industry including ports, destination tourism organisations and tour experiences.

A range of panel sessions and individual presentations will engage the audience around the theme “Steering Ideas to Success,” which will examine and plan for the outlook for our country’s $5 billion cruise sector.

In addition to the individual keynote sessions, the conference will include several panel discussions around key issues for the sector.

The first panel around the State of the Industry will set the tone for the Conference. It will feature influential industry figures including Gavin Smith, Royal Caribbean Group; Peter Little, CLIA / Carnival Australia; Ben Angell, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Jill Abel, Australian Cruise Association.

Highly relevant to the current issues surrounding the Coastal Trading Act will be a panel on Policies and Procedures – the Governance of Cruise in Australia. This session to be chaired by Joel Katz, CLIA Australasia will no doubt produce robust discussion from the cruise line panelists and Government representatives.

Supply Chain opportunities will be the subject of the final panel for the Conference which will delve into the important issues around creating economic sustainability and dispersal through partnerships with local suppliers and providores.

“This year’s conference offers a thought-provoking program which will undoubtedly invite lively discussion and information sharing with all participants ultimately steering our sector toward continuing success,” Abel concluded.

The Conference, which will be held at SkyCity Adelaide, is being supported by the South Australian Tourism Commission and Flinders Port Holdings.

Register HERE to register.

Feature image: Federal Tourism Minister Don Farrell will open this year’s Australian Cruise Association Conference and AGM in Adelaide, SA, on 4 September. Photo: Facebook.

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