Australia’s largest tourism tradeshow, the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE26), wraps up at the Adelaide Convention Centre today with the announcement that ATE will return to Sydney in 2027 for the first time in five years.
This year’s event has attracted more than 2900 attendees including buyers from 32 countries, connecting premium international tourism buyers with world-class Australian tourism experiences.
ATE27 is set showcase everything Sydney and regional New South Wales has to offer, Destination NSW managing director Karen Jones said.
The announcement aligns with a critical growth period for the NSW tourism sector as it prepares to welcome its first passengers to Western Sydney International Airport later this year, and Australia prepares to host the Rugby World Cup in 2027.
Tourism Australia Managing Director Robin Mack said Tourism Australia has been delivering ATE for almost five decades, proving its value as our most significant annual event for connecting Australia’s unique travel experiences with international buyers.
“This year’s tradeshow has delivered strong business outcomes,” he said. “These face-to-face meetings have strengthened relationships to deliver a pipeline of forward-business that contributes to the continued sustainable growth of the Australian tourism sector.”
Thrown down the gauntlet
Destination NSW managing director Karen Jones said DNSW is thrilled to partner with Tourism Australia to deliver this important trade event.
“We can’t wait to welcome travel buyers and visitor economy stakeholders to the ICC Sydney for ATE27, alongside our NSW tourism businesses. The long-term benefits created by the event are substantial – the relationships it builds and the future business it drives play a critical role in inbound tourism growth.
“Also, I just want to say a big thank you to Tourism Australia for this year, it’s been a phenomenal event. And also to my South Australian colleagues, you have absolutely thrown down the gauntlet. We do hope to impress and evolve and actually show you all what New South Wales is capable of next year.”
ATE27 will be delivered by Tourism Australia in partnership with host state Destination NSW at the International Convention Centre Sydney from 16-20 May 2027.
The ATE26 numbers
While ATE26 expected just 2,700 attendees, compared to 2800 at ATE25, registrations at the end of ATE26 Day 1 were over 2900, including 730 buyers [700 at ATE25] and travel agents from 32 countries who converged on Adelaide Convention Centre for ATE26.
They will meet with 1,400 [1600 at ATE25] Australian industry representatives from 674 tourism organisations [640 at ATE25], highlighting the best that Australia has to offer alongside events and familiarisations to visit our local tourism offerings.
More than 55,000 appointments were scheduled to take place over the four days of ATE26, with many more on the fringes of the event.
