BRISBANE — The 2025 edition of the Australia Tourism Exchange (ATE) brought together 1,600 Australian exhibitors and more than 700 international buyers – including many from Canada – to Brisbane, the future Olympic city.

Brisbane hasn’t hosted ATE since 2007 – essentially a lifetime ago. For its big return to the bustling capital of Queensland, the most important annual professional event in the Australian tourism industry was a complete success.

More than 60,000 business meetings took place at this 45th edition of ATE, and organizers noted that the annual event had never attracted so many representatives from the global tourism industry.

Phillipa Harrison, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, expressed her delight at ATE 25ʻs success during a press conference. “ATE offers a rare opportunity for our industry to meet directly with major international tourism decision-makers and showcase the diversity of experiences Australia can offer,” she said.

Harrison also shared an encouraging update on Australiaʻs post-pandemic recovery, announcing that international arrivals had surpassed 8.3 million visitors as of February 2025. It was a symbolic milestone marking the end of the recovery phase and the beginning of a promising new era of growth for the sector.

GROWING CANADIAN INTEREST

While Asia remains the primary source of visitors to Australia, North America is emerging as a rapidly expanding market. By 2029, Australia is expecting a significant increase in arrivals from the U.S., with 1.05 million more tourists projected. Canada is also expected to see growth, with an additional 250,000 visitors during the same period.

“Canada hasn’t yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, but the gap is closing each month,” said Chris Allison, Tourism Australiaʻs Regional Director for the Americas. “The trend is upward, and Canadian interest in Australia continues to grow. We expect to return to 2019 figures within a year.”

NO NEED TO TRANSIT THROUGH THE U.S.

Allison emphasized the importance of direct air connections. “Air Canada now offers nonstop flights from Vancouver to Brisbane and Sydney year-round,” he said. “Qantas also provides a direct link between Vancouver and Sydney. Canadians can now travel to Australia without having to pass through the U.S.”

As more Canadians avoid their southern neighbour, Australia boasts strong attractions – from the vast, spectacular Outback deserts to the Great Barrier Reef, and rich travel experiences like crossing the country from Sydney to Perth aboard the Indian Pacific train, or wandering through the artistic laneways of Melbourne.

TRAVEL TRENDS

“I believe Canadians are very open to exploring new horizons,” Allison added. “This presents an opportunity for Australia, as well as other destinations.”

He said two strong trends are expected to gain momentum: Indigenous experiences centred around Aboriginal cultures, and culinary tourism.

“Our studies show that food and wine are not necessarily top reasons to travel to Australia, but once there, visitors are won over by the quality of the offering. Beyond the experiences themselves, it’s the Australian lifestyle that really appeals to Canadians,” he added.

BRISBANEʻS NEW GLOW

Australia is also preparing to host the Summer Olympics in Brisbane in 2032, with an impressive transformation already underway in the host city. In the past 10 years, Queensland’s capital has significantly caught up with Sydney and Melbourne, long its dominant urban counterparts.

“Brisbane has changed a lot since the last ATE was held here, and we’re thrilled to show how far our city and state have come,” said Queensland’s Minister for Tourism and the Environment, Andrew Powell.

Powell also celebrated having mobilized 191 Queensland exhibitors, including 17 Indigenous operators, for ATE.

A symbol of Brisbane’s revitalization, the brand-new Queen’s Wharf district has benefited from $3.6 billion in investments to boost the city’s tourism offering. The Neville Bonner Bridge was also inaugurated, linking South Bank’s cultural precinct with the Queen’s Wharf area.

UPGRADED ACCOMMODATION

A five-star hotel, The Star Grand, opened in summer 2024. Located on the banks of the Brisbane River and just a short walk from the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the luxurious property hosted ATE 25’s grand opening event, where over 2,000 guests attended a spectacular party. The Star Grand also treated media representatives to a dazzling fireworks display from the Sky Deck, perched 100 metres above the river.

The Star Grand, one of Brisbaneʻs newest hotels (photo credit Malik Cocherel)

Brisbane’s new flagship hotel offers 340 rooms, including 60 suites and four ultra-luxurious Skyline Penthouse suites, as well as a stunning leisure deck with pools offering breathtaking river views. The Star Grand is also enhancing Queenslandʻs culinary scene with Aloria, a Euro-Australian fine dining restaurant on the Sky Deck, and Sokyo, which serves avant-garde Japanese cuisine created by Chef Alex Yu.

EYES ON THE OLYMPICS

The Queen’s Wharf district is set to welcome more hotels, including The Dorsett Brisbane, and The Rosewood, expected to become Australia’s first six-star ultra-luxury hotel.

“With the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in our sights, we are determined to boost Brisbane’s international appeal,” said Minister Powell.

In that spirit, the Brisbane Airport Corporation has announced over $5 billion in investments over the next 10 years, including upgrades to existing terminals and the construction of a third passenger terminal.

In the meantime, visitors can already enjoy the city’s subtropical climate, visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary – the world’s largest koala reserve – or explore Tangalooma Island Resort, famous for having some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, just 75 minutes by boat from Brisbane.

For more information on travel to Australia see Australia.com. This story originally appeared at ProfessionVoyages.com, part of The Travelweek Group.