Perth, often branded Australia’s most isolated capital, has spent this week proving that isolation isn’t a handicap, it’s a selling point. In a decisive show of confidence, more than 530 tourism heavyweights have descended upon Western Australia for ATEC Meeting Place 2025, the nation’s leading tourism export showcase that pairs Australian visitor experiences with the big-spending global travel marketplace.
Now in its 53rd year – a rare feat in an industry that reinvents itself every few summers Meeting Place remains the undisputed cornerstone of the nation’s tourism export calendar. With 120 international buyers in the room and over 5,000 business-to-business meetings scheduled across the three-day program, the event is engineered for one purpose: to keep Australia firmly pinned on the world travel map, not slipping off the edge like an afterthought.
“Meeting Place is one of the most valuable events on the inbound tourism calendar, bringing together the people and partnerships that power Australia’s tourism success,” ATEC Managing Director Peter Shelley said, with waste-no-time enthusiasm intact.
“This is an opportunity for Australian tourism businesses to showcase the world-class experiences that make our destinations so appealing to global travellers.”
Where Tourism Meets Trade – and WA Shows Off
Delivered in partnership with Tourism Western Australia, the showcase has been meticulously orchestrated to ensure delegates experience the West as a concept and a lived sensation. WA chose Rottnest Island, complete with its resident quokkas, sandy bays, and “wish you were here” scenery, as the opening-night welcome venue, a move that would make any rival state tourism board quietly jealous.
It was a gentle reminder to the assembled global buyers that Western Australia is not the supporting act of Australian tourism – it’s a headline performer.
The state’s Tourism Minister, the Hon. Reece Whitby MLA, emphasised the significance of rolling out the WA welcome mat with casual confidence and a clear business agenda.
“ATEC Meeting Place is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Western Australia’s world-class tourism experiences directly to the agents who sell our destination internationally,” Minister Whitby said.
“This event connects WA tourism operators with key national and overseas buyers, helping to drive visitation and strengthen our tourism industry’s global reach.”
He didn’t shy away from the economic upside, nor should he.
“Hosting events like ATEC Meeting Place 2025 shines a spotlight on Western Australia’s offering as a world-class tourism destination and reflects the Cook Government’s commitment to diversifying our economy, supporting local businesses, and creating jobs across the tourism sector.”
The Business of Selling Australia to the World
The AFR readership knows that tourism, while full of landscapes and lifestyle imagery, is ultimately a business. ATEC Meeting Place is where deals are whispered, trips are brokered, and the subsequent surge of inbound visitor dollars starts its journey.
The conversations occurring in the conference rooms this week are less about koalas and more about conversion rates, distribution partnerships and, of course, the increasingly competitive fight for share-of-wallet among long-haul travellers.
International buyers are no longer satisfied with glossy brochures of the Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, or Uluru. They want distinctive experiences that feel rare, enriching and crucially for the TikTok generation, “post-worthy”, ideally with a luxury edge and a sustainability ribbon tied around it.
That is where Western Australia has sensed, and seized, its opportunity.
WA’s Tourism Moment Has Arrived
WA no longer politely waits for East Coast recognition like a shy cousin at Christmas lunch. It assertively and strategically presents itself as a premium gateway to Australia for experience-hungry global travellers.
With new aviation routes strengthening access, a maturing luxury lodge offering that rivals any found in Tasmania or Tropical North Queensland, and its unique Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences gaining global intrigue, the west is stepping into the spotlight with gusto rather than hope.
And hosting Meeting Place? That is not a coincidence. It’s a calculated pitch.
Why This Matters for Australia’s Visitor Economy
If the thousands of meetings held this week go as expected, Australia stands to benefit from a powerful injection of repeat international visitation and, critically, high-yield travellers.
Perth’s message is clear: Australia cannot afford to rest on brand nostalgia. Kangaroos alone won’t keep the planes full.
Meeting Place reminds the tourism industry and governments that the nation’s visitor economy is one of Australia’s export powerhouses. It drives regional development, supports SMEs, and creates careers in communities where mining and agriculture traditionally dominate the economic script.
Western Australia playing host this year is symbolic and strategic: it signals the west’s commitment to being a major tourism export player, not merely a picturesque backdrop.
Suppose this year’s event is anything to go by. In that case, Australia’s tourism future looks less like a sun-faded postcard and more like a confident, internationally relevant, investment-ready industry with Perth proudly holding the microphone.
By Karuna Johnson – (c) 2025
Read Time: 4 minutes
About the Author
Karuna Johnson has one of those rare careers that could only belong to someone who genuinely loves travel. A Thai national with dual citizenship, she’s as comfortable swapping stories over street food in Bangkok as she is discussing strategy in a Sydney boardroom.
Educated in Thailand and Australia, Karuna speaks several languages fluently, a skill that’s served her well across a career that’s taken her through the inner workings of three Destination Management Companies and a string of hotels. She’s done everything from sales to admin, always with the kind of quiet competence that keeps things moving while everyone else still finds the coffee.
Her travels have taken her far and wide across Asia, Europe, and the United States, yet she still finds joy in the details: the people, the culture, and the stories behind every journey.
She’s worldly, poised, and precisely the kind of voice Global Travel Media was made for.
