PAUL COLSTON JOINS THE TOURISM AUSTRALIA 2023 DREAMTIME INCENTIVES SHOWCASE , VISITING ULURU AND ADELAIDE

reamtime , Business Events Australia ’ s flagship incentives showcase , delivered for 2023 in partnership with Business Events Adelaide , was hosted in South Australia at the end of 2023 . It was the first time the event had been held since 2019 due to Covid . Previously the showcase had taken place in different destinations across Australia every two years .

I attended the November 2023 trip as part of the UK group invited to a pre-event tour of Uluru and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory ( NT ).

A traditional Tourism Australia marketing strapline , ‘ There ’ s nowhere like Australia ’ certainly rang true this time : the destination ’ s pull is strong despite the time needed to reach it , from Europe at least . The marathon journey was eased somewhat by the service from Singapore

Airlines , whose Premium Economy product , including several menu choices , makes that endurance test a lot more bearable .

Airlift has not fully returned after the pandemic and airfares can be rather high , historically , but services should be added by several airlines connecting Australia throughout 2024 .

For now , however , business visitors are still riding the wave of euphoria of the country being well and truly back open for events , and our intrepid group was eager to check out the product and services on offer .

Our journey ’ s end on the way out , however , was not over at Sydney airport , as we connected straight on to an internal flight up to the Red Centre and Uluru ( Ayers Rock ).

Flying over Australia ’ s massive interior , you can view a terrain that is home to an ancient Aboriginal culture that dates back 65,000 years . The Northern Territory offers some key destinations for business events , encompassing the cosmopolitan and tropical city of Darwin and UNESCO

Left : Dreamtime delegates sample the flavours of South Australia

World Heritage listed Kakadu , Australia ’ s largest National Park . Then there is the quintessential Outback town of Alice Springs and the natural icons Uluru and Kata Tjuta ( The Olgas ).

Darwin International Airport connects direct to South East Asia hubs including Singapore . And , if time is not a problem , why not consider a ride on the transcontinental Ghan train – a 3,000km ride from Darwin to Adelaide ?

Our group ’ s base in Uluru was the Sails in the Desert Hotel , a five-star luxury oasis that sits on Anangu territory and there are plenty of opportunities to learn all about the traditional owners of the land and their culture during a stay . Sails takes its name from the white sail-shaped ownings that line the property ’ s outdoor spaces . Inside carpets with indigenous colours and prints run through the hotel .

Thanks to DMC Voyages , we were able to experience the Wintjiri Wiru outdoor dining experience at sunset with views of the Uluru rock , accompanied by rhythmic sounds of the didgeridoo .

Another night we were witness to a very special drone show and then an early morning viewing of the Field of Light – an incredible installation of 50,000 frosted glass spheres . This spectacular work of art by Bruce Munro covers an area equivalent to seven football fields . All of these experiences