The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) marked a successful year at its 52nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 3 December 2024, celebrating achievements in supporting the tourism export sector and ratifying its 2025 National Board.
Managing Director Peter Shelley highlighted ATEC’s key milestones in 2024, underscoring the organisation’s role in rebuilding Australia’s tourism export industry. These achievements included:
- facilitating 17,000 B2B meetings nationwide with over 1,200 delegates
- more than 4,000 enrolments in the Tourism Training Hub
- delivering 13 capacity-building education programs tailored to export tourism
- achieving significant membership growth and a 95 per cent member satisfaction rate
- securing the return of the Approved Destination Status (ADS) program for the China market
- negotiating the extension of the Reviving International Tourism Grant (RITG)
“ATEC’s achievements this year have worked to support Australia’s export tourism sector as it rebuilds through critical training and market-specific programs,” Mr Shelley said.
New board appointments
The AGM confirmed the re-election of Birgit Bourne (Insight Australia) and Kathy Turner (Goway Inbound) to Buyer positions, along with Richard Doyle (SeaLink Marine & Tourism) to the Supplier position.
Outgoing Board Chair Denis Pierce presided over his final AGM, reflecting on his decades of contributions to the tourism industry, including his tenure as Managing Director of ATS Pacific and a Captain Trevor Haworth Award for Outstanding Contribution to the industry in 2000.
“It’s been an incredible privilege to work alongside ATEC’s members and the dedicated board. While stepping down as Chair, I look forward to continuing work in, and supporting, the industry and seeing it thrive in the years ahead,” Mr Pierce said.
