Bringing Incentive Travel Programs to Australia

Taking an incentive group to Australia is never a hard sell to participants, and there are plenty of ways to hop Down Under from North America, including direct flights from Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Vancouver, British Columbia; and from the New York City area starting later this year or early 2027. The hard part is deciding where to go when the winners step off the plane in a vast country that is only a little bit smaller than the size of the contiguous United States.

"Incentive travel is a vital pillar of Australia’s visitor economy," says Robin Mack, newly named managing director for Tourism Australia, "with high-yielding international delegates spending on average 50 percent more per night than holidaymakers, and driving a sector currently valued at $4.15 billion. With a robust pipeline of hotel openings in the next two years — almost 6,000 new rooms — Australia remains a premier destination for rewarding high achievers through world-class infrastructure and unique experiences."

Making Melbourne home base

On a December trip to the city for Tourism Australia's biennial AustraliaNext event, which showcases the country to international planners and journalists, I stayed in the delightfully sustainable 1 Hotel Melbourne — live plants throughout, and the property's penchant for going green was evident everywhere, from the menus to the meeting spaces. Following are some of the great incentive options in and outside the city.

Views are panoramic from lunch on the 89th floor of the Eureka Tower, which features the Melbourne SkyDeck for those who feel like peering through the glass floor at the ground far, far below. Back at street level, tours through the city can meander through the famous shopping arcades and laneways (alleyways) — with their colorful murals, tucked-away restaurants and nooks filled with shops. Hidden Secrets Tours has a number of options for groups who like to explore on foot.

During AustrailaNext, the Melbourne Convention Bureau hosted an unbelievable lunch, designed by Evie Creative Entertainment, at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Guests walked out on the Playhouse stage and proceeded to be wowed as the table was flown in from the rafters, and dancers and singers added to the excitement. As people dined and chatted, they were entertained by songs from "Wicked," an octet of wind instruments from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the jazz stylings of Sxncello. The details were spectacular.

Melbourne also makes an excellent jumping-off point for day-long excursions. Take off for an adventure by buckling into helicopters from Microflite Aviation, winging from the Yarra River in the middle of the city south along the shore of the Mornington Peninsula. The hot springs at the Alba Thermal Spa await, offering a further escape from the everyday — your brain can't help but empty out in such a setting.

Spectacular and unique lunches are served at nearby Ten Minutes by Tractor, so named because three wineries are that close to the restaurant. The philosophy for the menu is "seasonal, detailed and deeply connected to place," so expect beautifully crafted dishes, many garnished by flowers, paired with choices from the establishment's top-notch sommelier team. 

Heading south to Tasmania

Australia's island state is just a 90-minute flight from Melbourne. We stayed at the elegant Tasman, a Luxury Collection property right in the heart of Hobart. Travelers will love the harborside city, especially if they're lucky enough to be in Hobart on a Saturday, when they can slip out of their hotel and stroll the marvelous Salamanca Market to start their day.

To get out on the water, charter a boat from Pennicott Wilderness Journeys and motor south out of Hobart along the banks of an estuary of the Derwent River. Rust-colored cliffs holding water's-edge houses dot the way; we headed for the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and the Peppermint Bay restaurant and event venue, where we lunched with doors open to a soothing water view. 

Make time for some of the most iconic spots in Tasmania. At the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, pet a young wombat (did you know their backsides are hard like a sturdy helmet to prevent predators from grabbing them?), feed an echidna (which might resemble but are not related to either hedgehogs or porcupines), spot a pademelon (which looks like a small kangaroo) and marvel at the Tasmanian devil in the flesh (above, not looking too fierce).

The pièce de résistance for visitors to the island state is time to meander through the Museum of Old and New Art, whose collection is so fascinating, different and thought-provoking, you have to experience it — and come back — to grasp a fraction of what is on display.

Experiencing Adelaide

Incentive planners have a new option for getting groups to Australia from the States. United Airlines launched a seasonal route from San Francisco to Adelaide, a compact city on the coast in South Australia. The new service, which ran from December to March, was so successful it might start up again as early as October.

A number of hotels have opened here over the past couple of years, including the 285-room Adelaide Marriott that debuted in August 2024. One of the most beloved properties in town is an older favorite, the InterContinental Adelaide, with 367 guest rooms. More intimate spots for smaller groups of elite winners is the Sequoia Lodge, whose 14 rooms overlooking the Piccadilly Valley have sunken living rooms with balconies, or the 31-room Mount Lofty House.

Exploring regionally, incentive groups can head further south, to a place where there's nothing between you and the Antarctic. Kangaroo Island offers the beautiful Southern Ocean Lodge among its accommodations. A new golf course, the Cliffs Kangaroo Island, opens this year.

Up in the hills just east of Adelaide is Cleland Wildlife Park, home to marsupials (koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats), dingoes, native birds, snakes, reptiles and the fascinating echidna. A bit further afield, focusing on wildlife conservation, is the Monarto Safari Park, the largest such park outside of Africa.

Some of the best wines of the region can be found at Penfolds Magill Estate Cellar Door, on the eastern edge of Adelaide. The label began producing wines in 1844, and is still going strong with its best-in-class Penfolds Grange (a renowned shiraz with a touch of cabernet sauvignon).