Buyer selection criteria

To be considered as a buyer at ATE26 (the Event), you must complete the event application form by the key dates specified on the website. Tourism Australia will review your submitted application and assess whether you meet the Buyer Selection Criteria before you are formally confirmed to attend.

As an invited guest, you should have received a personal invitation from Tourism Australia to apply as a buyer to meet with Australian tourism product exhibiting at ATE26. For companies or delegates who have received this invitation, completion of the application form will not necessarily result in acceptance to attend ATE26. 

Mandatory selection criteria

All buyers applying to attend ATE26 and conduct business with the Australian tourism industry, must demonstrate in their application that they comply with each of the following selection criteria.  TA reserves the right to waive any of these criteria at its discretion and/or amend or reject any product or experience, which is inconsistent with the criteria.   

The mandatory requirements for buyer companies are as follows: 

  1. Qualify as one of the buyer participation types (further detail below).
    • Inbound Tour Operator (ITO) or Destination Management Company (DMC) 
    • National Tour Operator (NTO)
    • Online travel company
    • Online B to B company
    • Retail company
    • Wholesale company
  2. An invited buyer must be a senior decision maker, product manager, contract manager or retail agent. 
  3. Demonstrated or proven ability and commitment to work with the Australian tourism industry to package and sell Australian tourism product overseas. Additional detail may be requested to support your application.
  4. Preference will be given to internationally based buyer delegates.   
  5. Approved creditor status with Tourism Australia and good financial standing with members of the Australian tourism industry.
Please note: 
  • Your nominated representative/s including any additional delegates must be directly employed or contracted by you. Tourism Australia reserves the right to ask any delegate to provide evidence they are directly employed by the company. Where it is identified that a nominated representative is not a direct employee of the exhibiting company prior to the Event, the delegate will be cancelled from the company’s application.
  • You cannot nominate a relative, friend or a person not actively involved in your day-to-day business operations. Tourism Australia reserves the right to deny registration or entry to persons who are not directly involved in the business operations. 
  • Requests for additional buyer delegates are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are subject to Tourism Australia's approval and space available.
  • In countries where licensing of general sales agents, wholesaler and retail travel agents is government regulated, proof of a valid license number must be provided to Tourism Australia on request. 
Tourism Australia retains the right to determine, in its sole absolute discretion, whether any particular applicant, or any employee, agent or representative of any applicant should attend. Applicants acknowledge that there is no obligation whatsoever on Tourism Australia to approve applications and that Tourism Australia may reject any applicant, or any employee, agent or representative of any applicant, with or without reason.

Should the need arise to check on the financial standing of individual companies, a review will be made via domestic or internationally accepted agencies. Adverse findings of such a review will be referred to the applicant for comments before a final decision is made.  

Tourism Australia reserves the right to not consider any applications or part thereof submitted after the application deadline for the event.

Buyer participation types

There are a number of different buyer types present at ATE. Please refer to the list below for further details. 

Retail and wholesale company

Retail and wholesale travel companies that work with the Australian tourism industry to package and sell Australian tourism products within overseas markets. Australian based buyers must be directly employed as the Australian based representative of the overseas buyer company invited to attend the Event. Applications of Australian based buyers to attend and to meet with Australian tourism product exhibiting at ATE26 will be assessed on an individual basis.

Online travel company

Online travel companies that directly sell Australian tourism products, including flights, hotels, experiences and packages to consumers in overseas markets. 

Inbound Tour Operator (ITO), Destination Management Company (DMC) and National Tour Operator (NTO) 

ITO, DMC and NTO companies promote and sell Australian travel packages to buyers in overseas markets. They provide a range of services including advice on product, price and availability, and coordination of ground arrangements for group and FIT travel in Australia. If you are an Inbound Tour Operator, current membership with the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is highly preferable.  

Online (B to B) company

Online companies that work with the Australian tourism industry to package and sell Australian tourism products online to buyers in overseas markets. Online Booking Platform companies, including Channel Managers, linking product to global distributors are advised to apply for consideration to participate in the ATE26 Solutions Hub. 

Luxe buyer delegate

A Luxe Buyer delegate is a targeted representative of a luxury travel company invited to attend the ATE26 Luxe program. Luxe Buyer delegates including frontline travel designers and senior decision makers with itinerary and product contracting influence who sell itineraries of over AUD$1,200 per person per day (land only). Luxe Buyer representatives are often intimately involved in the planning and marketing of premium, experiential holidays, and destinations with their high net-worth clientele. References may be required on request to confirm the level of luxury business conducted and experiences promoted. Luxe Buyer companies include but are not limited to international wholesalers, tour operators, DMCs and retail travel agencies. Priority preference will be given to Luxe Buyer delegates/organisations new to attending ATE. Tourism Australia reserves the right to assess this on a case-by-case basis. Luxe Buyer delegates are subject to approval by Tourism Australia.

State / Territory Tourism Organisations (STO)

A State / Territory Tourism Organisations (STO) is a government agency dedicated to the development and marketing of sustainable tourism destinations and experiences within their Australian state/territory to increase awareness and attract visitors.

Cancellation of participation

TA reserves the right to:
  • Cancel the participation of an organisation that has an outstanding account with Tourism Australia and/or the payment of which has not been cleared 60 working days prior to the commencement of the Event. You acknowledge that if this should occur, you have no right of action, claim, proceeding or demand against Tourism Australia for such cancellation;
  • Cancel the participation of such an organisation despite the fact that Tourism Australia has accepted deposit funds from that organisation; and
  • Apply cancellation fees as per the key dates published on the website, which are enforceable at the time a buyer accepts Tourism Australia’s offer to participate in ATE26.
If after offer acceptance, you are no longer able to attend the Event, you must as soon as practicable, advise TA in writing. TA will be monitoring no-shows to appointments and no-shows may impact attendance at future Tourism Australia events.

Event terms and conditions

Please ensure you read the ATE26 Event Terms and Conditions prior to applying to attend.