The first London to Perth direct flight has taken to the skies and Australia’s tourism officials are working to maximise the connection between Western Europe and Western Australia.

“The new London-Perth route is the first to directly link Australia with Europe, which has enormous potential for the State’s economy, boosting our tourism and hospitality industries,” said Premier Mark McGowan.

The McGowan Government, through Tourism Western Australia, and STA Travel have now launched a co-operative marketing agreement targeting the youth market in the United Kingdom and Germany.

“The State Government is excited to be entering into this new marketing agreement with STA Travel, targeting the important youth sector,” added Tourism Minister Paul Papalia.

“The UK youth market is a significant target market for WA, comprising 31 per cent of UK visitors. The average length of stay for youth visitors on a holiday to WA is 41 days.”

The joint marketing agreement runs from April through to August this year. It follows the recent Working Holiday Maker (WHM) campaign in the UK which involved a partnership with MTV and included seven videos showcasing opportunities to work and travel in WA. The campaign also includes window posters and adverts running on STA’s LCD screens in-store, and on its social and digital channels.

During the 2018 WYSE Exchange Australia Conference, Australian youth travel organisations will have the opportunity to meet with new business partners sending youth travellers from the UK and Germany. However, tickets are restricted to 60 Australian sellers and space is filling up fast for the conference, taking place 8-10 May in Sydney. Interested organisations should register today.