NSW has secured Australia’s largest annual travel and tourism event, with Tourism Australia announcing that the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) will return to Sydney in 2027.
ATE brings together top tourism buyers from across the world and Australian businesses to establish connections and sell local experiences in international markets.
ATE27 will showcase everything Sydney and regional NSW has to offer. This year’s event has attracted more than 2900 attendees including buyers from more than 32 countries.
The announcement aligns with a critical growth period for the NSW tourism and travel sector, ahead of Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) welcoming its first passengers and planes later this year, and as Australia prepares to host the Rugby World Cup in 2027.
ATE27 will provide a significant opportunity to highlight NSW as the nation’s most accessible destination, following Newcastle Airport expanding its international capacity, Sydney Airport recently delivering its strongest first quarter for international travel in the airport’s history, and WSI preparing to operate 24/7 from October 2026.
Visitor economy businesses and stakeholders from Greater Sydney and regional NSW will conduct hundreds of scheduled appointments with global distribution partners at ATE, which will be held at ICC Sydney from 16-20 May 2027. A familiarisation program will also spotlight visitor experiences across the state to key buyers and international travel media.
During ATE26, Destination NSW and 95 NSW visitor economy operators connected with the world’s most influential travel buyers and media. This year’s NSW delegation included 41 tourism operators from regional NSW, 54 from Sydney, 17 first-time attendees and nine Aboriginal experience sellers.
ATE26 showcased the depth and diversity of the state’s visitor offering through more than 700 business appointments and networking events. The event reinforced NSW’s position as Australia’s leading destination for authentic, immersive experiences.
Next year’s event will be delivered by Tourism Australia in partnership with host state Destination NSW.
Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said: “South Australia has done a wonderful job hosting ATE this year and Sydney – home to so many iconic experiences – will be an excellent host next year.
“ATE is a fantastic event which saw more than 2900 delegates from 32 countries in 2026. The Albanese Labor Government is proud to support Tourism Australia to deliver this important tourism tradeshow which provides so many opportunities for local businesses and local jobs.”
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said: “The Australian Tourism Exchange 2027 will showcase the incredible diversity of experiences our state has to offer to hundreds of local and international buyers.
“Securing the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest international tourism conference for NSW will play a key role in the Minns Labor Government achieving its goal of $91 billion in visitor economy expenditure by 2035.
“I look forward to joining with stakeholders to share NSW’s unique tourism offering at this important trade event, which will reinforce why NSW is Australia’s leading tourism and business event destination.”
Tourism Australia Managing Director Robin Mack said: “Tourism Australia has been delivering ATE for almost five decades, proving its value as our most significant annual event for connecting Australia’s unique travel experiences with international buyers.
“This year’s tradeshow has delivered strong business outcomes, and exceptional experiences in Adelaide and its surrounding regions. These face-to-face meetings have strengthened relationships to deliver a pipeline of forward-business that contributes to the continued sustainable growth of Australian tourism.”
Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones said: “Destination NSW is thrilled to partner with Tourism Australia to deliver this important trade event. Sydney last hosted the Australian Tourism Exchange in 2022, with the Harbour City providing the perfect backdrop to sell NSW to the world.
“We can’t wait to welcome travel buyers and visitor economy stakeholders to the ICC Sydney for ATE27, alongside our NSW tourism businesses. The long-term benefits created by the event are substantial - the relationships it builds and the future business it drives play a critical role in inbound tourism growth.”
View images from ATE26 below:
