As part of the recent trade mission to Asia I was joined by a delegation of Canberra businesses in Singapore, including a strong showing from the local tourism sector.

There has been strong local business support for direct international flights connecting Canberra to the world.

Pialligo Estate, GoBoat, Jamala Wildlife Lodge, Shaw Vineyard, Canberra Secrets, and Canberra Guided Tours joined the delegation - just to name a few.

All of these companies engaged with local tourism operators and a number of them have opened discussions about expanding their businesses in Singapore and the wider region.

As part of the delegation, VisitCanberra held workshops attended by businesses and key decision makers in the industry to create awareness of their products and negotiate inclusion in future marketing campaigns.

There was also a forum for delegates to present their products and services to frontline retail travel agents and reservations staff to help them build connections in international markets.

The ACT Government is strongly supporting Canberra businesses to succeed overseas, and we have committed $47.5 million to boost tourism in the 2018-19 ACT Budget.

This will support many domestic and international campaign activities to grow Canberra’s profile and provide compelling reasons to visit, which will further support the growth of our local operators in international markets.