Western Australia will host the Australia Sail Grand Prix in Perth in February 2027 as the only Australian stop on the global SailGP calendar, Tourism WA said, marking the return of a high-profile event that drew more than 12,000 spectators to Fremantle/Walyalup this year.
The 2027 event will again be staged in Perth waters and will serve as the sole home race of the season for Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos team, Tourism WA said in its latest industry bulletin. The agency said the inaugural Perth edition had sold out, generated global media coverage and injected millions of dollars into the state economy.
The announcement comes as Western Australia continues to position major events as a key driver of visitation, alongside preparations for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 and new international aviation links.
Tourism WA said the next phase of ticketing for the Rugby World Cup opened this week, allowing fans to apply for tickets to all 52 matches across Australia. The agency said demand for Perth fixtures had been strong, including Australia’s opening match against Hong Kong China and the Ireland versus Scotland fixture. The ticket application phase remains open until June 2.
The bulletin said Tuesday marked 500 days until the tournament’s opening match in Perth/Boorloo. It said 750,000 tickets had already been taken up during the presale, with the tournament expected to bring thousands of international rugby supporters to host cities across Australia, including Perth.
Tourism WA also highlighted Air New Zealand’s announcement of a seasonal non-stop service between Christchurch and Perth. The route is scheduled to operate three times weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from November 30, 2026, to May 7, 2027.
The route has been supported by the WA Government and secured in partnership with Perth Airport and Christchurch Airport. Tourism WA said New Zealand was Western Australia’s third-largest international visitor market by arrivals, with 77,000 New Zealand travellers visiting the state in 2025 and spending $155 million.
The agency said additional inbound air capacity remained a priority as the state sought to convert interest generated by major events into broader travel across Western Australia.
Tourism WA’s bulletin also noted several industry development and trade initiatives. Applications are open for the agency’s Executive Director Marketing position, a Perth-based role responsible for leading global brand, aviation partnership, campaign, digital, content, public relations and international market development activity. Applications close on June 8.
The agency said its “Walking On A Dream” brand campaign had won the Best of Year Craft award for Music at the 2026 Campaign Brief WA Creative Awards. The campaign’s soundtrack, based on Empire of the Sun’s “Walking On A Dream”, was reworked by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Aboriginal artist Billy-Jo Shoveller, under the guidance of WA-raised Empire of the Sun frontman Luke Steele.
Tourism WA also said it had worked with 20 operators at the Perth Careers Expo from May 14 to 17, engaging about 2,500 attendees to promote tourism and hospitality careers.
Industry-facing activity scheduled for coming months includes Australia Marketplace Japan and Korea 2026 in Tokyo from September 2 to 4, a Tourism Australia industry briefing in Perth on June 18, and a Tourism WA Singapore mission from July 20 to 21 ahead of Australia Marketplace South East Asia.
Entries are also open for the 2026 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards, with nominations closing June 11 and the awards ceremony scheduled for November 26. Tourism Council WA will hold workshops and networking events in Bunbury/Goomburrup on July 28, covering publicity, digital marketing, SEO and search engine marketing.
Tourism WA said the events, aviation and trade initiatives formed part of a broader effort to grow visitation and support the state’s tourism operators.
Visit Tourism WA's corporate website for more industry events and our events calendar for more sponsored events.
Read the full bulletin here https://tourismwa.cmail19.com/t/y-e-auyhtht-tkiuhhjdhh-tt/
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