August closed with Kiwi Grand Tours officially live and NFL Melbourne six weeks out. September opens with news worth reading twice: the jury's verdict is in, and it's ours again.
We opened August by launching Kiwi Grand Tours, a moment years in the making, and closed the month with news we're still genuinely proud of: Aussie Grand Tours has been named Best DMC, Australia & New Zealand at the Global Excellence Tourism Awards 2026, for the second consecutive year.
Last issue I wrote that this recognition would be decided by an independent jury, not a popularity contest. That's exactly what happened, and it's why this one means more to our whole team than the trophy itself.
As September opens, our focus shifts to converting the momentum we've built. NFL Melbourne brings a wave of American interest we need to act on this week, not next. India's Q4 wedding and holiday season is opening its booking window right now. And two new Air New Zealand routes give every partner building a South Island itinerary a genuine reason to start planning early.
Thank you, as always, for building your Australia and New Zealand programs with us.
A note on the numbers: TRA's headline IVS figures are still year-ending-March-2026, the same dataset last month's issue used, next quarterly update is expected shortly. For a fresher read, the ABS's monthly count shows a different picture, short-term visitor arrivals in June 2026 came in at 566,910, down 9.2% on June 2025. Read that as a reminder that annual growth and month-to-month volume don't always move together, not as a contradiction. (Source: ABS Overseas Arrivals and Departures.)
Australia's 5th largest inbound market, forecast at 523,000 arrivals for 2026 and on track for 4th by 2030. Aviation capacity sits at 293% of pre-pandemic levels. October through December is India's peak outbound booking window for weddings, milestone travel and family holidays timed around Diwali, if a client has been considering Australia since earlier this year and hasn't confirmed yet, this is the month that conversation needs to become a proposal.
US Melbourne flight searches were already up 150% and hotel bookings 4x higher heading into the game. The six-week conversion window flagged last issue is now down to days, if you've got US sports-and-touring enquiries still sitting in "maybe," this is the week they either book or move on.
ATEC's most recent Inbound Tourism Pulse flagged that a majority of exporters expect European demand to soften into the second half of 2026, largely tied to Middle East route disruption affecting connecting itineraries. The read for partners is the same as last month: qualify European enquiries early and keep in regular contact through the consideration phase, slower decisions are not the same as lost decisions.
Last month we told you we'd been nominated. This month we can tell you what the jury decided: Aussie Grand Tours has won Best DMC, Australia & New Zealand at the Global Excellence Tourism Awards 2026, for the second consecutive year. The panel included two former Secretaries of India's Ministry of Tourism, a former UNWTO Governing Council member, and the founding and consulting leadership of FAITH, judged on merit, not sponsorship.
The ceremony was hosted this month by ExpoInn Suites & Convention in Greater Noida. Full jury details and ceremony coverage are in the complete story.
Three new direct routes launch late October into November: Singapore from 28 Oct, Tokyo from 28 Nov, Perth from 30 Nov, all 3x weekly on 787s. Start building South Island-first itineraries around these now, before the booking window compresses.
Launching 26 October, Air NZ becomes the first international carrier into Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, Auckland–WSI 3x weekly. Opens genuinely new routing options for Western Sydney-based itineraries.
49ers vs Rams. Tailored sports-plus-touring packages are ready to deploy now for US clients, pair a game-day itinerary with a Great Ocean Road or Yarra Valley extension either side.
Hobbiton Movie Set's biggest single day of the year, full activities and a traditional feast on site. A strong, specific hook for any North Island itinerary landing in that window.
No brochure sells a destination better than lived experience. Our FAM program gives your team curated, hosted journeys across Australia and New Zealand, open to partner staff at every level, now including dedicated Kiwi Grand Tours itineraries following last month's launch.
Curated 2–8 night hosted journeys · premium hotel inspections · First Nations and Maori cultural experiences · private concierge support · signature local dining · custom options available.
Apply for a FAM"We told our agent we wanted the classic trip, Sydney, the Gold Coast, maybe Cairns if there was time. She asked one more question before she quoted anything: what does a perfect week actually look like for your family, not what do you think you're supposed to see."
Meera and Vikram from Bengaluru had been planning an Australia trip for their twins' tenth birthday for over a year, gathering ideas from friends who'd already been. What their agent built instead, working with AGT, opened in Sydney as expected, but the middle of the trip went to the Gold Coast's theme parks for two full unhurried days, no city touring squeezed in between. "The kids still talk about Movie World more than the harbour," Vikram said afterward. "We'd have never guessed that going in."
This story represents the journeys AGT designs every day. Client names changed for privacy.
Add these to client itineraries landing this month.
11 September is a hard deadline, not a soft one. Any US sports-and-touring enquiry still undecided needs a confirmed proposal this week, not next.
Diwali and the wedding season booking window starts moving fast from here. Reach out to India clients who enquired earlier in the year and never confirmed.
Christchurch–Singapore, Tokyo and Perth all launch by end of November. South Island-first itineraries built around these now will have first pick of availability.
Q4 2026 and Q1 2027 applications are open, including new Kiwi Grand Tours itineraries. Priority goes to active AGT partners, apply early.