Australian Tourism Export Council

What Australian Tourism Export Council does

The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is the peak industry association for Australia's inbound tourism sector, established in 1972 and headquartered at Milsons Point, NSW. It operates as a not-for-profit, member-funded body representing more than 1,000 members across all Australian states and territories, organized into six segments: Seller Members (Australian tourism operators, attractions, and accommodation providers), Buyer Members (inbound tour operators, OTAs, and DMCs), Regional and Local Tourism Organizations (RTOs/LTOs), Service Provider Partners, Corporate Partners, and Educational Institutions.

ATEC's core offerings comprise an annual membership program with tiered subscription pricing (Seller tiers from A$654.50 to A$4,627.70; Educational Institution tier at A$916.30; Service Provider Partnership at A$1,552 + GST), supported by a national B2B matching infrastructure that includes the flagship Meeting Place annual conference (Meeting Place 2026 in Hobart, Tasmania), National Virtual B2B Events, and an always-on online meeting platform. Adjacent programs include the Tourism Trade Checklist (trade-readiness assessment), the Tourism Training Hub at learning.atec.net.au, the ELITE leadership program, the Tourism Tutorial Series, Young ATEC (professionals aged 18–40), the ATEC Visitor Visa Helpdesk, and a Distribution Hub with member code of business practice. Distribution is delivered through three Regional Managers covering NSW/ACT/QLD, WA/VIC/TAS, and SA/NT/NTH QLD, supported by a national office staff of roughly 20 individuals under Managing Director Peter Shelley and Independent Chair Richard Doyle (appointed 2024).

Revenue is generated through recurring annual membership fees, corporate partnerships (Principal Industry Partner Tourism Australia; Gold Partners including Accor, Finns, JMD Ross, TFE Hotels; Airport Partner Hobart Airport; Service Provider Partners including PayPal, Flywire, Tourplan, ATDW, Vox Group), event registration fees (Meeting Place, virtual B2B events, regional forums), and training/tutoring program fees. Strategic partners include Tourism Australia, state tourism organizations (Destination NSW, Tourism Tasmania, Tourism NT, South Australian Tourism Commission, Visit Victoria, Tourism Western Australia), and complementary industry bodies such as Ecotourism Australia, Caravan Industry Association of Australia, and Visit Canberra.

Name

Australian Tourism Export Council

Legal name

Australian Tourism Export Council

Website

https://atec.net.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is the peak national industry association, founded in 1972, representing over 1,000 members across Australia's inbound tourism sector. It connects Australian tourism sellers with international buyers through tiered membership, B2B events, training programs, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ATEC generates revenue through annual membership fees from seller, buyer, RTO/LTO, and educational institution members. Fees range from $654.50 to $4,627.70 for seller tiers, with additional categories for buyers and partners.
2. Service Provider Partnerships: Service Provider Partnership program at $1,552 + GST per annum provides listing, event access, B2B meeting platform participation, and marketing benefits to technology and service providers in the tourism industry.
3. Event Registration: Revenue generated from event registrations including Meeting Place conference, National Virtual B2B events, and regional networking forums.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships including Principal Industry Partner, Gold Partner, and Airport Partner tiers provide sponsorship and recognition benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is the peak national industry association for Australia's inbound tourism sector. The organization operates a tiered membership program (Seller, Buyer, RTO/LTO, Educational Institution, Service Provider Partner) that connects over 1,000 tourism operators, distributors, and government bodies across all Australian states and territories. ATEC delivers its core value through commercial B2B networking events (notably the flagship Meeting Place conference), trade-readiness training and certification programs, government advocacy, and a members-only digital infrastructure that includes an online training hub, member directories, and a B2B meeting platform.

Product overview

ATEC operates as a single unified association platform offering membership-based services to the Australian inbound tourism industry. The core offering consists of membership programs (Seller, Buyer, RTO/LTO categories) providing B2B networking, industry development, and advocacy. Supporting products include the Tourism Training Hub (online learning), Meeting Place (flagship annual B2B event), Tourism Trade Checklist (trade-readiness assessment), Australian Tourism Toolkit, ELITE training, Visitor Visa Helpdesk, Distribution Hub, Young ATEC (young professionals program), and Service Provider Partnership Program. These products work together to connect and grow commercial networks of members engaged in international tourism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young ATEC: A youth development program for tourism professionals aged 18-40, designed to enhance education and develop future industry leaders
• Tourism Trade Ready
• Tourism Tutorial Series
• ELITE

Products and services

• ATEC Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Members gain trade-ready positioning and access to industry knowledge hub
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Tourism AustraliaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal Industry Partner of ATEC. Tourism Australia is Australia's national tourism marketing organization and provides support and recognition to ATEC's activities driving inbound tourism growth.
• AccorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold Partner of ATEC. Accor is a major international hotel group operating in Australia across multiple brands including Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, Pullman, and ibis.
• FinnscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold Partner of ATEC. Finns is a beach club and lifestyle resort in Bali, providing leisure and entertainment experiences for international visitors.
• JMD RosscoreTechnology or IntegrationGold Partner of ATEC. JMD Ross is a legal services firm providing professional services to the tourism and hospitality industry.
• TFE HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold Partner of ATEC. TFE Hotels is an Australian hotel management company operating brands including Adina, Vibe, and Tune Hotels.
• Hobart AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirport Partner of ATEC. Hobart Airport provides air access to Tasmania and supports tourism connectivity to the region.
• Tourism TasmaniaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeeting Place 2026 Major Event Partner. Tourism Tasmania is the state tourism organization supporting ATEC's flagship annual conference.
• Australian Tourism Data WarehousecoreTechnology or IntegrationService Provider Partner. ATDW provides the official Australian tourism product database and distribution platform for tourism operators.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationService Provider Partner providing payment processing and financial transaction services to tourism operators.
• The Gaibo AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerService Provider Partner providing marketing and communications services to the tourism industry.
• TourplancoreTechnology or IntegrationService Provider Partner providing tour operator software and booking management solutions.
• Vox GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerService Provider Partner providing tour and activity distribution and marketing technology solutions.
• Tourism and Events QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism organization partner providing support for North Queensland and South Queensland ATEC branches.
• Tourism NTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthern Territory state tourism organization partner supporting ATEC's NT regional branch.
• South Australian Tourism CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Australia state tourism organization partner supporting ATEC's SA regional branch.
• Visit VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictoria state tourism organization partner supporting ATEC's VIC regional branch.
• Tourism Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Australia state tourism organization partner supporting ATEC's WA regional branch.
• Caravan Industry Association of AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational industry association partner representing caravan and RV tourism operators.
• Ecotourism AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partner promoting and certifying eco-certified tourism operators.
• Australian Hotels Association (WA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Australian state hotel industry association supporting ATEC's WA branch.
• Caravan Industry Association (WA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Australian caravan and RV industry association supporting ATEC's WA branch.
• City of PerthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner supporting ATEC's Western Australia branch as Branch Champion.
• Visit CanberraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT regional tourism organization partner supporting ATEC's ACT branch.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA): PATA is a broader regional tourism organization spanning Asia Pacific, with advocacy, networking, and capacity-building functions that overlap ATEC's mission but at a wider geographic scope covering multiple destinations and operators.
• US Travel Association: US Travel is the national trade association for the US travel industry, representing all segments including inbound and outbound tourism. Its mission of representing tourism industry interests and advocating to government is directly comparable to ATEC's function in Australia.
• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): WTTC is the global tourism industry council representing the broader travel and tourism sector worldwide. While not country-specific like ATEC, it shares the advocacy and research mission for tourism businesses and competes for corporate partner mindshare.

Others

• International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA): ICCA represents the international meetings and events industry. While focused on MICE rather than leisure inbound tourism, its association membership networking model and event-based member engagement approach are comparable to ATEC's B2B platform.

Direct peers

• Tourism Industry Association of Canada: TIAC is Canada's national private-sector tourism industry association, providing advocacy and networking for the inbound and broader tourism sector. Its mission and association structure closely mirror ATEC's role in Australia.
• UKInbound: UKInbound is the trade association representing the UK's inbound tourism sector. Like ATEC, it focuses on connecting international buyers (tour operators, OTAs) with UK tourism suppliers and advocates for inbound tourism growth, operating a similar member-funded association model.
• Tourism Industry Aotearoa: Tourism Industry Aotearoa is the peak industry body for New Zealand's tourism sector, the closest international analog to ATEC. Both organizations represent inbound tourism operators, advocate to government, facilitate B2B networking, and run membership-based association models in their respective markets.

Emerging players

• SITE Global (Society of Incentive & Travel Executives): SITE Global focuses on the incentive travel segment with member networking, education, and certification programs that partially overlap ATEC's B2B event and training functions within the broader inbound tourism ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/atectoday
• Facebookfacebook.com/australiantourismexportcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-tourism-export-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australian Tourism Export Council