In his new role, Neil will focus on continuing to grow Accor’s rapidly expanding network of franchise hotels and resorts across Australia and New Zealand, which currently comprises 70 hotels.

Bendigo continues to thrive as a holiday destination for Australians, with recent figures showing domestic visitors spent 2.1 million nights in the Bendigo region in 2011, up 41 per cent compared to the same 2010.

New data released today by Tourism Research Australia (TRA) shows domestic travel increased in 2011 led by a six percent increase in visits to friends and relatives, and the same in business travel.

New consumer research carried out across 13 of China’s largest and fastest growing cities is being used by Tourism Australia to further enhance its ten year marketing plan aimed at continuing to lure China’s affluent and travel hungry middle and upper classes to visit Australia.

Australia's largest hotel group, Accor, has welcomed plans by James Packer to invest in a major tourism infrastructure project at Barangaroo in Sydney.