Maggie White, Tourism Australia’s longest serving executive, recently passed away suddenly, following a brief period of illness. She was a widely loved member of the travel industry having worked with Tourism Australia, and its previous incarnation, the Australian Tourist Commission (ATC), for close to 25 years. Her career highlights included implementing the ATC’s Olympic Games Strategy for the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics, which the International Olympic Committee declared a role model for future host countries.
She spent several years promoting Australia in South East Asia region, and was a key contributor to Tourism Australia’s growth in Asia. She laid the foundation for India as a key outbound tourism market for Australia, and dedicated a decade to build and nurture it. Her sustained efforts in the nascent stages of destination Australia’s presence in India, steered this market in the direction of steady growth. She loved India dearly, and held her relationships with all her Indian industry friends and colleagues close to her heart. She retired from Tourism Australia in 2012, after close to a decade of managing South East Asia region, moving back to her home in Melbourne.