It was a night that pitted the drawled ‘Howdy y’all’ against the mumbled ‘G’day mate’, where heads disappeared in black Stetsons and the American flag vied with the Sydney Opera House for top billing.

Thanks to an ardent and persistent Visit USA team, a new direct to Dallas Qantas flight and top visitation figures out of Australia to the US, Sydney’s Park Hyatt was last night host to our Texan friends who made clear their desire to boost visitation to the Lone Star State.

“Book Texas now,” the boot-clad Texas Tourism director Julie Chase told agents.

Of the 904,000 Australians who visited the US last year, some 50,000 visited Texas and the Texan tourism industry are hoping the new Qantas flights will open up the destination.

“The flights will also open up Australia as a destination for Texans,” Dallas CVB president Phillip Jones speculated, telling e-Travel Blackboard, the Australian way of life was in tune with Texan hospitality, laid back lifestyle and cultural and dining interests.

As one who knew little of a Dallas beyond Larry Hagman, I was impressed with news that Dallas (the destination, not the TV show) was not only the birthplace of specialty department Neiman Marcus (and hence impressive and cheap shopping), home to a whopping sporting and MICE infrastructure, one of the largest arts communities in the US and a world beyond the clichéd BBQ.

To see a bit of Dallas for yourself, check out the video.

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Luis Perez from DFW International Airport

Monique from US Commercial Services with Sarah from GTI Tourism

Names out of the hat

Robert from Travel Agents Nexus with Jeff from New World Travel

Rosemarie from Jetset, Warwick from JTG, Nicholas from Hertz and David from Harvey World Travel

Theo and Lina from Corporate Travel Management

Tony, Catherine, Elaine, Mel and Ryan from Royal Carribbean Cruises

Tracey, Susan and Robin from Travelforce with Gary from Qantas and Jeff from American Airlines

Visit USA's Geoffrey with Felicity and Helen from Qantas Holidays and Maria from Flight Centre Global Product

Visit USA's Michael with Julie from Texas Tourism and Phillip from Dallas CVB