Tourism Industry Coincil Tasmania

Former physiotherapist, 2012 Masterchef Australia finalist, and most recently CEO of Sydney's Lotus Dining Group, Mindy Woods is currently studying sustainable horticulture and bush food with the goal of protecting native foods, the environment and re-igniting Indigenous culture.

You must taste a culture to truly understand it. That’s why Mindy, a proud First Nations woman, opened her very own native inspired restaurant Karkalla on Ancestral country, creating opportunities for indigenous and non-indigenous people to connect with Aboriginal culture, art, and stories through food.

Visit Northern Tasmania CEO, Tracey Mallett, sat down with Mindy at the 2023 Tasmanian Tourism Conference where they discussed all things native Tasmanian food and the many ways in which this can be incorporated into tourism and hospitality businesses. If you are into your food – and let’s be honest, who isn’t? – then you must give this episode a listen. 

Food is a natural connector – you already have people’s buy-in before they take their first bite. But there’s so many opportunities to tell the story behind the food. Mindy explains how we, as Australians, come from the land of the original storytellers. We come from such a rich and abundant culture, and we often forget this and what’s in our own backyards. Australians travel elsewhere for food experiences, but we have the world’s oldest surviving civilisation and ingredients right here.

Behind every producer and their land is a great story to tell, and it’s by collaborating and connecting with others – especially the Tasmanian Aboriginal community – that you discover what this story is and how you can share it with visitors and locals alike. It is within these conversations and learnings that positive impact is maximised. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, VXT. VXT is a purpose-built organization with the sole purpose to train a hospitality and tourism workforce to deliver the Tasmanian workforce. VXT offers an array of industry-led, outcome-focused training courses both online and around Tasmania. Thanks to VXT for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Talking Tourism Episode 144 – Tourism strategy…without the BS with Tom Wootton & Anne Greentree.

Both Tom and Anne have had (and continue to have) an incredible influence on tourism in Tasmania. Among many things, Tom was the inaugural CEO of the regional tourism organisation, West by North West. Whereas, Anne has spent the past four years as the Director Visitor Economy Strategy at Tourism Tasmania. While in this role, Anne has worked alongside the state government and industry to develop the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy – which is now live (and can be read here). 

In today’s episode, TICT CEO Amy Hills sits down with Tom and Anne to chat all about tourism strategy – a topic which they delivered a Day 1 workshop at the 2023 Tasmanian Tourism Conference.

Whether you are starting out fresh in the industry, or thinking it’s time to review , having a strategy in place for your business doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Tom and Anne say to simplify it into 3 steps: your current state, your future state, and the steps in between. Ask yourself: What am I doing now? Where do I want to be? What are the steps to get there? 

However, it is important that you also take into consideration the future vision of the tourism industry as a whole and the future vision for Tasmania as a destination. This is where the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy comes in. Not only does it detail the vision, values and themes, but it shares the forecasting work which has been undertaken to understand the global and domestic factors of what future demand could look like for Tasmania. 

Strategy is different from operator to operator, but every business needs a purpose and vision. All it takes is to think about how you are different from your competitors and how you complement the Tasmanian brand. It is important that the steps you take to achieve this vision are SMART: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Relevant; and Time-bound. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Cumulus Studio. Cumulus Studio is an award-winning architecture and interior design practice with offices in Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne and Adelaide Among its most notable Tasmanian tourism designs are the award-winning Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and the iconic Pumphouse Point. Thanks to Cumulus Studio for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Recognised as one of Australia’s nine most influential female entrepreneurs, Hailey Brown has become a catalyst for change within the tourism industry. Upon recognising that blind and low-vision tourists were precluded from travelling as tourism marketing is visual, she created the world’s first sensory audio tourism app, Vacayit. She is highly experienced in the field of accessible tourism, universal design, inclusion, and diversity and aims to drive positive societal change around how destinations and operators market their experiences.

Visit Northern Tasmania’s Chief Executive Officer, Tracey Mallett, sits down with Hailey at the 2023 Tasmanian Tourism Conference where she presented on how tourism operators can market their inclusive tourism experience.

Hailey gets straight to the point and says it all comes down to operators making a start and simply considering people with disability. Ask yourself the question, are you thinking of every single customer? 1 in 5 people live with disability in Australia – and this includes a vast array of physical and mental disabilities. Start off by targeting one, and the continue to build off that.

Further to this, Hailey says it’s about both infrastructure and experience. It’s more than just widening a doorway or putting a ramp in – it’s about every touchpoint of the visitor journey. Resources such as Tourism Australia as well as peak bodies and service providers have lots of information that will point you in the right direction to get started. But it all starts by asking and listening to people with disability – asking the question, what can make your experience better?

Disability awareness training for your staff is a very good starting point as it will teach your staff to be welcoming of everyone. There is also a lot of opportunity within technology. Hailey’s organisation, Vacayit, creates immersive sensory audio guides for people who are blind and vision impaired off the back of recognising an obvious gap in how tourism operators were marketing their products and experiences purely off of sight alone.

Hailey is hopeful that Tasmania’s tourism industry – one that thrives off of working collaboratively – can lead the way in accessible tourism experiences.  

If you want to take that first step and to look at your business through an accessible lens, please contact Hannah Lang, our Quality Tourism Advisor, who can provide you free access to complete the Accessibility Accreditation Module. Email us at info@tict.com.au. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service. PWS presents, protects and manages Tasmania’s extraordinary landscapes in partnership with the community. They work to conserve the state’s natural and cultural heritage while providing for sustainable use and economic opportunities for the Tasmanian community. Thanks to Tasmania Parks & Wildlife for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Taihlaura Denman-Francis is a Managing Marketing Consultant at Kingthing. In this role, Taihlaura enjoys the thrill of dreaming up big ideas for her clients. She has an undeniable passion for all things in the digital space, and her favourite things are strategic planning, marketing tactics, social media management and digital advertising. Taihlaura is also a Launceston Tamar Valley Tourism Association (LTVTA) committee member, where she’s been able to use her marketing prowess to provide more avenues for tourism operators in the area to discuss, share and learn.

Taihlaura delivered an insightful workshop at this year’s Tourism Conference, titled ‘Designing effectively on Canva’ and in today’s episode, she sits down with Tom Wootton to chat all about it. 

For those who are not aware of Canva, it is a simple to use, cloud-based design platform which can assist you to design anything you can possibly think of – social media tiles, letters, invites, logos, business cards, email signatures etc. Instead of using an app such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva is an online tool which you can access via the internet. There is a free version or a pro version for the cheap price of $164.99 per year (which is cheaper than Netflix!).

Taihlaura explains some simple yet important design techniques and things to avoid doing, such as ‘font frenzy’, the use of negative space in your design, not over-crowding content and keeping the use of colour to a minimum.

We’ve all heard, ‘less is more’ but Taihlaura explains how important this truly is when designing effective marketing material. Tourism products and experiences are often communicated visually, which means investing time and energy into a platform like Canva can go a long way to creating high-quality material that makes you stand out from the crowd. Digital marketing doesn’t have to be daunting – just jump onto Canva and give it a go!

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, the Department of State Growth. The Department of State Growth brings together four interrelated divisions developing a strategic approach that drives economic growth, and supports the community, industry, and business in the creation of jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians. Thanks to the Department of State Growth for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Nic Cooper is a Regenerative Tourism Specialist at The Tourism Collective but is also a small business owner on the Mornington Peninsula. He has extensive experience spanning destination marketing, product development, and customer engagement with a particular passion and expertise for sustainable and regenerative tourism.

Visit Northern Tasmania CEO, Tracey Mallet, sits down with Nic at the 2023 Tasmanian Tourism Conference where he delivered a Day 1 workshop about regenerative tourism. 

For those not aware of regenerative tourism, Nic says it can mean different things to different people, however he essentially boils it down to ‘doing tourism for good’. It’s all about going beyond sustainability and instead having a long-term positive impact on the community and environment. The benefits of regenerative tourism are all-encompassing, but for tourism businesses particularly, it can help attract more customers as well as making you more marketable. This is especially important for Tasmania as it manages the balance between protecting the things that make it different and growing the visitor economy. 

Tracey and Nic delve into the tips and tricks on how tourism businesses can enter the regenerative tourism space, and the key piece of advice is to simply make a start. Nic says it’s about progress, not perfection. It’s not a tick-box exercise, but continuous work. Ask yourself the question, ‘what are the negative impacts of our business and how can we change them into a positive?’ Start with the short-term, immediate changes you can make and then map out the middle to long-term goals. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Hype TV. As a complete production house, Hype has the capability to facilitate the entire production process from concept creation through to media delivery. Hype’s core production team consists of industry professionals with decades of experience, and they also have an extensive network of production crews across Tasmania to tailor to your needs. Thanks to Hype TV for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Tim Polmear is Co-Founder of Waubs Harbour Distillery on the beautiful east coast of Tasmania.

Before venturing into the world of whisky, Tim and his wife Bec founded Flat Tummy Tea Co – a herbal tea remedy to help ease indigestion. After falling into the world of influencer marketing, the brand quickly gained momentum and turned into a flourishing e-commerce business. Then, in 2016, Tim and Bec sold the business and moved back to Tassie to start a family, and in 2018, the dream location in Bicheno was purchased and the Waubs Harbour Distillery journey begun.

Tim was one of the Day 2 speakers at the Tourism Conference, and he truly captured the crowd with his raw, open personality and inspiring story, and in today’s episode, Tim sat down with Destination Southern Tasmania’s Damian Mather to chat all about it.

They unpack the reasoning behind starting a new business or developing a new product, and how it’s of course important to have some experience and capital behind you, but more importantly to have courage and determination. At the core of any business is storytelling, and Tim suggests authenticity is the key ingredient to any business’s marketing process.

A key takeaway from Tim’s presentation at the Conference was the question he asked his brother and co-founder of Waubs Harbour, and that was, “If you could create whisky your way, with your dream equipment in the ideal location, how would you do it?” This question was what set the business up and ultimately on its path to greatness. Substitute the word whisky for whatever is relevant to you and your tourism business, and it’s a great question to ask yourself. The answer may very well be the reason behind what makes you or your business stand out from the crowd.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, McDermott’s Coaches. McDermott’s Coaches is Tasmania’s largest coach, tour and specialist transport service provider, supplying tours, transfers and coach charters for large and small groups around Tasmania and interstate. They offer the local knowledge and experience of the McDermott family along with more than 50 staff, all of whom are committed to delivering great service. Thanks to McDermott’s Coaches for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible. 

Today’s episode is with Larni Davies – TICT’s very own Tassie Tourism Ambassador Program Coordinator. A passionate Tasmanian, Larni Davies has 31 years of experience in the tourism industry.

After living interstate and even overseas for six years, Larni returned to Tasmania where she worked as a bushwalking guide with Tasmanian Expeditions; Cradle Mountain Huts; the Bay of Fires Walk and later progressed into management roles. Larni has previously coordinated the Adventure Tour Guiding program at TasTAFE Drysdale in Hobart for many years – equipping students with the knowledge and skills to become professional and competent bushwalking tour guides in Tasmania, and beyond.

TICT’s Kelly Luck sits down with Larni and chats all things Tassie Tourism Ambassador Program. They delve into how the program came about, who it is for, what the program entails, and what the future looks like. 

Anyone can become an Ambassador, but it’s specifically aimed at tourism and hospitality staff to teach them all about their industry in Tasmania, more about their regions and how to tell their stories in an engaging and captivating way to ultimately exceed our visitor’s expectations. Best of all – it’s 100% free! What are you waiting for? Become an Ambassador – www.tassietourismambassador.com.au/about/ 

Today’s episode is brough to you by the Department of State Growth. The Department of State Growth brings together four interrelated divisions developing a strategic approach that drives economic growth and supports the community, industry, and business in the creation of jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians. Thanks to the Department of State Growth for their generous support of TICT and for helping make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Today’s episode is with Bart Sobies – an industry professional whose career has spanned more than two decades. He began his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 15 with the launch of his first online business evolving into a prosperous tech company. 

Since then, Bart has founded and led several businesses, all centred around technology, marketing and investment specifically within the tourism industry. One of these is ibooked.online – a leading platform dedicated to helping accommodation owners increase direct bookings and generate revenue. 

Tourism consultant (and overall tourism legend) Tom Wootton sits down with Bart and chats all about his business and his passion – AI. 

Bart explains how ibooked.online aims to teach brand and marketing tools and strategic to different tourism providers, whether it’s those in hospitality to B&Bs, hotels and short-term rentals. He has the answers to those common questions you may ask, such as ‘how do we sell our unique experience?’, ‘how do we get people to book directly through out website?’ and ‘how do we make ourselves stand out?’

Bart then talks about AI and its emergence and growing popularity. He admitted to becoming quite obsessed with AI, but saw the opportunities it had to help tourism operators. Bart’s main piece of advice when it comes to AI is, if you haven’t already used it, give it a go. Not only is it a tool to ask questions, but it can also provide feedback on your business processes and how you handled certain situations.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Moo Brew. Moo Brew is the official beer of the Tasmanian tourism industry. Inspired by the art, creativity, and innovation of Mona, the Moo Brew range of contemporary lagers and ales are brewed in Tasmania, and designed to be enjoyed while experiencing all the state has to offer. Thanks to Moo Brew for their generous support of TICT and for helping make this episode of Talking Tourism possible. 

Lauren Cameron is TICT's newly appointed Carbon Action Advisor. Lauren is a sustainability and communications specialist, whose career spans fifteen years working across sustainability, international development, tourism and media. Having started out as a journalist with The Advocate in Tasmania’s northwest, Lauren has since worked as Chief Editor of a sustainable lifestyle magazine in Hong Kong, managed international development programs in Vietnam, partnered with sustainable tourism operators across Asia, and worked in the Environment and Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

For those that missed her at the Positive Impact 2 Conference, Lauren launched the TICT Emissions Reduction Initiative - a project supported by the state government to make Tasmania a leading destination for climate conscious travel by 2030. 

In this episode, Kelly Luck (also from TICT) chats with Lauren all about the initiative, how Tassie tourism operators can get involved, and the importance of reducing our carbon emissions. 

The key takeaway from this episode is the EOI period to be involved with the initiative closes on Friday 1 September - so make sure you jump onto the TICT website via this link to read more info and apply: https://tict.com.au/emissions-reduction/

Today's episode is brought to you by our partner, the Department of State Growth. The Department of State Growth brings together four interrelated divisions developing a strategic approach that drives economic growth and supports the community, industry, and business in the creation of jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians. Thanks to the Department of State Growth for their generous support of TICT and for helping make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Fanus Ghebrezgabhier is a Senior Trainer at F45 Moonah. F45 has taken Australia and the world by storm to become the fastest growing gym brand on the planet. Originating in Sydney, Australia, the ‘F’ stands for functional training, a mix of circuit and high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts geared towards everyday movement, and the ‘45’ is the total amount of time each class runs for. 

In today’s episode, Luke and Fanus compare the similarities between the fitness and tourism industries in terms of staffing and social media marketing. 

Fanus explains the ‘community feel’ and ‘energy’ of F45 is what makes it stand out from any other offering and is therefore its unique selling point. F45 showcases these values throughout its entire business but especially through its staff. However, they encounter similar workforce challenges to what many of our tourism operators are currently experiencing, including high staff turnover.

A major reason contributing to the mass success of F45 is its social media marketing. Tasmanian tourism operators have a great social media presence, however Fanus explains the importance of staying relevant and on-trend to allow your business, product, or service to cut-through the social media clutter. Something which F45 have excelled at is training up its staff to take a lead in this space. Fanus sees this as an opportunity for tourism operators as well. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Cumulus Studio. Cumulus Studio is an award-winning architecture and interior design practice with offices in Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne and Adelaide Among its most notable Tasmanian tourism designs are the award-winning Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and the iconic Pumphouse Point. Thanks to Cumulus Studio for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Nunami Sculthorpe-Green is a proud palawa and warlpiri woman, and founder of Blak Led Tours Tasmania, an Aboriginal tourism business that is passionate about truth-telling and the representation of Tasmanian Aboriginal stories. 

Recognised for her profound impact on the Tasmanian tourism industry, Nunami was awarded the 2022 Tasmanian Tourism Minister’s Young Achieve Award.

In today’s episode, Luke Martin* chats with Nunami about how her business came to fruition and what she hopes the future of Aboriginal tourism in Tasmania looks like. Nunami talks in great detail about the personal and professional journey of building her business from the ground up, and some of the people that helped her along the way.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, the Department of State Growth. The Department of State Growth brings together four interrelated divisions developing a strategic approach that drives economic growth, and supports the community, industry and business in the creation of jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians. Thanks to the Department of State Growth for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

*This episode was recorded prior to Luke's departure from TICT. 

Matt and Vanessa are the Owners and Managers of Bangor Vineyard Shed – a multi award-winning, 4-hectare vineyard and a beautiful 6,000-hectare farming property located at Dunalley in Tasmania’s southeast. 

Recently, Bangor won Gold at the 2022 Tasmanian Tourism Awards and at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in the Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries category – a true testament to the hard work and dedication of this small family-owned and run vineyard. 

In today’s episode, Destination Southern Tasmania’s Alex Heroys chats with Matt and Vanessa about the history of their property and the journey they’ve taken to ultimately land themselves the infamous National Gold Award for their wine tourism product.

Matt and Vanessa initially spoke about how Bangor Vineyard Shed was born out of the 2013 Dunalley bushfires, and what initially started as a small, one room space quickly grew into what it is now which includes a larger cellar door and café experience with a wine-tasting area and covered outdoor deck and space for functions and events. 

Aside from their obvious winemaking success, Matt and Vanessa say they’re just sheep farmers at the end of the day. But, as you’ll hear, they’re award winners in this department too! 

Lastly, you’ll hear directly about Matt and Vanessa’s experience entering the Tasmanian Tourism Awards and the many benefits that come with it, especially in the way it allowed them to sit and reflect on all they’ve achieved and to celebrate this.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner NRMA Expeditions. NRMA Expeditions is one of the largest and fastest-growing holders of tourism assets across Australia, and has recently entered the Tasmanian tourism industry with the acquisition of some of our state’s most iconic destinations, including Freycinet Lodge, Cradle Mountain Hotel, Strahan Village and Gordon River Cruises. Thanks to NRMA Expeditions for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Since 2011, Luke Martin has been at the helm of the TICT as its CEO. Throughout the past 12 years, he has seen tourism in Tasmania evolve into what it is today - an industry that makes a greater contribution to its state's economy than any other in Australia.

Finally, the time has come for the interviewer to become the interviewee! Hosted by Tom Wootton, today's episode is longer than usual - so grab a drink and settle in, because it's a good one! 

Tom and Luke travel down memory lane and reflect on what the tourism landscape was like in 2011, before something called MONA came into the picture. They then talk about how this became a real turning point in putting Tasmania on the map and tourism spend becoming more of a government priority.  But, it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine - as with every industry, there were challenges - and the most obvious one being COVID. Tourism was hit especially hard, but as Tom and Luke recognise, the resilience and hard-working attitude of our state's tourism operators is second-to-none and the bounce back has been remarkable. 

It wouldn't be an episode of Talking Tourism without the famous 7 Questions - and it's safe to say, Luke has had plenty of time to think of his answers (having asked dozens of people them over the years). His answers certainly don't disappoint!

Tom even managed to surprise Luke with a special thank you from some very special people from his personal and professional life. 

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Christine Finnegan is the Co-CEO of the Tasmania JackJumpers – the tenth and latest team to join the National Basketball League (NBL). Christine has had a truly remarkable career spanning more than 25 years (and counting!) as a leading sports administrator in Australia. She was one of the first people hired in the formation of the JackJumpers back in 2020 and has contributed significantly to the team’s success both on and off the court.

In today’s episode, TICT’s Communications & Events Coordinator, Bella Alcorso, unpacks Christine’s life at the helm of our state’s very own NBL team and what makes Tasmania unique from other places. 

Christine spoke about building the JackJumpers brand from the ground up and how important it was for it to resonate with locals and to have their support, as well as that of local businesses and tourism brands to leverage sponsorships and partnerships.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, VXT. VXT is a purpose-built organization – to train a hospitality and tourism workforce to deliver the Tasmanian experience. VXT offers an array of industry-led, outcome-focused training courses both online and around Tasmania. Thanks to VXT for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Peter is a Director and Principal Architect at Cumulus Studio in Hobart, an architecture firm whose work spans from renovations to large-scale urban projects. 

Awarded nationally and internationally for his high-profile tourism project portfolio, Peter’s work includes transforming sensitive heritage sites like PumpHouse Point and The Apple Shed as well as new projects such as Saffire and the Dove Lake Viewing Shelter.

In today’s episode, Luke Martin delves into all things design and architecture with Peter and how important it is for tourism infrastructure to reflect the values of the Tasmanian brand.

Peter first talks about the infamous PumpHouse Point project and the excitement that came with honouring such a beautiful piece of historic architecture which sits in a world heritage environment area. For Peter, the opportunity the site presented was so unique and it was this uniqueness that has made PumpHouse Point one of the most luxurious, sought-after tourism experiences in Tasmania.

Similarly, the Dove Lake Viewing Shelter presented an opportunity to respect the environment of which surrounds the Lake and to leave a lasting legacy to make it better than they found it. It’s imperative to think of the experience people want and will be having in any space, and for Dove Lake it was all about design and functionality but in a way that had the environment at the forefront allowing the architecture to take the backseat. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, McDermott’s Coaches. McDermott’s Coaches is Tasmania’s largest coach, tour and specialist transport service provider, supplying tours, transfers and coach charters for large and small groups around Tasmania and interstate. They offer the local knowledge and experience of the McDermott family along with more than 50 staff, all of whom are committed to delivering great service. Thanks to McDermott’s Coaches for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible. 

Jenn Bett is a passionate member and advocate for Tasmania’s tourism industry. She first arrived as an international student more than 20 years ago and has since had a range of experience within the tourism industry. She spent nine years with Tourism Tasmania working directly with trade and media partners to raise awareness of Tasmania. Then, in 2016, Jen rejoined the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority where she still currently works as the Marketing and Communications Manager for Port Arthur, Cascade Female Factory, and Coal Mines Heritage Sites.

In today’s episode, Destination Southern Tasmania’s Alex Heroys chats to Jenn all about the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) – arguably the biggest event on the Australian tourism calendar each year (which occurred earlier this month).

For those who may be unaware, ATE brings together tourism operators from all over the country as well as international buyers from around the world to meet and do business. The episode delves into the ATE experience, which operators are representing our state, and what Tasmania does to stand out from the crowd. Alex and Jenn also chat about the concept of being ‘international ready’ – what it means and what businesses can do to cater for international visitors.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Steadfast TasWide. Steadfast TasWide is part of the largest insurance broker network in Australasia. With close to 50 staff located across offices in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, and Burnie, they offer a full suite of business insurance advice. On top of this, all Tourism Accredited businesses who engage Steadfast TasWide Insurance Brokers receive a 25% discount on their annual Tourism Accreditation fees. No catch, it’s just a small incentive to encourage you to support a Tasmanian business. Thanks to Steadfast TasWide for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Lindene Cleary is the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Tourism Tasmania. Prior to fulfilling this position, Lindene spent the last five years as Head of Brand Marketing overseeing the delivery of the agency’s ‘Come Down for Air’ brand platform and ‘Off Season’ campaign. 

In this episode, Luke Martin spoke with Lindene about her career in marketing, firstly with Coca-Cola and then with Tourism Tasmania, and specifically about the 2023 ‘Off Season’ campaign where she provides some interesting insights into the creation of the campaign, and how tourism operators can get involved.

The ‘Off Season’ campaign was born out of wanting to galvanise industry – to excite everyone to get involved in a shared vision for the winter season. Consumer insights and research proved people simply paused over the winter months waiting for it to be over. Tourism Tasmania saw this is an opportunity to create a change in how Australia sees winter – to see it is a season worth embracing rather than escaping.

While the ‘Off Season’ has technically started, Lindene explains it is never too late for tourism operators to get involved and to submit an ‘offer’. This is something any business – small or large – can offer visitors that is a bit different than what they already do. All a business has to do is upload their ‘offer’ to ATDW and Tourism Tasmania will do the rest – it’s that simple. 

Lindene also spoke about Tourism Tasmania’s new Discover Tasmania app – something which has only just recently been launched. Phones are often glued to everyone’s hands, but especially travellers who plan their holidays around information they can get at their fingertips. Hence why the Discover Tasmania app was created. Lindene explains how the app delivers tailored information relevant to the end-user, demonstrates the breadth of Tasmanian tourism offerings and influences on-ground behaviour.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Hype TV. As a complete production house, Hype has the capability to facilitate the entire production process from concept creation through to media delivery. Hype’s core production team consists of industry professionals with decades of experience, and they also have an extensive network of production crews across Tasmania to tailor to your needs. Thanks to Hype TV for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Emily Briffa is CEO and co-founder at Hamlet Inc., a catering and hospitality business in South Hobart. Arriving in Hobart in 2016, Emily was confronted by the scale of entrenched unemployment in the Tasmanian community. Leaving her own career as a chef, Emily established Hamlet, a thriving not-for-profit social enterprise that provides practical work experience and hands-on training placements to people who face employment barriers such as limited English, long-term unemployment, or the presence of a mental or physical disability.

Emily's keynote address also happened to be one of the most talked-about moments of the 2022 Tasmanian Tourism Conference, truly defining what it means to create a positive impact to community.

In today's episode, West by North West's Tom Wootton gets the abridged version of that address, including the pathway to establishing Hamlet, its evolution over the past five or so years, and the various risks and challenges that have been faced along the way. Hamlet's vision tackles some significant and endemic issues, and Emily explains how she and her team have gone about setting - and then achieving - a number of realistic but truly aspirational goals.

For anyone looking to contribute their own positive impact, this episode brings a special combination of inspiration and practical advice from someone who's been there, done (and doing) that.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Knight Frank. Knight Frank knows property. With a proven track record established over 125 years, Knight Frank has the distinct advantage of taking a longer term approach and investing in their client relationships versus being driven by the bottom line. Thanks to Knight Frank for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Rachael Downie is business success mentor who works with a variety of individuals, businesses and CEOs both locally and internationally. For the past decade, she has worked with government, corporate teams and individuals, helping them to educate and set goals to make lasting changes, creating the results they want. Rachael began her career as a teacher with a background in agriculture and hospitality, and branched out into consultancy and leadership.

In today's episode, Rachel Williams unpacks Rachael's focus on mindset, and why it's so important not only in our personal lives, but in our professional lives as well. We know that many tourism operators want to grow or move forward with their business, but are reluctant to take that first step, and Rachael suggests that there are many common factors that hold people back from jumping in. No surprises here - they relate back to mindset, too.

The vast majority of Tasmanian tourism businesses are small- to medium-sized enterprises with owner-operators who are often caught up in working "in" the business, often at the detriment of their capacity to work "on" the business (or themselves). Rachael suggests ways in which operators can increase the productivity and efficiency of their business, without sacrificing their very necessary role within it. She also offers her tips on how to identify ways to improve your bottom line, and talks through the next steps to work towards all of these outcomes. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, the Department of State Growth. The Department of State Growth brings together four interrelated divisions developing a strategic approach that drives economic growth, and supports the community, industry and business in the creation of jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians. Thanks to the Department of State Growth for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

As Co-CEO at LeaderLab, Linda Manaena is on a mission to amplify humanity in leadership. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, Linda works with leaders to help them create an inclusive environment to get the best out of their teams. She works with leaders and teams spanning 10 countries to build their level of psychological safety, emotional intelligence, resilience at work, compassionate candour, and to consciously show up for each other in the most resourceful and accountable ways.

In today's episode, Rachel Williams sits down with Linda to talk resilience. More than just a buzzword of the past few years, Linda explains exactly what resilience is, why it's always been important and why we need to care about it now.

There's been many a debate about whether resilience is something you can hone or whether you're "just born with it" , Linda suggests that it can be developed and brings her best strategies for building your own resilience. While we might have some level of self-awareness to observe how we respond to challenging situations, Linda says there are ways to assess our current level of resilience and to identify the gaps that we can work on.

Rachel also asks Linda's opinion on how these past few (very) challenging years might have impacted the collective resilience of the Tasmanian tourism industry, and then dives into the concept of psychological safety to understand how tourism operators can develop it in their personal and professional lives. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, TasVacations. TasVacations make it easy to plan your Tasmanian self-drive holiday. They love, live and breathe Tasmania, and will share their local knowledge of Tasmania’s attractions, cruises, guided walks, wineries and favourite restaurants. You can choose from one of their popular holiday packages including accommodation and car hire, and ask them to create a tailored touring holiday just for you. Thanks to TasVacations for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible. 

Jennifer Vandekreeke is Executive General Manager – Customer at NRMA Expeditions. Originally from the US, Jennifer moved her young family to Australia in 2011 to launch the Carnival Cruise Line brand down under. In 2021, she left the cruise industry to pursue her true passion – wilderness travel – and joined the NRMA Expeditions team leading the charge on all things commercial. Jennifer brings with her over two decades of experience working with global tourism brands such as Club Med, Seabourn Cruises and the Biltmore Hotel in the US, Europe and South America.

In today's episode, Rachel Williams gleans the best of Jennifer's workshop presentation to the 2022 Tasmanian Tourism Conference, which led delegates through the art of defining their own hospitality brand. In her role with NRMA Expeditions, Jennifer knows a thing or two about creating exceptional guest experiences, and she shares with our listeners what makes them truly stand out, and how this looks across different markets.

Rachel and Jennifer also unpack the unique selling points that Tasmanian tourism operators can leverage to create the kinds of experiences that entice tourists our way instead of anywhere else, as well as how to define your offering in such a way that it's unique from any other in the market.

Jennifer also chats storytelling in the brand and marketing world, and how telling a story changes how you sell and how your market engages with your brand. Finally, she offers her advice on how operators can bring their brand positioning to life across their customer touchpoints, to reach the right customers and get the most bang for their buck. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Knight Frank. Knight Frank knows property. With a proven track record established over 125 years, Knight Frank has the distinct advantage of taking a longer term approach and investing in their client relationships versus being driven by the bottom line. Thanks to Knight Frank for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Kristin Dunne is Director of Destination Strategy at Miles Partnership, and a global authority on regenerative tourism. Kristin pioneered the application of regenerative tourism principles in destination planning. As CEO of Tapoi Te Moananui a Toi/Tourism Bay of Plenty Regional Tourism in New Zealand, Kristin launched in 2019 Te Ha Tapoi/The Love of Tourism – a transformative approach to industry and destination planning centred on the value of growing tourism for locals’ sake, and grounded in the principles of regeneration. Love of Tourism is now recognised as a model in contemporary tourism management for many destinations across New Zealand, Australia and beyond.

In today's episode Kristin sits down with Visit Northern Tasmania's Chris Griffin to share the vision and strategy of the The Love of Tourism, and how it's been outworked since its launch. In keeping with the theme of our last couple of episodes, Kristin is a leading voice on regenerative tourism, and she explains why interest and investment into this space has accelerated post-Covid, as well as why it is now a critical consideration for all tourism businesses in all markets.

If you're confused as to how regenerative tourism principles can be applied in a practical sense, Kristin breaks down the steps to take, and how to communicate what you're doing to your market.

Finally, Chris and Kristin chat about the many key features that Tasmania shares with New Zealand when it comes to the value proposition for the tourism. With these shared characteristics in mind, Kristin suggests her hot tips around what Tassie tourism operators should be pushing into right now to make the most of what's bound to be a long and positive regenerative tourism wave. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Evolve Tourism.  Evolve Tourism brings 25 years' experience across all aspects of tourism development and marketing. David Inches' network of Australia's best tourism professionals delivers tourism projects of any tupe and size across every corner of Australia. Thanks to Evolve Tourism for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Dan Robertson-Jones is Partner and Culture, Forecasting and Futures lead for the APAC region at Kantar Consulting. He has over 20 years’ expertise in the fields of insight, strategy, design, cultural change, trend analysis and forecasting, having worked with and for businesses across the Americas, Europe, Africa and APAC. As part of the global team that pioneered Kantar’s global sustainability practice, Dan brings the advisory and consulting experience of helping numerous global brands and businesses turn aspirations in sustainability into clear strategy, practical action and commercial impact. 

Off the back of last week’s episode with Ethical Republic’s Emma Pethybridge, today’s episode sees Visit Northern Tasmania’s Chris Griffin unpack with Dan the global sustainability practice that Kantar pioneered, to understand how markets are changing. Their research has proven up the acceleration of different values, attitudes and behaviours around how people want to live post-Covid, and Dan is well-placed to explain how sustainability plays (big time) into these changes. 

 Dan also worked with Tourism Tasmania to understand how Tassie can find new relevance within these changing market aspirations, and to start a different conversation from travel and tourism being a passive pursuit to one that actually gets more out of life and leaves a positive impact. 

Tasmania has long thought of itself as the birthplace of the sustainability movement, and Dan agrees wholeheartedly that it's a world leader. However, the challenge now is how we move our thinking from minimising our impact to maintain the way we live, to a mindset of reimagining how we live and leaning into change to create a better future. 

In this episode, you'll get Dan's take on the responsibilities that the Tasmanian tourism industry must get serious about as it leans in to the positive impact agenda, the eight key areas of focus that will drive growth in the next few years, and how sustainability and profit can coexist.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Tourism Tribe. Tourism Tribe delivers the most up to date, highest quality, relevant advice and support for tourism operators to grow their confidence and digital business skills. Thanks to Tourism Tribe for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Emma Pethybridge is the Founder and CEO at Ethical Republic, a for-purpose company that supports the development of nature-based enterprises in and around protected areas. Emma grew up on the north-west coast of Tassie, and has worked throughout Australia, North America, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East in sustainability, cultural and nature-based tourism, and conservation market development. She has worked with the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, Emirates Nature-WWF, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Swisscontact Vietnam and Expo 2020 Dubai’s Sustainability Pavilion.

In today’s episode, Destination Southern Tasmania’s Alex Heroys chats with Emma about what led her to founding Ethical Republic, which looks to find sustainable, scalable, inclusive and creative ways of unlocking value for communities so both people and wild spaces can thrive. 

Emma unpacks regenerative tourism, and how it takes the sustainable buzzword (at least) one positive step further. It’s about intent and a set of actions that aim to leave things better than we found them, including respecting ecological boundaries, uplifting host communities, and using business as a force for good by incorporating purpose into its DNA. 

Emma also introduces her six dimensions of regenerative travel and tourism, and provides examples of how you can apply these principles to your business, no matter its size. While these shifts undoubtedly carry with them some investment of time, energy and finance, Emma explains how you can extract commercial value from your purpose by how - and to whom - you talk about what you’re doing. 

Alex and Emma discuss the unique positive impact advantages available to Tasmanian tourism businesses through the state's existing wilderness values and cultural landscapes, as well as the opportunities to do better through promoting and partnering with the Aboriginal Tasmanian community to provide indigenous tourism experiences. 

Ultimately, a regenerative tourism plateau doesn't look to be on the cards. With the positive impact agenda tipped to continue to grow exponentially as people become increasingly intentional about the way they travel, this is critical listening for tourism operators.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service. PWS presents, protects and manages our Tasmania’s extraordinary landscapes in partnership with the community. They work to conserve the State’s natural and cultural heritage while providing for sustainable use and economic opportunities for the Tasmanian community. Thanks to Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Rob Cameron is an Adviser at Collins SBA, where he provides business advisory services on performance improvement, turnaround of underperforming businesses, and succession planning. An experienced business manager, strategist and coach, Rob has worked with many business owners to help them craft a business succession plan that works for their individual situation, and has assisted on numerous business exits that have achieved great financial results and personal satisfaction for clients.

In this episode, Rachel Williams sits down to talk all things moving on with Rob. Whether it's succession planning within a family business or selling on to a stranger, every business needs an exit strategy ... and Rob's advice is to get thinking about that well before it's time to walk away.

Rob discusses the importance of profitability, risk management, and maximising the value of your business, as well as creating a plan around how you're going to sell, and WHO you're going to sell to. The message is simple: the less risk your business carries, the more value it commands.

Statistics tell us that more than 50% of business exits happen on terms that the business owner hadn't fully prepared for, so listen in to give yourself the best chance of extracting the value you deserve from your business when it's time to sell - even if you think that might be years away.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Business Events Tasmania. Business Events Tasmania is a specialist bidding organization responsible for marketing Tasmania as a business event destination. For over 30 years, BET has taken a lead role in promoting Tasmania to national and international associations, corporate organisations and event planners. Thanks to Business Events Tasmania for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Kym Goodes is the principal of 3P, and is recognised as one of the foremost public voices in Tasmania. She has over two decades of experience working in government and the not-for-profit sector in social and economic public policy fields as diverse as education, employment, transport, energy, digital inclusion, health, housing and human services. Kym and the 3P team specialise in social impact assessment, social licence to operate and corporate social responsibility - bringing together her expertise in social and economic policy.

In today's episode, Kym and TICT's Luke Martin discuss the potential for Tasmania's tourism industry to make a positive impact, by being a collective of corporate citizens that leaves behind a good footprint.

With the recent and exponential elevation of brand Tasmania on the international stage, the state's tourism industry now has a compelling opportunity to ensure it is thinking responsibly, holistically and collaboratively. Kym sets out some of the critical measures of best practice, so that individual operators - as well as whole communities - can begin to understand their current position as corporate citizens and set goals for the future.

Kym describes a sweet spot between social and economic development that balances commercial success with happy communities, and unpacks the five key areas of social licence that create good legacy. While being good for your community won't happen incidentally, there are simple steps every business can take to set positive intent with big impact.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service. PWS presents, protects and manages our Tasmania’s extraordinary landscapes in partnership with the community. They work to conserve the State’s natural and cultural heritage while providing for sustainable use and economic opportunities for the Tasmanian community. Thanks to Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Despina Karatzias is the Chief Navigator at Navii Digital and Tourism Tribe, where she supports Australian tourism operators to learn how to run, market and get the best out of their small tourism businesses and convert them to even more effective and efficient tourism businesses. She is a digital tourism and packaging specialist, and has created and delivered a number of in-person and online training courses for the small business community.

In today's episode, Rachel Williams sits down with Despina to talk all things digital marketing. In an age where contemporary marketing approaches are no longer a nice-to-have but a need-to-have, Despina explains how to make the digital transformation toolbox work for you and your business, as well as where you should focus your attention to get the most impact for your effort.

Despina defines and compares owned, earned and paid assets, and puts every tourism operator into the landlord's role - now it's up to you to make sure your "tenants" are in the right mix and working hard for you. 

While social media is a beast unto itself, Despina highlights the importance of your website as the best salesperson in your business, and provides her tips on attracting traffic to it so that you can convert digital attention into sales. She also discusses a destination-first approach to marketing, where a "we" philosophy leverages organic and holistic content and digital assets into your marketing plan.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service. PWS presents, protects and manages our Tasmania’s extraordinary landscapes in partnership with the community. They work to conserve the State’s natural and cultural heritage while providing for sustainable use and economic opportunities for the Tasmanian community. Thanks to Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Chris Davis is General Manager at The Van Diemen Project, a Launceston-based organisation that helps people, businesses and communities to start, scale and sustain businesses, through training, events, education, mentoring and business advice.

In today's episode, TICT's Luke Martin steps into the client's chair with three different stages of tourism business. To start, Chris and Luke unpack the critical planning and strategy steps that must accompany that great tourism product you've got brewing in your mind, to make sure your brilliant concept is actually going to make you money.

Next, they look at the most important considerations for any operating business in these still uncertain - but very opportune - times for Tasmania's recovering tourism industry, including managing cashflow and working capital for reinvestment. The bad news? You really do need to make sure your books are in order.

And, finally, Chris steps through the sale or succession process. Whether you're planning on moving on soon or much later, there's plenty you can and should be doing right now to set yourself up for a positive future.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, McDermott’s Coaches. McDermott’s Coaches are Tasmania’s largest coach tour and specialist transport service provider, supplying tours, transfers and coach charters for large and small groups around Tasmanian and interstate. They offer the local knowledge and experience of the McDermott family along with over 50 staff, all of whom are committed to delivering great service. Thanks to McDermott’s Coaches for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Dr Polly McGee is a leadership coach, author, speaker and strategist with over a decade working in business strategy, leadership program design and delivery to transform cultures. One of only 400 people globally selected to be trained and certified by Dr Brene Brown to deliver her Dare to Lead program, Polly specializes in trauma-informed leadership at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and somatic therapy.

In today's episode, Rachel Williams unpacks what Polly's specialties mean and how they can be applied to leadership and people management in your tourism business.  Ultimately, it's about understanding what drives the behaviour of individuals, and creating safe work spaces where your team can feel as happy and fulfilled as possible.  The first step? Accepting our own unique selves so that we can apply compassion and empathy to the people and systems around us.

While many tourism businesses have nailed the experience that meets their customers' needs, the same needs to be true for our teams, and Polly goes into detail about what great leaders can do to ensure the team value proposition is solid, paving the way for greater retention, increased customer satisfaction and a cohesive brand Tasmania.

This is a deep-dive chat where Polly touches on resilience, vulnerability, self-care, fear and courage, and has plenty of pearls to apply to your professional and personal life.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Cumulus Studio. Cumulus Studio is an award-winning architecture and interior design practice with offices in Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne and Adelaide. Amongst its most notable Tasmanian tourism designs are the award-winning Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and the iconic Pumphouse Point in Tassie’s central highlands. Thanks to Cumulus Studio for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Kate Rickwood is the Secretary at Young Tourism Network and the Coordinator of Insights and Communications at Victoria Tourism Industry Council (or VTIC). She is an experienced Communications Coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in local government and regional tourism organisations across Victoria, managing key projects in research, marketing, communications and industry development.  Kate is passionate about amplifying the tourism industry’s young voices, and has sat on the Young Tourism Network committee for eight years, and delivered several youth development programs for VTIC.

In today's episode, Tourism Tasmania's Sam Denmead gets the lowdown on Victoria's Young Tourism Network (YTN) which has been around for almost two decades and now acts as an advocate for young people in the industry. In collaboration with Regeneration Projects , YTN recently led the Young Voices in Tourism report to understand young people's thoughts and perceptions about their experiences in the industry. Kate unpacks the key findings of the report, particularly as they related to sustainability, ethical considerations, and growth opportunities and career progressions. 

The Young Voices in Tourism report also suggested a number of recommended actions to invest in young people in the industry with a view to strengthen the security of the Australian tourism workforce and increase engagement with young professionals. This is critical listening for every employer in the visitor economy sector today.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Moo Brew. Moo Brew is the official beer of the Tasmanian tourism industry. Inspired by the art, creativity and innovation of MONA, the Moo Brew range of contemporary lagers and ales are brewed in Tasmania, and designed to be enjoyed while experiencing all the state has to offer. Thanks to Moo Brew for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Kirsten Galliott is Head of Content, Travel & Luxury at Medium Rare Content Agency, and Editor in Chief at Qantas magazine and Travel Insider. She is a senior media executive with more than 20 years’ experience in newspapers, magazines, television and radio. Her impressive career includes three years as Editor for much-loved fashion magazine InStyle fashion, 10 years at Fairfax Media, and a presenting stint on Channel 7’s Sunrise.  As Head of Content, Travel & Luxury, for Medium Rare Content Agency, Kirsten serves as Editor-in-Chief of the flagship QANTAS magazine and Travel Insider, and crafts content strategies for tourism bodies here and overseas.

In today's episode, Destination Southern Tasmania's Alex Heroys makes the most of Kirsten's remit to keep her finger on the pulse of travel and tourism trends. Together, they discuss destination data, including what's happening in the world of travel, and how this impacts the tourism market in Tasmania.

Kirsten identifies two distinct markets: one that is itching to travel and another that is still sitting in a level of post-Covid reluctance. But there's a common theme among both markets:  intentional travel. Whether it's slow experiences that immerse and recharge, First Nations experiences that connect travellers authentically to place and people, or those bucket list experiences that fulfil a lifelong dream, Tassie is in a prime position to deliver on exactly what visitors are looking for in their destination  deliberations.  Having recently settled in Tasmania herself, Kirsten is well-placed to comment on the state's unique selling points , as well as the gaps to lean into to remain competitive in the domestic and international market.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Hobart Airport. From an isolated island at the bottom of the world to an internationally renowned travel destination, Hobart Airport has seen Tasmania through an endless journey of discovery, invention anad creation, and they're proud to bring those from near and far along for the ride. Thanks to Hobart Airport for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Jessica Richmond is CEO at Local Carbon and Partner at Ellis Richmond, Tasmanian-based consultancies that specialise in carbon accounting and advising businesses on carbon accounting opportunities. Jess’s background is in commercial law in the energy and resources sector, with strong senior management experience in the mining industry. She has a strong understanding of the requirements of industrial operations, balanced with an understanding of community expectations and the need to manage both effectively for the benefit of all stakeholders.

In today's episode, WXNW's Tom Wootton makes the most of Jess' expertise to get the 101 on carbon accounting and why it's so important in the context of the Tasmanian tourism industry's bold goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.  To that end, Local Carbon has been engaged by TICT and the Tasmanian Government to undertake an important carbon accounting pilot project, and Jess unpacks how that project has provided a footprint of the emissions of different types of tourism businesses across the visitor economy. In the context of increasingly carbon-conscious travellers, it couldn't be more critical for tourism businesses to take their responsiblity seriously AND authentically share the story with its market. 

You'll also get Jess' take on how the Tasmanian tourism industry stacks up in comparison with other local industries, and what sort of steps every operator can take to ensure a competitive advantage moving forward.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, the Department of State Growth. The Department of State Growth brings together four interrelated divisions developing a strategic approach that drives economic growth, and supports the community, industry and business in the creation of jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians. Thanks to the Department of State Growth for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

To find out more about how Local Carbon can make carbon accounting normal for your business, head to their website here. 

Rob Dougan is the Executive General Manager - Strategy and Research at Tourism Australia. In his role with TA, Rob is tasked with setting the organisation’s objectives, devising strategies to help achieve them, and ensuring that Tourism Australia and the tourism industry have the right data to make those decisions and understand their impacts.

In today's episode, Destination Southern Tasmania's Alex Heroys racks Rob's data- and trends-centric mind for his take on the recovery of inbound international tourism to Australia and, specifically, Tasmania.

While lingering resistance to long-haul flights and economic factors continue to impact how many international tourists we're seeing arrive into Tassie, there's plenty of good news for our state in terms of its competitiveness with other destinations. In Rob's words, we're perfectly poised with a suite of high-quality products that appeal to a high-yielding market that's willing to travel and - perhaps more importantly - willing to spend good money on great experiences that celebrate people, product and place.

Rob also unpacks our closest competitors and the key advantages we must flex in order to increase our share, new and emerging inbound markets, and the post-Covid recovery of the all-important China market. Finally, he provides an update on 2018's Restaurant Australia campaign, and how important it is that we continue to sell brand Tasmania to an international market.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Tourism Australia. Tourism Australia is the Australian Government agency responsible for attracting international visitors to Australia, both for leisure and business events. The organisation is active in 15 key markets and activities include advertising, PR and media programs, trade shows and industry programs, consumer promotions, online communications and consumer research. Thanks to Tourism Australia for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Having grown up in the tourism and hospitality industry, Stacey Joseph has spent in excess of 20 years in people-facing roles. Now, in her role with the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Stacey brings extensive experience in human resources and workforce development. Stacey has supported multiple businesses to become Employers of Choice as well as to implement practices that create a workplace culture that contributes to attracting and retaining a skilled and capable workforce.

 In today's episode, TICT's Luke Martin gets Stacey's thoughts on the current Tasmanian employment market. While it might bring momentary consolation to note that the workforce challenges faced by the tourism industry are shared by most other sectors, this brings with it an even greater challenge in competing for employees. In what's been touted as the Great Jobs Boom, it's never been more important for tourism businesses to sell themselves not just to their customers, but also to potential employees. Stacey unpacks the unique advantages of the tourism industry that we should be marketing to jobseekers, and brings insight to what the next generation of young leaders is looking for in a prospective employer - spoiler alert: it's not all about the money

Stacey also explains the Employer of Choice program which recognises businesses that demonstrate contemporary workforce practices, excellent support for employees and opportunities for work-life balance. Whether you want to formalise the benefits of working with you or not, it's important to identify and communicate what you do to make your business somewhere people want to work and continue working.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Steadfast TasWide. Steadfast TasWide is part of the largest insurance broker network in Australasia. With close to 50 staff located across offices in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, they offer a full suite of business insurance advice, and all Tourism Accredited businesses who engage Steadfast TasWide Insurance Brokers receive a 25% discount on their annual Tourism Accreditation fees. No catch, it’s just a small incentive to encourage you to support a Tasmanian business. Thanks to Steadfast TasWide for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Sam Reid has a background in the corporate environment spanning 15 years and three continents, working in senior marketing and innovation roles. Here in Tassie, he is co-founder of Willie Smith's Cider Makers, which has grown rapidly to become one of Australia's leading craft cider companies and the most awarded cider company in Australia. And, more recently, Sam became the Managing Director of Du Cane Brewing Co., an up and coming Launceston-based craft beer brand. 

In today's episode, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti chats with Sam about his trajectory from corporate marketing guy to beverage boffin in Tasmania, and what drew him to craft cider in the first place (spoiler alert: the market research had nothing to do with asking people what they wanted, and everything to do with a very good gut feeling). 

While Willie Smith's began as a local name with a local following, the Willie Smith's product and destination have become tourism icons in their own right, and Sam shares his insights into what he reckons the keys to the brand's success have been along the way. In what will come as no surprise to regular Talking Tourism listeners, telling the stories of product, place and people are at the centre of Willie Smith's birth and growth over the past ten years. 

Finally, Sam gives us a peek into the evolution of Du Cane Brewing Co. from backyard homebrew to Tasmanian walking tour beverage of choice to a northern brewpub set to inject more life into the Launceston tourism and hospitality scene later when it opens later this year. 

Today's episode is brought to you by our partner NRMA Expeditions. NRMA Expeditions is one of the largest and fastest-growing holders of tourism assets across Australia, and has recently entered the Tasmanian tourism industry with the acquisition of some of Tasmania's most iconic destinations, including Freycinet Lodge, Cradle Mountain Hotel, Strahan Village and Gordon River Cruises. Thanks to NRMA Expeditions for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible. 

Charlie Knaggs leads the Climate Change and Energy teams at Point Advisory, where he works with corporate and government clients to help find and implement decarbonisation solutions that are economically sensible and environmentally robust. He specialises in greenhouse gas measurement, management, reporting and auditing, and was recently engaged by TICT to undertake a report that would provide insights into what it would look like for the Tasmanian tourism industry to be carbon-neutral. 

In this episode, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti chats with Charlie about the findings of that report, beginning by exploring what it actually means to be carbon-neutral. Charlie then explains how he went about determining the size of Tasmanian tourism's carbon footprint, and how it compares to other Australian states' tourism industries, as well as other industries within Tasmania. 

Charlie suggests that we need to look at achieving carbon neutrality from a top-down approach as well as a bottom-up approach, and talks through the differences between both approaches and how you might apply these considerations in your own business.

Ultimately, the big question is whether the Tasmanian tourism industry can achieve its bold ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2025. And, if it can, what measures does it need to take to get there? Listen in for Charlie's take and to understand how you can make a difference.

Today's episode is brought to you by our partner, VXT. VXT is a purpose-built organisation with one purpose - to train a hospitality and tourism workforce to deliver the Tasmanian workforce. VXT offers an array of industry-led, outcome-focused training courses both online and around Tasmania. Thanks to VXT for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible. 

Alicia Peardon is one half of the husband-and-wife duo behind Tassie's Ghost Rock Wines, where she oversees the customer-facing side of the business, encompassing all things tourism, hospitality and events. 

In this episode, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti chats with Alicia about the growth of Ghost Rock since she and husband Justin moved to north-west Tasmania seven years ago. With a background in marketing, PR and events, including being the Founding CEO of Jamie Oliver's Australian Ministry of Food, Alicia has a unique insight to (and talent for!) developing new products to embed and enhance an existing brand. 

From humble beginnings, the Ghost Rock brand is now characterised by over 30 hectares under vine, an onsite winery, cellar door, restaurant and - recently - a three-bedroom accommodation offering. Alicia explains how each of these elements has been added to the original brand proposition in response to changing markets, as well as how they have considered the growing agritourism sector and its relevance to Ghost Rock as a destination in itself. 

Today's episode is brought to you by our partner, Hype TV. As a complete production house, Hype has the capability to facilitate the entire production process from concept creation through to media delivery. Hype's core production team consists of industry professionals with decades of experience, and they also have an extensive network of production crews across Tasmania to tailor to your needs. Thanks to Hype TV for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible. 

Joe Pickett is the General Manager at Spring Bay Mill, a 43-hectare waterfront site that is being managed by a group of bright sparks intent on charting a sustainable path. Spring Bay Mill is an events and functions space, accommodation facility, and even the site of an up-cycled amphitheatre, but it's the regenerative focus of the business that provides a fascinating case study into how Tasmanian tourism can position itself as a leader in this space.

In today's episode, West by North West's Tom Wootton discovers how Joe and his team have sensitively repurposed a former woodchip mill into something that is productive and regenerative, all while doing business and turning a profit. 

Joe unpacks the "paradox harmony" of the triple bottom line, and how Spring Bay Mill has considered purpose alongside profit in all of its work. Gone are the days where a rubber stamp of approval was enough - today's tourists are more socially aware than ever, so Tom and Joe also discuss the importance of sharing your efforts and impact. In an age of intentional travel, how can you have a meaningful conversation with your customers that connects your purpose through every touchpoint of your business? 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, McDermott’s Coaches. McDermott’s Coaches are Tasmania’s largest coach tour and specialist transport service provider, supplying tours, transfers and coach charters for large and small groups around Tasmanian and interstate. They offer the local knowledge and experience of the McDermott family along with over 50 staff, all of whom are committed to delivering great service. Thanks to McDermott’s Coaches for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Catherine Stark is Managing Director and Co-Owner of Seven Sheds Brewery, a truly authentic agritourism offering that still operates out of its original backyard premises, where visitors can meet the brewers, see hops growing and (of course!) taste the delicious brews. Catherine has also been instrumental in the development of the Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail, a food and drink trail in the state's north-west that provides an opportunity for visitors to connect with produce, place and people.

In this episode, Catherine chats with fellow north-westerner Tom Wootton about the growth of agritourism in Tasmania over the past decade, and why it's not going to stop any time soon. Tom and Catherine discuss how all tourism operators can leverage this increasing interest to their own advantage, and how more competition in this space might just mean that everyone gets a bigger slice of the pie.

While agritourism might not be your business' bread and butter, there's plenty of pearls of Catherine's wisdom here as to how we can all provide educative and immersive experiences to visitors seeking a genuine connection with Tasmania and what makes it so special. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, NRMA Expeditions. NRMA Expeditions is one of the largest and fastest growing holders of tourism assets across Australia, and has recently entered the Tasmanian tourism industry with the acquisition of some of Tasmania’s most iconic destinations, including Freycinet Lodge, Cradle Mountain Hotel, Strahan Village and Gordon River Cruises. Thanks to NRMA Expeditions for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Nathan Darke has been in the travel and tourism industry for over 20 years. Formerly part-owner and Director of Andrew Jones Travel, he now leads Federal Group’s Sales and Distribution team. 

In today’s episode, West by North West’s Tom Wootton picks Nathan's brains about all things distribution. Often overlooked in favour of its big brother marketing, distribution is a critical element in the marketing mix that dictates how you get your product, experience or service to your customer via certain channels. Nathan believes that decisions around distribution have never been as important as they are right now, as consumers respond to a new environment when it comes to purchasing travel. 

Nathan shares his insights around how to set up the best distribution mix for your business, and reminds listeners that understanding your customer is key. While third-party channels might demand a commission that direct sales don’t, they could be your business’ secret sauce when it comes to meeting your customer where they are when they want you. 

Nathan also explains and unpacks aggregation, consolidation and re-fragmentation in the digital distribution space, and what it all means for you and your business, whether small, medium or large. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, the Department of State Growth. The Department of State Growth brings together four interrelated divisions developing a strategic approach that drives economic growth, and supports the community, industry and business in the creation of jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians. Thanks to the Department of State Growth for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Marta Dusseldorp is a multi-award-winning Australian actress who has worked extensively in theatre, film and television for over 30 years. Amongst many other credits, Marta featured in Wentworth for FOXTEL and the ABC mini-series Stateless opposite Cate Blanchett, and was most recently nominated for Most Popular Actress at the 2019 Logie Awards.

So, what does Marta have to do with Tasmanian tourism? Well, she has also started her own company, Archipelago Productions, here in Tassie, and is currently in development as producer, creator and lead actor for a crime thriller television series, Bay of Fires, set on the wild west coast of the state. In today’s episode, West by North West’s Tom Wootton chats with Marta about this exciting new production and its potential impacts for exposure of and visitation to a number of regional jewels in Tasmania’s crown. 

As someone who has seen a good idea transform into a fully-funded major project, Marta also shares her insights into bringing ambitious visions to life in the Tasmanian tourism industry. You’ll be pleased to hear that a lot of the ingredients – authenticity, passion and purpose – are naturally in abundance in our corner of the world. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Hostplus. Founded by the Australian Hotels Association and the United Works Union in 1988, Hostplus has its origins in the tourism and hospitality industries, and continues to evolve as the lifetime fund of choice for all Australians, delivery retirement income security to their members. Thanks to Hostplus for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

If you’re a Tasmanian, you’re probably familiar with today’s guest. Mitch McPherson is the founder of Speak Up! Stay ChatTY, a mental health awareness organisation inspired by the loss of his younger brother Ty to suicide in 2013. Since then, the organisation has delivered programs into workplaces, community groups, schools and sporting clubs to encourage people to speak up about mental health and create a kinder and more accepting world. 

In today’s conversation, TICT’s Luke Martin asks Mitch to share his advice with the Tasmanian tourism and hospitality industry, which has arguably been one of the hardest hit by the last two years’ Covid-related challenges. While we’re encouraged by the most recent Tourism Industry Business Sentiment Survey, which showed that 95% of respondents had a positive outlook for the future of the industry, it’s undeniable that the last two years have had real impact on the industry’s collective mental health. Mitch talks through practical self-care strategies to build resilience and avoid negative cycles, as well as the importance of looking out for others around us who might be doing it tough.

For leaders and managers, Mitch offers his tips on building workplace cultures that are engaged with and proactive around mental health strategies. He believes that these cultures need to be set from the top, and can have real impact on individuals and teams. 

And with June 21 – the shortest day of the year – coming up, Mitch gets chatty about Shorts Day. It’s a new awareness initiative that encourages us to wear shorts to work on what might be one of the chilliest days to brave the cold and brave the conversation around mental health. 

For more information on Shorts Day and Speak Up! Stay ChatTY’s work, head to https://staychatty.com.au/

For other support with mental health in the workplace, check out THA’s Mental Health & Wellbeing resources at https://www.tha.asn.au/mental-health-wellbeing 

If you, or someone you know, is in crisis, please call Lifeline on 131144 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, TasVacations. TasVacations make it easy to plan your Tasmanian self-drive holiday. They love, live and breathe Tasmania, and will share their local knowledge of Tasmania’s attractions, cruises, guided walks, wineries and favourite restaurants. You can choose from one of their popular holiday packages including accommodation and car hire, and ask them to create a tailored touring holiday just for you. Thanks to TasVacations for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible. 

Dr. Allison Anderson is a data queen with an impressive list of experience in tourism development and marketing. Formerly the Head of Research & Insights at Tourism Tasmania, Alli now connects heart, art and science to produce informed strategy as Founder of Episteme Consulting. 

In today’s episode, TICT’s Luke Martin plays right into Alli’s wheelhouse, by asking her to use all of the research at her disposal to extrapolate a forecast for Tasmania’s tourism industry in the current context and moving forward. 

Alli gives her insights into growing intrastate markets for Tassie, including Western Australian and Queensland, and the (positive!) impacts that these newer markets have had on average length of stay and average spend per visitor. But, with international borders opening up and overseas destinations beckoning,  it’s important that we remain competitive in attracting these markets to Tasmania. Alli unpacks the idea of offering a counter-experience to the grind through our unique wide open spaces, regional experiences, and regenerative tourism offerings.  

Alli and Luke also chat about changes to our inbound international markets over the past few years, and consider the visitors that might be best placed to replace a dwindling Chinese market. While the US and UK represent high-yielding and engaged markets to continue to tap into, could Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia be the next frontiers for Tasmanian tourism? Alli believes that the future looks bright for our industry, and provides her recommendations for focus areas to businesses looking to make the most of tourism’s comeback. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, VXT. VXT is a purpose-built organization with one purpose – to train a hospitality and tourism workforce to deliver the Tasmanian experience. VXT offers an array of industry-led, outcome-focused training courses both online and around Tasmania. Thanks to VXT for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

You might recognise TICT’s Luke Martin and West by North West’s Tom Wootton as regular hosts of Talking Tourism, but today’s episode sees these two set up shop in the studio together to shoot the breeze just as they might in one of their regular phone calls. 

First up, Luke and Tom discuss the findings of the recent Tourism Industry Business Sentiment Survey, which – while realistic about the ongoing challenges faced by many operators – tell an optimistic story about the future of our industry in Tasmania. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest issues falling out of the survey feedback was staffing and workforce skills, and Luke and Tom share their insights on how we might better attract great people into the industry by improving the employee value proposition. 

They also take a deep-dive into what they see as the next frontier in the Tasmanian tourism industry’s growth: agritourism. As CEO of the north-west’s regional tourism organisation, Tom has seen first-hand how farm-based experiences create genuine connections between visitors and the Tasmanian story, and Luke believes this sector generates products that can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world. 

Finally, Luke and Tom chat all things Federal Election, and its implications for tourism. Tom has his hopes pinned on funding for the Reimagining the Far North West project and the Don River Railway, while Luke’s wish list also includes the Hobart Airport international runway, Launceston business events infrastructure, and the Spirit of Tasmania equalisation scheme. 

You can find Tourism Tasmania's Tasmanian Visitor Survey (TVS) data referenced in today's episode at https://www.tourismtasmania.com.au/research/tvs

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Business Events Tasmania. Business Events Tasmania is a specialist bidding organization responsible for marketing Tasmania as a business event destination. For over 30 years, BET has taken a lead role in promoting Tasmania to national and international associations, corporate organisations and event planners. Thanks to Business Events Tasmania for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Toni Kibbey is a business and marketing coach who helps business owners create clarity and direction, and take smarter steps towards growth. In today's episode, Toni chats to TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti about the important role that collaboration and co-opetition play in business growth, particularly in Tasmania. 

Toni defines co-opetition, and explains the difference between a mindset of co-opetition and the action of collaboration, neither of which can exist without the other. She believes that this mindset of relationship with our competitors can be especially beneficial in Tassie, to make your business' voice louder and to hook a greater share of the visitor economy.

This episode also outlines the steps to identifying potential businesses with which to collaborate, describes how to formalise a collaborative relationship to ensure everyone's on the same page, and provides examples that have paid off both locally and nationally. Toni also provides a 101 on writing your own business and marketing plan, including identifying your target audience and understanding how to reach them.

You can find the Tourism Tasmania Visitor Statistics referenced in this episode at https://www.tourismtasmania.com.au/research/visitors

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Business Events Tasmania. Business Events Tasmania is a specialist bidding organization responsible for marketing Tasmania as a business event destination. For over 30 years, BET has taken a lead role in promoting Tasmania to national and international associations, corporate organisations and event planners. Thanks to Business Events Tasmania for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Liz Ward is the Founder and CEO of Tourism Tribe, an online learning community that delivers advice and support for tourism operators to grow their confidence and digital business skills. In today's episode, she chats with TICT's Luke Martin about the everchanging world of technology, and how important it is that tourism operators adapt with those changes.

Liz goes into detail about how the COVID environment has further fast-tracked digital changes, and the impact that this has had on take-up across all demographics, including those that form some of our biggest visitor markets. Along with increased online savvy, consumers' expectations of the online customer service experience have also changed. These days, your business' online presence isn't just about marketing and being found - it's about engaging and servicing potential customers when they've landed on your piece of the digital world. Liz provides a number of insights into the best ways to connect with customers online to convert their interest into your business.

Today's episode references checking your ATDW listing, and we encourage you to make this your first stop by logging in at https://atdw.com.au/
For more information about Tawk's live chat software, head to https://www.tawk.to/, and if you're interested in  video editing, check out https://www.veed.io/ 
Tourism Tribe is online at https://www.tourismtribe.com/

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Hype TV. Hype TV is TICT’s official AV partner, offering a range of services in the media production arena, from conceptual creative to full production and asset delivery. Thanks to Hype TV for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Like most tourism operators, Nick Wright has ridden the many highs and lows of the COVID wave over the past two years. Newly appointed to Hobart's iconic Islington Hotel in late 2019, he watched the double whammy of interstate bushfires and a global pandemic all but wipe out the property's forward bookings overnight. By March 2020, the hotel had closed for the state's lockdown, before a slow build back up several months later. 

In September 2020, Nick had taken on a new role with a northern icon, as General Manager of Iconic Leisure Inn Penny Royal Hotel and Apartments. In today's episode, TICT's Luke Martin chats with Nick about the many challenges these two very different properties have thrown his way, and discovers that data has been critical in making the greatest business impact. With a focus on guest feedback, wise investment and capitalising on an all-round Tasmanian experience, Nick was able to see room rates increase by around 40% in the middle of the pandemic and finished last year well ahead of budget.

As a manager, Nick understands the many directions in which operators are pulled, and offers insights to take away and apply to your own business so you can get the best bang for your buck, too.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, the Department of State Growth. The Department of State Growth brings together four interrelated divisions developing a strategic approach that drives economic growth, and supports the community, industry and business in the creation of jobs and opportunities for Tasmanians. Thanks to the Department of State Growth and the Tasmanian Government for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Today is International Women's Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. 

In this episode of Talking Tourism, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti is joined by Tara Howell and Emily Hopwood to talk about this year's IWD theme, #breakthebias, and to celebrate the role of women in our great Tasmanian tourism industry. 

Tara and Emily discuss unconscious and conscious bias, and how they impact decision-making in business. While today's focus is women, both Tara and Emily agree that real diversity in our businesses relates to a myriad of factors, and provide their insights in to how we can all start to break our own biases. 

They also talk about the barriers to women progressing to leadership and executive roles, and encourage our listeners to open conversations and lean in to discomfort for the sake of change. 

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Moo Brew. Moo Brew is the official beer of the Tasmanian tourism industry. Inspired by the art, creativity and innovation of MONA, the Moo Brew range of contemporary lagers and ales are brewed in Tasmania, and designed to be enjoyed while experiencing all the state has to offer. Thanks to Moo Brew for your generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

We thought it was time to get to know Grant O'Brien, the new Chair of Tourism Tasmania, better. Having grown up in the state's north-west, Grant began employment with Woolworths in the mid-80s as an Assistant Accountant. By 2011, he'd risen through the ranks to become CEO and Managing Director at Woolworths Limited, a position he held until 2016. 

Not one to rest on his laurels, Grant's "retirement" saw him go on to be appointed Chair of the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority in 2019, a role that fitted the mould of his desire to give back to the local community. It was here that Grant's appreciation for Tassie's sweet spot as a visitor destination was cemented, and it's with these insights that he brought his enthusiasm and passion for the state to his role with Tourism Tasmania in October last year. 

In today's episode, TICT's Luke Martin chats with Grant about what he sees as priorities for the Tasmanian tourism industry, and you might be surprised to find that he doesn't think attracting visitation is up there. He also unpacks the most surprising parts of coming into the industry from a non-tourism background, and even offers his opinion on whether Tassie will get its own AFL team!

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Steadfast Taswide. Steadfast Taswide is part of the largest insurance broker network in Australasia. With close to 50 staff located across offices in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, they offer a full suite of business insurance advice, and all Tourism Accredited businesses who engage Steadfast Taswide Insurance Brokers receive a 25% discount on their annual Tourism Accreditation fees. No catch, it’s just a small incentive to encourage you to support a Tasmanian business. Thanks to Steadfast Taswide for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

Thomasine Burnap is a Group Planning Director at BMF, one of Australia’s most awarded advertising agencies. For the last two and a half years, she has worked with Tourism Tasmania, including helping to plan their winter comms strategy. Thom’s insights around how Australians perceive winter led to the development of The Off Season – a campaign that encourages visitors to embrace rather than to escape everything that is unique, quirky, eccentric and stimulating about the cooler months in Tasmania. 

In today’s episode, Thom chats with TICT’s Emma Azon-Jacometti about how local tourism operators can make the most of this year’s The Off Season campaign, by creating experiences that speak to one or more of the key elements of creative stimulation, wild revelry and inspiration from nature. 

Tourism Tasmania is ready and willing to work with operators to develop an Off Season offer that benefits your business and provides a special visitor experience, and will support the promotion of these experiences through their own campaign activity. 

To access the toolkit and webinar recording referenced in this episode, please contact Tourism Tasmania by email at trade@tourism.tas.gov.au and check out the overview at https://www.tourismtasmania.com.au/marketing/campaigns/off-season-2022

Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Cumulus Studio. Cumulus Studio is an award-winning architecture and interior design practice with offices in Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne and Adelaide. Amongst its most notable Tasmanian tourism designs are the award-winning Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and the iconic Pumphouse Point in Tassie’s central highlands. Thanks to Cumulus Studio for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.

As Chief Marketing Officer for Tourism Tasmania, Emma Terry is responsible for the delivery of Tourism Tasmania’s marketing program to increase demand and grow visitor numbers to Tasmania.

In today's episode of Talking Tourism, Emma sits down with West by North West's Tom Wootton to talk all things brand Tasmania, and how it competes with other tourism destinations around the country and the globe. There's no doubt that Tassie is a challenger state, and there's plenty that our industry can be doing to make the very most of that. 

Emma chats Tasmania's many unique selling points: from our extraordinary natural environments to our boundary-pushing when it comes to art, food and wine. Travellers are chasing meaning, purpose and relief from the straitjacket of everyday life, and the great news is that Tasmania has got all of that in spades. 

Listen on for Emma's thoughts on how you can make sure your products or experiences uniquely meet these needs, going beyond the everyday functional logistics to creating emotional hooks with impact. While this episode was recorded in August, the insights Emma shares continue to be relevant to tourism operators across the state. 

In the stuff of Tasmanian tourism legend, Greg Price famously chucked in a very promising and lucrative career in merchant banking in Sydney to return to Tasmania and establish a tourism business with one van and a vision of creating an affordable way for backpackers and budget travelers to see his home state. As Jump Tours Managing Director, Greg has since been awarded the Tasmanian Tourism Minister’s Young Achiever of the Year and Tasmanian Entrepreneur of the Year, and Jump Tours was named Tasmanian Micro Business of the Year at the Telstra Small Business Awards.

By March 2020, Jump Tours' 95% international market had disappeared, and Greg was faced with a "what now" dilemma. In this episode of Talking Tourism, Sam Denmead asks Greg about the lessons he's learned along the way, the innovations the business has implemented to stay afloat, and his advice for a post-pandemic future. 

With his special brand of humour and a realistic outlook, Greg shares what he's done to stay match-fit ahead of the return of international travel to the state, and why it's so important that we attract and retain great talent to the industry. 

Melinda Anderson has spent more than two decades working in the sales and marketing world, and is currently the Marketing Manager at Pennicott Wilderness Journeys. At this year's Tasmanian Tourism Conference, she brought a strong voice to a panel discussion asking, "Is Traditional Tourism Marketing & Sales Dead?" Her answer: emphatically no.

There's no doubt that sales and marketing of tourism and travel experiences has changed dramatically over the past few years, with the digital realm changing consumer preferences and behaviours. But, as Melinda argues, there's still a place for traditional S&M, as long as it aligns with your goals and delivers return on investment. 

In this episode of Talking Tourism, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti picks Melinda's brain for her advice on how to spend those often scarce marketing budgets, to get the most bang for your buck. Whether you're a multi-product business with a captive social media audience, or a small operator relying on word-of-mouth, you'll be sure to glean some pearls of wisdom from this chat. 

As founder and director of Kiikstart, Ali Uren specialises in business planning and learning, and has a passion for helping Tassie's visitor economy creatively design and redesign itself in response to challenges, gaps and threats. There's no better time than now to be talking about just that! 

In today's episode of Talking Tourism, Rachel Williams chats with Ali about how businesses can attract the best talent by thinking about the end-to-end staff experience. External skill development will continue to be important but, increasingly, businesses need to build brands that people actually want to work with. 

Ali unlocks the gaps, threats and risks that all operators should be identifying and addressing to attract and retain the best staff for their business - from  recruitment processes that don't reflect the business values, to lacking a clear plan for ongoing learning and development, to "wishy-washy" cultures. There might be something in here you hadn't seen in your own business, and Ali has plenty of tips to help you become an employer of choice.

Michele Levine knows a thing or two about human behaviour and consumer trends. As CEO of Roy Morgan Research, Michele's bread and butter is asking questions of Australians to understand their values, what drives them, and what they want in life. 

In this episode of Talking Tourism, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti asks Michele what Roy Morgan's research is saying about peoples' intention to engage with the tourism industry. We're encouraged to hear that, as borders reopen, an appetite for travel - and travel to Tassie, in particular - is alive and well! 

Michele provides her hot tips on how to attract the lion's share of pent-up demand, including creating exceptional experiences that aren't afraid to price up. In Michele's words, visitors should leave Tasmania "full of experiences and memories, but with an empty wallet and a maxed-out credit card"! Listen in for this and other valuable insights from an expert who knows better than most what will drive tourists to our great state. 

Federal Group and the University of Tasmania have embarked on a groundbreaking research project that looks set to make precedent for further cooperative partnerships between the university and the Tasmanian tourism industry at large. 

In this episode, Tom Wootton lines up Dr Daniel Hanna (Executive GM Corporate Affairs, Federal Group), Dr Kim Lehman (Adjunct Senior Researcher, UTAS) and Monika Belhaj (PhD candidate, UTAS) to discuss Monika's years-long study into the unique offerings of storytelling hotel, MACq 01 . A long-term research project like this one isn't necessarily for every tourism operator, but its findings will be relevant to most. 

Unlike many PhDs, Monika's research has focused on an industry-defined question: How does experiential marketing influence customer perceptions of a hospitality-based product? Using MACq 01 as her guinea pig, Monika has discovered an approach that all tourism operators can use to tell their story and connect customers to place. They're tools that are arguably distinctive to Tassie, so listen in to understand how you can apply them to your product or experience. 

Amanda Vallis is founder and director of Vallis & Co., a Tasmanian-based communications agency specialising in public relations. So, what IS PR, and how can Tassie tourism operators use it to their best advantage?

In this episode of Talking Tourism, Tom Wootton gets the low-down from Amanda on how some savvy public relations moves can get your tourism product or experience in the hands, ears and eyes of your target audience in compelling, efficient and often low-cost ways. Amanda discusses how to write and execute a PR strategy - nail who you are, identify the most effective communication channels for your market, and deliver an elevator pitch that's honest and stands out from the crowd. 

Tom and Amanda also chat traditional vs. digital media, and touch on the power of influencers, and how they might just be the key to real return on investment. Listen in!

As Managing Director of Intrepid Group APAC, Sarah Clark knows all too well the impacts of a pandemic on the national and global tourism industry. Intrepid is the world's largest adventure travel company operating in 130 countries but, in March 2020, it went into crisis mode to get about 4,000 of its customers home from around the globe.

The good news? Sarah's outlook on a return to domestic and international travel says that Tassie is in good stead to make the most of a post-COVID recovery.

 In this episode of Talking Tourism, Sam Denmead asks Sarah what Tasmanian tourism operators can do to leverage their place on the international travel stage. Intrepid's unique relationships with travelling customers shows that people are looking to get out into nature, to get active, and to enjoy great food , beverage and cultural experiences. They're also more interested than ever in engaging with sustainable brands that are eco-conscious and even off-the-grid. Listen in for how you can make the most of these insights for your tourism business.

Access Intrepid Travel's 10-Step Guide To Decarbonise Your Travel Business here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https://www.intrepidtravel.com/sites/intrepid/files/basic_page/files/Intrepid%20Travel%20-%2010-Step%20Quick%20Start%20Guide%20to%20Decarbonise%20Your%20Travel%20Business.pdf&chunk=true

Chris Davis is the General Manager and co-founder of The Van Diemen Project, who provide small to medium businesses and entrepreneurs with advice, mentoring and support to help them build and develop sustainable businesses. Jessi Mostogl is the Director of Schools & Curriculum at Illuminate Education Australia, a sister company to the Van Diemen Project. She is passionate about empowering people for the next generation, so that they can "believe in tomorrow, today".

Following their workshops at the 2021 Tasmanian Tourism Conference, Chris and Jessi sat down with Rachel Williams to discuss all things innovation processes and design thinking, and how they apply to the tourism industry. 

In this episode of Talking Tourism, you'll hear insights into how we can - and should - shift perceptions around employment within the visitor economy. Mark and Jessi believe we need to share stories about the industry with young people so that it's seen as more than just a "for now" prospect and, instead, an exciting and viable long-term career path. 

You'll also hear about how important it is to take a customer-centric approach to solving problems, with a looped process that ensures continuous improvement that has real impact where it matters. 

Katy Cooper has over 20 years' experience in a broad range of industries, including Tasmanian tourism and hospitality. As Head of Product at Neu21, she delivers leadership and futures thinking programs, focusing on finding new opportunities for innovation and growth. 

In this episode, Katy chats to Rachel Williams about whole systems innovation, and how it applies to the Tasmanian tourism industry right now. She explains how to define your business' inputs, elements, feedback loops and outputs, and why the relationships that sit around and within the whole system are critical to business success. Katy is a firm believer that Tasmania's unique competitive advantage of strong relationships and connection to place sets tourism operators in good stead to experiment with and influence outcomes for business and customer alike. 

As one of the keynote speakers at this year's Tasmanian Tourism Conference, Katy also brings her "futures thinking" to the discussion, exploring alternative futures through stories. With consideration to changing visitors, marketplaces, technologies and alternative realities, she encourages listeners to map their preferred future, even if it seems ridiculous now! 

This episode of Talking Tourism is sure to engage your imagination and tickle your curiosity, no matter what part of our great industry you're engaged in.

"If I had known what it was going to be like before I started, I never would have done it." 

It's a sentiment that a lot of us probably feel keenly right now (perhaps always!) and, for Joseph Burton, it sums up both his foray into owning his own business and the many twists and turns of a COVID-19 world over the past 18 months. 

As the first certified Sommelier in Tasmania and with 20 years of experience selling and serving wine under his belt, Joseph started his own wine wholesale, retail and events business in 2014. It was a tough slog to begin with, but his continued focus on customer service has seen the business grow over the past seven years, and is undeniably the reason Joseph Burton Wines remained afloat when 95% of its usual clients closed their doors during Tasmania's 2020 lockdown. 

Joseph pivoted quickly and effectively to selling wine direct-to-consumer, and launched "The House Wine", a weekly online wine tasting event, complete with wine delivered to your door. While this new model and market have created great ongoing opportunities for his business, Joseph believes that a flourishing tourism industry is still critical to its future viability. 

In this episode, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti chats to JB about his business' response to a new environment as a critical part of the tourism industry's supply chain, and the importance of storytelling when it comes to all things brand Tasmania.  

Madi Seeber-Peattie had been working in the events industry for more than 15 years when COVID-19 restrictions hit the industry hard. As owner/manager of Hobart's Farm Gate Market, Street Eats @ Franko and the Food and Beverage Collective, Madi lives and breathes mass gatherings. Her various ventures typically saw up to 10,000 people through the gates every week, and one of them depended entirely on interstate visitors. So what do social distancing and density restrictions mean for the mass gatherings world?

For Madi, it meant losing 85% of a market's revenue overnight, farewelling half of her core team, and cancelling a number of business events.  But it also meant finding innovative ways to offer essential services like a drive-through farm gate market service, strengthening relationships with suppliers, and tapping in to a Tasmanian market that was serious about supporting local. 

In this episode, TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti chats with Madi about what COVID-19 has meant for large-scale events in Tassie, and discovers that there just might be more positive take-homes than you'd expect. 

Robbie and Emma Gilligan were all set to launch their new whisky brand, Derwent Distillery, right around the time COVID-19 shut down all notions of mass gatherings and traditional
cellar door promotions. 

So they got creative. Rather than launching face-to-face, they sent tasting packs around the world, and launched the brand to 1500 new digital friends, thus becoming the first distillery in the world to launch online. 

In this episode of Talking Tourism, Robbie shares the ups and downs of the past 18 months  with TICT's Emma Azon-Jacometti. It's both a realistic look at how critical a thriving tourism industry is to our grassroots operators, as well as a celebration of our great Tassie spirit. 

Straight out of the 2021 Tasmanian Tourism Conference held this week in Launceston, two of Tasmanian tourism's sharpest marketing minds, Tom Wootton and David Inches, talk through what tourism businesses should be doing right now to take-stock of their marketing plan and investments. 

Evolve Tourism's David Inches has over 20 years experience working with tourism businesses of all types and sizes in Tasmania and across the country, building and reviewing their marketing plans and on product development.

David was supposed to be delivering a workshop at this years conference on marketing planning - but he's in Cairns, which has been in lockdown. So we got him on the phone instead to share his insights to all our Talking Tourism listeners.

David steps through practically and simply  some of the questions every tourism operator should be considering in assessing and planning their marketing strategy and investments over the uncertain 12-18 months ahead.

This episode of Talking Tourism is hosted by Tom Wootton. Tom is CEO of West by North-West Tourism - the Regional Tourism Organisation of North-West and Western Tasmania.

Episode Note:

To take advantage of David's generous offer to access his online marketing program:  

• Visit www.tourismtuneup.com/
• Open Pricing and select Monthly Membership.
• Enter discount code ROI and click apply.

This will provide full access to the online marketing planning course, tourism marketing articles in the learning library and free monthly webinars.

Make sure you complete the reasons and belief worksheets that will be coming through via email on your 14 day induction.

You've been appointed to your first GM role of a brand new hotel being developed by a local investment group in a regional City.

You're recruiting and appointing staff, and putting the finishing touches  on the property getting ready to welcome your first guests..... .when a global pandemic hits, closing borders and bringing your entire customer market to a sudden halt. 

This is Kate Bucknell's experience when she was appointed inaugural General Manager of the new Hotel Verge in central Launceston.

Armed with years of experience in hotel sales and management, Kate has had to navigate the completely unchartered waters of opening a brand new 86 room hotel in the middle of the most uncertain circumstances ever experienced by the accommodation sector.

In this episode of Talking Tourism Kate shares her experiences with TICTs Luke Martin - how she appointed and then stood down her staff, delayed opening, and then gradually opened rooms as markets resumed.

This is great listening for anyone in the Tasmanian tourism industry,  or in the accommodation sector anywhere. 

 

The Tasmanian Government has announced $7.5 million for a further round of 'Make Yourself at Home' Travel  Vouchers to encourage Tasmanians to travel the State and support tourism businesses and visitor destinations through the latest COVID border disruptions.

TICT CEO Luke Martin sat down with Green Hat Tourism's Sam Denmead to workshop practical strategies small tourism businesses could consider to give them the best chance of getting a share of the Travel Voucher market.

Luke and Sam talk through some ideas for packaging product and experience offers that could stand out in the crowded market. They look at three specific types of businesses - a small accommodation product, a tour operator, and a food or drink based experience. Sam also outlines the essential things all businesses should consider in marketing their voucher experience to the locals.

Sam Denmead is principal of Green Hat Tourism - a marketing consultancy that works with TICT and many tourism businesses across Tasmania. Sam is a former tour operator, and has worked in Tasmanian tourism in a variety of roles for over two decades.

It's been another disruptive week for everyone in tourism, with the borders shutting to Victoria and New South Wales, and our hopes again turning to the Tasmanian community to get around the State and support our operators and destinations through the latest challenges.

In this context, TICT CEO Luke Martin sat down with Tourism Tasmania's CEO, John Fitzgerald to unpack the roller coaster ride that is tourism in Tasmania in 2021.

John  shares his insights on the national outlook. Tourism Tasmania's strategic approach right  through COVID. The NZ strategy, and why we should be feeling optimistic about Tasmania's tourism outlook in a new COVID normal.

This is some insightful, important and current listening for anyone involved in Tasmanian tourism.   

Winter and the quieter months are the perfect time for all tourism operators to spend some time reviewing and updating their digital assets.

What are your customers saying about your product? How's  your online reputation? Are you using Google Adwords effectively, is it time to refresh your website? 

Taihlaura Denman-Francis, from award winning Tasmanian marketing consultancy, Kingthing Marketing, is a digital media guru, who luvvvvs this online stuff. 

Taihlaura steps you through in simple practical language some of the effective and affordable things you can do over winter to polish-up and refresh your digital marketing. 

This episode is pitched to owner-operator SME tourism businesses wanting a quick and simple run through of the basics you can do from your own computer and at minimal cost. 

The Tasmanian Government's Director of Visitor Economy Strategy Anne Greentree sat down with TICT CEO Luke Martin, to talk through how the industry against our T21 Visitor Economy Action Plan to rebuild the value of our tourism industry through COVID. 

Anne and Luke talk through airline recovery, the different hot spots of industry performance, how we're planning for the year ahead, and the different industry support programs being rolled out by State and Federal Governments. 

Fresh off the launch of Hobart's first international commercial flight in two-decades, Hobart Airport's new CEO, Norris Carter, sat down with Rachel Williams to talk things aviation.

Norris outlines Tasmania's aviation out of COVID, the works at Hobart Airport to welcome back international flights, and his expectations for the ongoing recovery of air travel across Australia.  

With one week remaining until Tasmanians go to the polls, Tourism Industry Council Tasmania CEO, Luke Martin, sits down with Rachel Williams to talk all things tourism in the election.

Luke outlines TICTs priorities in the election, and the major tourism policies announced so far by both major parties. 

How are we tracking? What are the industry's priorities, and how have our political parties responded so far? 

How will Tasmania be perceived in post-COVID world? 

Tasmania's resident Brand-guru, Brand Tasmania Guru, Todd Babiak, sits down with Rachel Williams to share his thoughts on Tasmania's brand attributes that will position the State well in the new reality of COVID. 

Throughout COVID the concept of Regenerative Tourism has gained strength as a guiding principle for the future of tourism in destinations like Tasmania. 

Regenerative tourism takes the concept of sustainability in tourism to another level; the idea that visiting a destination should always make a positive contribution to the economic, social and ecological wellbeing of that destination. 

Tasmanian Tourism Champion Sarah Lebski sits down with Rachel Williams to explain the concept of Regenerative Tourism and why she believes its central to Tasmania's tourism future. 

Sarah is one of Tasmania's leading tourism consultants and thought-leaders, with over three decades experience working with destinations and operators across the State. Sarah is Deputy Chair of Visit Northern Tasmania. 

Two of Tasmania's leading tourism gurus, Jake Smith and Sam Denmead share their presentation to the 2020 Tasmanian tourism conference ; 10 Things every Tourism Operator Should Be Doing Right Now as we work our way through COVID.

Sam and Jake's rapid fire 10 key practical tips and insights were down very well at the tourism conference, and really is essential listening for every SME tourism operator.

Get a pencil paper to take notes, and strap yourself in, as Sam and Jake drop some pearlers of wisdom that you immediately start implementing in your business.

About Sam:

Green Hat Tourism's Sam Denmead is one of Tasmania's leading tourism specialists, with experience as an operator, business consultant, marketer and tourism advocate.

Sam works with tourism operators across the State on their produce development and market positioning. She has also served as the Tasmanian Tourism Awards coordinator over the past few years working with some of the industry's leading operators.

About Jake:

Jake Smith recently stepped down as General Manager of the Australian tourism award-winning MACq01 Hotel. 

Jake has been with the Federal Group for over 15 years working his way up at Saffire Freycinet and the Henry Jones Art Hotel, before being entrusted as the inaugural General Manager for the opening of MACq01 Hotel.

2020 Tasmanian Australian of the Year, Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas delivered the keynote address at the Hobart-leg of the 2020 Tasmanian tourism conference in November.

One of Australia's leading marine scientists, Jess is a leading researcher shaping Australia's response to climate change and emission reduction.

Jess speaks about Tasmania's climate future; the risks, realities and opportunities. This includes her views on the opportunity for Tasmania to emerge as one of the world's first carbon positive visitor destinations.

Jess talks about the touch points for operators to contribute to carbon reduction and positioning their business and Tasmania as a destination as a global leader in responsible carbon tourism. 

About Jess:

International research scientist, mother, and former Rhodes scholar, Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas grew up exploring Tasmania’s spectacular coastline and wilderness and has gone on to work in the marine environment from the tropics to the poles. With a background in mathematical modelling and Antarctic climate change science, Jess is now a Knowledge Broker for CSIRO, helping to bridge the gap between complex scientific research and decision-making for sustainability. 

A passionate advocate for diversity and gender equality in science, Jess co-founded the Homeward Bound project, which took the largest ever all female expedition on a leadership journey to Antarctica in 2016. 

Jess was one of Australia’s first 30 Superstars of STEM and was named Tasmania's Young Tall Poppy of the Year in 2015 for her excellence in research, science communication and policy engagement. She was also one of 12 female scientists globally to have her portrait featured as a constellation on the ceiling of New York’s Grand Central Station as part of GE’s Balance the Equation campaign.

Tassie's own Truffle Superstars! - The Terry Family have helped pioneer the truffle industry in Tasmania

Anna and Henry share their family's story in cultivating a niche industry in Tasmania. Their views on how tourism and agriculture can work better together in Tasmania, and their aspirations for Tasmania's emergence as a culinary destination. 

Tasmania is renowned for its clean, green image.  But the image needs to be matched with the reality of the ground.

Cutting our waste, cleaning up the State and reducing rubbish is about protecting Tasmania's brand and delivering on our promise to visitors of a pristine, clean environment.

Robert Kelman is one of Tasmania's leading authorities on waste management and container recycling. He explains to us why a Container Deposit Scheme for Tasmania is so important to reduce waste discarded along our roads and in the environment. 

Robert Kelman has been involved in waste management and recycling advocacy for the past 15+years. This includes current roles as Executive Officer of the Australian Tyre Recyclers Association. The association represents the interests of the legitimate used tyre recycling industry and member companies process around 23Million used tyres per annum. This work has included Robert overseeing the developments of regulations in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and more recently QLD.

Robert is also contracted by an EU organisation The Reloop Platform for work in the Pacific region advocating for the expansion of bottle deposit schemes, single use plastic phase outs, recycled content mandates and refillable packaging. In this role Robert also represents the Australian Council of Recycling on state advisory groups including in Tasmania for a new bottle deposit scheme.

The founder of Bruny Island Cheese and Beer, Nick Haddow, is one of the pioneers of Tasmania's burgeoning reputation as a foodie destination. 

After working throughout Australia and the world and studying artisan cheese making, Nick settled on Bruny Island to bring some of the purest dairy produce anywhere in the world into outstanding and unique cheese. He is also Chair of Brand Tasmania, responsible for Tasmania's brand development. 

Nick shares his story, and what he believes Tasmania must do to elevate our reputation as a foodie destination, and reduce some of the barriers for niche producers to develop their products and markets. 

Wine Tasmania's Sharelee Davies' shares her insights into the growth of Tasmania's outstanding wine sector, and its own recovery from COVID. 

Sheralee also offer her insights into the future for Wine tourism in Tasmania and the opportunity for the State to be elevated as a wine destination. 

Wine Tasmania is the peak industry body for Tasmania's wine industry. 

Sara  and James Barnes are building a business based on the principle of experiential travel - personalised, intimate experiences where visitors feel genuinely connected with places, products and people. 

Their tour business, Experiential Tasmania, takes visitors behind the scenes with some of the our leading producers - meeting the makers, sampling the producer and visiting sites not usually available to the general visitor. 

Sara's vision is shaped by her background working as a high end tour guide in Tasmania, and interstate, and with uber-premium lifestyle brand, Abercrombie & Fitch. 

Sara outlines her aspirations for Tasmania as an experiential tourism, and the opportunities for start-up businesses in a post-COVID visitor market. 

In our first episode of Talking Tourism after Tasmania's borders have re-opened to COVID-Safe States, Rachel Williams sits down with Tom Wootton & Chris Griffin, the Chief Executive's of Tasmania's Northern and North-West Regional Tourism Organisations. 

Tom and Chris share their thoughts on Tasmania's tourism recovery out of COVID, their priorities for Tasmania’s new iconic drive journeys and growing Tasmania's agritourism potential. 

 

With the final touches being put now on the T30 Recovery Plan to rebuild Tasmania's Visitor Economy, the Tasmanian Government's Director of Visitor Economy Strategy, Anne Greentree, sits down with Amy Hills to talk through how the plan is shaping, some of the major  recovery initiatives and priorities. 

Anne also talks through the results of the recent industry survey on industry needs and priorities, and the Tasmanian Government and industry's response. 

Sam Denmead is one of Tasmania's best known and experienced tourism marketing and business advisers, with twenty years of experience as an operator, tourism marketer, industry leader, and consultant. Sam is working with a number of operators right now in adjusting her business to COVID. 

Sam has worked with TICT over the past few years as Coordinator of the Tasmanian Tourism Awards, and our go-to tourism marketing consultant for SME operators. 

We've asked Sam to sit down with Amy Hills to talk through her Top 10 (well, 11!) essential tips for all tourism operators to undertake in resetting and marketing your business - importantly, all of them should be free for you to implement.

Rob Cameron from TICTs Business and Financial Advisers, Collins SBA sits down with Tourism Tasmania's Amy Hills to talk through the Australian Government's extension and changes to Job Keeper scheme.

Rob outlines what the changes mean for employers and employees, and considers some of the steps all tourism and hospitality operators needs to be considering now in resetting the business for the ongoing COVID uncertainty.

Collins SBA is a Tasmanian consultancy firm specialising in business and financial advice. Rob and his colleagues have been working with Tasmanian tourism and hospitality operators since the start of COVID, around business continuity measures for the immediate shut-down and recovery. 

The Australian Tourism Industry Council is the national federation of Australia's Eight State and Territory Tourism Industry Councils across the country, including TICT. 

ATIC owns and oversees the national Quality Tourism Framework, including the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program, Star Ratings and the Australian Tourism Awards. 

Simon Westaway is Executive Director of ATIC, and responsible for advocating the collective national agenda of the State and Territory Tourism Industry Councils and their members to the Australian Government and national tourism bodies. 

Simon sits down with TICTs Luke Martin to talk through the Australian tourism industry's national agenda around border restrictions, the industry's recovery, and the future of Job Keeper.  

Tasmania's lucrative Business Events Sector has been hit hard by COVID with nearly all conferences and business events scheduled for 2020 cancelled or rescheduled to 2021.

TICTs Luke Martin sits down with the Chief Executive of Business Events Tasmania, Marnie Craig, who explains that not all is as bleak as it seems for the Business Events market, and how 2021 is shaping as a strong recovery for the sector.

Marnie also outlines some of the ways different tourism operators can share in the business events market to Tasmania, and how its not just about conference delegates.

Click here for further information on Business Events Tasmania
 
Or call 03 6231 1366

With Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein indicating Tasmania's border restrictions are expected to be lifted from July 24, TICT CEO Luke Martin sat down with Hobart Airport's Acting CEO, Matt Cocker, to learn more about planning underway to restore Tasmania's aviation access to Pre-COVID levels. 

How many flights can we expect from late July? Who will be flying and where to? Where are things at with planning for a direct Trans-Tasman service to New Zealand? 

Matt talks through the challenges for his Airport, and Tasmania generally, in restoring our aviation capacity. 

Recorded-pre COVID, TICTs Sam Denmead sat down with the founder and Creative Director of Queenstown's wonderful biannual art and cultural festival, The Unconformity, Travis Tiddy.

Travis talks through the creative challenges, opportunities and innovations needed to create quality arts and cultural events in regional areas. 

The Unconformity won the 2019 Tasmanian Tourism Award for Festivals and Events. The biannual  three day event celebrates the rich heritage and creative energy of Tasmania's amazing West Coast, centred around Queenstown. 

With tourism businesses across the State gearing up for re-opening, initially for Tasmanian's, and soon for interstate visitors, we thought it would be insightful to hear the lived experience of re-opening for a couple of prominent tourism operators with very different types of businesses. 

Chief Operating Officer of RACT Destinations, Andrew Paynter, speaks on the first day of his businesses’ reopening about his team’s journey, why he believes his team is coming out of COVID-19 stronger and more connected and how the business is planning for a busy weekend ahead. RACT Destinations operate some of Tasmania's most iconic visitor experiences, including Freycinet Lodge, Strahan Village, Gordon River Cruises and the Cradle Mountain Hotel. 

Tara Howell is Director of Blue Derby Pods Ride, a premium mountain biking experience in Derby. Tara is the Convener of the new Tasmanian Mountain Biking Network, and was recently elected to the TICT Board. Tara talks through how she has expertly managed her marketing and social media during lock-down and is now welcoming Tasmanian's to her business over the next six weeks.

Tourism Tasmania’s research and insights guru, Dr Allison Anderson, takes us through what she has been learning about customer behavior, wants and needs coming out of COVID-19 and how operators might be able to respond in their own business.

Dr Anderson also shares the key insights on recent on the Tasmanian intrastate visitor market, based on research influencing Tourism Tasmania's new Intrastate Marketing Activities.

To access Tourism Tasmania's market research insights visit www.tourismtasmania.com.au 

Tourism Tasmania's Director of Marketing, Emma Terry, sits down with Amy Hills to explain the forthcoming intrastate marketing strategy Tourism Tasmania will be rolling out over coming weeks as local restrictions ease, and locals are invited to 'Make themselves at Home'. 

For further details visit www.tourismtasmania.com.au 

Federal Group is Tasmania's largest tourism and hospitality operator, as operators of Tasmania's two Casino resorts, Hobart's award-winning MACq01 and Henry Jones Hotels, the luxury Safire Freycinet Resort, and several hotels in key tourism nodes across Tasmania. 

Dr Daniel Hanna is Director of Corporate Affairs and Regulations for Federal Group. Daniel is a well-known figure within the Tasmanian tourism and hospitality sectors, as a former CEO of Tourism Industry Council Tasmania, and the Tasmanian Hospitality Association. Daniel shares Federals plans for re-opening its tourism assets across the State and some of the challenges they've been working through as employer of 2,000 Tasmanians across our sectors. 

Daniel also shares the results of exclusive polling Federal Group has commissioned from leading Tasmanian market research company, EMRS, on their attitudes towards COVID, and predisposition to get out and about Tasmania over coming weeks and months.  

Amy Hills sits down for a chat with the Chairs of two of Tasmania's four Regional Tourism Organisations; the East Coast RTO Chair, Kym Goodes; and Tourism Northern Tasmania's Chair, Paul Seaman. 

Kym and Paul have been at the coalface over the past few weeks in their regions, engaging with local operators about the priorities for industry through the COVID shutdown, and voicing those priorities to Tourism Tasmania, TICT and other State bodies. 

They also consider the ongoing role of Regional Tourism Bodies through the COVID recovery, and the outlook for their parts of the State. 

Kym was appointed Chair of the East Coast Regional Tourism Organisation earlier this year. Kym is a well-known Tasmanian business and community leaders, as the former CEO of TasCOSS, the peak sector body for the Tasmanian community services industry. Kym has also been appointed to the Premier's COVID Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Committee. 

Paul was appointed Chair of Tourism Northern Tasmania in late 2019. His day job is as General Manager of Launceston's award-winning Peppers Silo Hotel, and Regional Manager of Mantra Accommodation Group in Tasmania. He has had an extensive career in accommodation management roles across Australia. 

For many years, David Reed has been TICTs go-to industry guru on tourism yield management - knowing the true of cost of selling your product and pricing your service accordingly to make money. David has presented to operators across the State for years about the principles of yield management in tourism. 

With many accommodation operators gearing up for the lifting of restrictions and wanting to get a piece of the local intrastate market, David takes us through some of the considerations every operator needs to be weighing up before pricing their visitor experience over the coming weeks and months. 

David also offers some of his suggestions for what all accommodation businesses can do to maximise their yield and share of the local intrastate visitor pie. 

David Reed is one of Tasmania's best known and experienced tourism identities, as a  manager, senior executive, industry representative and consultant across a broad range of operators. David currently operates his own accommodation property, Cod Rock Point, on the beach at Bicheno. 

 

TICT CEO Luke Martin take listeners through the business development and training opportunities being made available to tourism and hospitality operators over the winter months and the CVOVID recovery.

TICT is launching some exciting programs pitched to operators wanting to spend the time developing their tourism and business skills, and re-set their business.

Luke also talks through TICTs changings mindset around crisis to recovery, and the policy development and planning underway across the industry.

For more information on some of the programs Luke mentions, visit:
www.tict.com.au
www.tourismtasmania.com.au  - who are bringing together a summary of all initiatives and\ programs being offered to industry.  

The Acting CEO of WorkSafe Tasmania, Robyn Pearce, sits down with TICT CEO Luke Martin to explain the new regulations and responsibilities for all businesses as they resume operating. WorkSafe Tasmania is responsible for workplace standards in Tasmania.

Robyn explains what a Covid Safe Plan is, where to find advice and help, and what must every business operator do to keep themselves safe, their employees and customers.

For more information on Tasmania's COVID Safe arrangements visit:

https://www.business.tas.gov.au/coronavirus_information
https://www.worksafe.tas.gov.au/

Some of our most downloaded COVID podcasts are those featuring the insights and lived experiences of tourism operators and stakeholders working through the different stages of the crisis. 

In this episode, TICT CEO Luke Martin, sits down with his two Deputy Chairs, Clint Walker, and Kathryn McCann, who share their insights on the COVID crisis from two very different perspectives. 

Clint Walker is the CO-Proprietor of Stanley Seaview Inn, Horizon Deluxe Apartments and Burnie CBD Apartments. He is a long-time industry leader in the north-west, at the local, regional and State level. Clint has served on the TICT board for the 10 years, including the last three-years. He is also Deputy Chair of West by North-West Regional Tourism, and President of the Circular Head Tourism Association. 

Kathryn McCann has held a series of senior executive roles across the Tasmanian tourism industry, including a period as Director of Marketing for Tourism Tasmania, with Business Development for Hobart Airport, and as Marketing Manager for Wrest Point and Country Club. 

Kath now works for Beacon Foundation, empowering young people to seek career opportunities in growth sectors, including tourism and hospitality. 

A long-time director of TICT across her various hats, Kath now serves on the board as the Nominee of Women in Tourism & Hospitality Tasmania. She is also Deputy Chair, the first woman to serve in a leadership role with the State's peak tourism industry body.  

Tourism Tasmania CEO John Fitzgerald takes listeners through the Tasmanian Government's Road Map to Recovery from COVID 19, as it relates to the Tasmanian visitor economy. 

John also shares insights into Tourism Tasmania's planning ahead around activating the Tasmanian intrastate market, and what operators can do to now in planning for the recovery ahead. 

For more information visit: 
www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au
www.tourismtasmania.com.au 
www.business.tas.gov.au 

Every fortnight we check-in with tourism operators across the State, sharing their experience with Covid-19, and how they're planning for the future. 

In this fortnight, Tourism Tasmania's Amy Hills sits down with the operators of two very different tourism businesses, with very similar stories of resilience and loss. 

In March, Gary & Lorraine Ashdown, won the Australian Tourism Award for Hosted Accommodation for their Dover B&B, Ashdowns of Dover.The Ashdown's share their dramatic impact on their business, their plans to use this 'down time' productively, and in working with their local industry. 

Simon McDermott is Managing Director of his family's well known coach and tour business, McDermott's Coaches. McDermott's are the largest tour charter operator in Tasmania, and also operators the Cradle Mountain shuttle. 

Simon's business literally stopped overnight and the short-term outlook for bookings looks very bleak. How's he planning for the period ahead? When does he expect the lucrative coach tour market to return to Tasmania? 

Liza-Jane Sowden is Tourism Tasmania's own social media guru, overseeing content on the State's own social media channels through the Covid-19 emergency.

Liza-Jane shares her insights on the social media trends through the current shutdown period, what platforms are generating interest, and what kind of posts are generating most  engagement.

She also shares her practical tips and ideas for content that tourism businesses of all sizes can apply in maintaining your profile and engagement with your past and future guests through the shutdown. Many of the very same strategies she is applying in managing the State's destination profile. 

Do yourself a favor - this really is essential listening for any operator managing their own social media presence and account.  

Brett Godfrey is one of the leading lights in Australian tourism and travel industries.

The co-founder of Virgin Blue, Brett, now wears many hats across our visitor economy. He is a co-owner of the Tasmanian Walking Company, operators of the iconic Cradle Huts Walk, Bay of Fires Lodge, and Three Capes Lodge. 

He is Chairman of Queensland Tourism & Events, and recently stepped down as a Director and former Chair of Auckland Airport. Brett has also spearheaded the latest push to secure a Tasmanian team in the AFL. 

Brett shares with us his thoughts on the current issues with Virgin Australia, his outlook for the recovery of Australian tourism, his business planning, the potential of a Tasmania - New Zealand air service, and what Covid-19 might mean for the case for a Tassie team in the AFL. 

The Hon Rebecca White MP is Tasmania's Shadow Spokesperson for Tourism, and Leader of the Labor Party in the Tasmanian Parliament. 

Rebecca's sprawling electorate of Lyons is also one of the most tourism-dependent electorates in the country, stretching across central Tasmania and onto the East Coast  and Tasman Peninsula. 

Rebecca sits down with TICT CEO Luke Martin, to share her thoughts on the COVID-19 emergency. The outlook ahead for Tasmania and its visitor economy, and her aspirations for the recovery. 

Rebecca also speaks candidly about her own family's experience as operators of hospitality and tourism businesses, in having to confront many of the difficult challenges all business operators in our sectors have had to navigate over recent weeks.   

Rob Cameron from Hobart Business Advisers and Accounting Firm, Collins SBA, works through the Frequently Asked Questions by many tourism and hospitality operators about the Australian Government's Job Keeper Package.

Is it all-in, or all-out for all your employees? When can we expect the money to hit bank accounts? What's the situation for sole traders?

Rob offers the best of his understanding is clarifying some of the many questions employers and business owners have about the Job Keeper Package.

For more information and to register for Job Keeper visit https://www.ato.gov.au/general/JobKeeper-Payment/

As much as anyone, Ian Rankine and Simon Currant have shaped and guided the growth and development of Tasmanian tourism over the past 40-years.

The two Tasmanian Tourism Champions join TICT CEO Luke Martin, to share their thoughts on the Covid-19 crisis, their perspective from past industry disruptions, and the measures they have undertaken over the past month in securing their own businesses. 

Ian Rankine is Managing Director of Innkeepers Tasmania and TasVacations, two of the largest retailers of Tasmanian visitor experiences. Ian is a long-time Director of Tourism Industry Council Tasmania. He also serves as a Director on the Tourism Tasmania Board, as nominee of the Tasmanian tourism industry through TICT. 

Simon Currant AM is the visionary and developer behind Cradle Mountain Lodge, Franklin Manor, Strahan Village, Gordon River Cruises, and Peppermint Bay. He currently operates Pumphouse Point within the Tasmanian Wilderness World  Heritage Area. Simon was Chairman of TICT for 15-years, is a former Tasmanian of the Year, and one of only 17 Australians to be officially recognised as a Legend of Australian Tourism. 

Tasmanian-raised and now Cairns-residing, David Inches, is Tasmania's go-to tourism product development and marketing specialist. David has been engaged by some of Tasmania's leading tourism operators and organisations to guide product conception, development, and market positioning.

In this special Covid-19 podcast, David speaks with Amy Hills about the positive things all tourism operators can be doing right now to ready their business over coming weeks and months for the eventual recovery from Covid-19. Reviewing your markets, setting your product for the changing landscape and ensuring you have the fundamentals in place to give your business the best chance to succeed in the Covid-19 recovery.

You can learn more about David and his services by visiting his business website:  https://www.inspiredbymarketing.com.au/

On Monday 20 April, Tasmania's Premier and Tourism Minister, Peter Gutwein MP, stepped away briefly from his demanding role overseeing Tasmania's management of the Covid-19 crisis, to speak directly with Tasmanian tourism and hospitality operators about the outlook for our industry.

The Premier speaks candidly about his expectations for when visitor activity could return in the State and border controls lifted; and the need for industry to be geared-up around business safety and 'Covid-readiness'. 

This is important listening for every Tasmanian tourism operator and professional. 

Thanks to Tourism Tasmania's Amy Hills for speaking with the Premier on our behalf.

TICT CEO, Luke Martin, sits down with Mark Bowles from the Tasmanian Government's Department of State Growth, to talk through the package of grants, loans and concessions the Tasmanian Government is making available now for businesses impacted by the Coronavirus shutdown. 

For details on all the Tasmanian Government's Business support packages discussed in the podcast, and to register for support, visit the Business Tasmania website. 

TICT CEO Luke Martin sits down with Andrew Pearce, Executive Director and Business Adviser with leading Tasmanian accounting and business coaching service, Collins SBA, to discuss the Australian Government's 'Job Keeper' Wage Subsidy. 

The $1,500  'Job Keeper' Wage Subsidy is being made available to Australian employers and sole-traders to pay their staff through the Coronavirus shutdown. This is designed to help businesses retain their valued staff through the shutdown and gear-up when they resume operations.There are a lot of questions and issues for businesses to weigh up. Luke and Andrew work through some of the hot button ones. 

The websites referenced through this episode: 

• For the Tasmanian Government's Emergency Business Hardship Grants click here
• For information on the Job Keeper payments click here
• To register your interest in the Job Keeper payments click here 

Two of Tasmania's leading tourism and hospitality operators and industry leaders share their personal perspectives on the Covid-19 crisis, and the practical steps they are undertaking in their own businesses to weather the storm.

Daniel Leesong is Chair of Tourism Industry Council Tasmania, and Managing Director of Coal River Farm, a tourism and manufacturing business based out of Cambridge. Daniel is one of Tasmania's leading tourism identities, with twenty years experience in the industry as an executive, advocacy, and now operator level.

Kim Seagram AM is a co-owner of iconic Launceston dining institutions, Stillwater and Black Cow Bistro. Kim and her team's latest venture, Stillwater Seven, was named Tasmania's best new tourism development for 2019, and won Silver in the 2019 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards for best new tourism development in Australia. Kim is a long-standing leader of the Northern Tasmanian tourism industry, a former director of Tourism Tasmania, and regarded as the first lady of Tasmanian hospitality. 

Tourism Tasmania CEO, John Fitzgerald, sits down with Amy Hills to discuss the latest government support and stimulus support being made available to Tasmanian tourism operators and businesses in the visitor economy in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

John also offers insights into the post-crisis recovery, the activities already underway by Tourism Tasmania to secure our brand, and his thoughts on what kind of visitor market we'll see at the other side of this.

For more information on assistance and support available to Tasmanian tourism businesses, visit:

www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au (Tasmanian Government's Coronavirus Information)
www.business.tas.gov.au (Tasmanian Government's Business Assistance Packages)
www.business.gov.au (Australian Government's Business Assistance Packages)
www.tourismtasmania.com.au (Tourism Tasmania Travel Site) 

Hear from Merv Saltmarsh from the THA (Tasmanian Hospitality Association) talk with David Reed about your obligations in the area of Industrial Relations and the support that is available to you and your staff during the crisis of Covid-19. After listening you might like to give him a call, his number is 0407 869 924.

Melita Griffin from Lifeline Tasmania speaks with Amy Hills about staying mentally healthy amidst the impacts of Covid-19 on our businesses and lives.  Listen in for all the advice and support Lifeline Tasmania can offer, and please call 13 11 14 if you need to speak to someone from Lifeline. 

Collins SBA specialise in helping business owners sort out their finances and business systems. They've become the go-to organisation for the tourism industry with free advice and assistance in this time of need during Covid-19 shut downs. Hear Rob Cameron and Andrew Pearce speak with our host, David Reed, about what support is currently available and how businesses can tap into their advice and financial assistance from government. 

CEO TICT Luke and CEO Tourism Tasmania John Fitzgerald talk with Amy Hills about the how these two organisations are dealing with the Covid-19 disruption currently facing the tourism, hospitality and events sector.  The conversation includes suggestions to seek further support from the following sources:
TICT: info@tict.com.au
Tourism Tasmania: https://tourismtasmania.com.au/industry/business-assistance
Business Tasmania hotline: 1800 440 026

Following on from Alice Hansen's chat about pitching to media, our host David Reed, speaks in depth to master story teller at one of Tasmania's best deluxe hotels about how to find your story and tell it to your audience. 

Ever wondered why some tourism businesses so successful at attracting media and others aren’t? In today's episode, host Sam Denmead, speaks with journalist and author Alice Hansen about all the ways you can find your story and pitch it to the media the right way to get noticed. We also discuss the future of the 'Press Release' and whether or not this is the way to go to get your business noticed.

Why do people visit National Parks and what should we do to ensure we don't love them to death? Jen Fry shares her thoughts with us about these special places and some of the things that Parks and Wildlife Service do to look after them and sustain them for future generations. 

Buck Gibson is one of the stalwarts of mountain bike tourism in Tasmania, particularly in the NE of Tasmania in Derby. He came to Tasmania from Queensland with a background in tourism, but it certainly wasn't mountain biking.  His son introduced him to the sport of MTB and the rest is history. Buck discovered there was potential for trails to be built in Derby based on the mountain biking plan developed in 2007 and saw the opportunity to set up his business in this sleepy mining town that was to become a MTB destination in its own right, attracting thousands of visitors to ride and race each year. And there's more to this story yet. With millions more being invested in other areas of Tasmania, Buck shares his thoughts about whether we've reached peak capacity yet or if this is just the beginning. 

Curly is a Wine Educator and Chief Shenanigator for Vintage Tasmania. Curly’s business allows her to wear many hats in varied roles within wine, spirits, food, tourism and education. She'll be speaking with Rachel Williams about all things agriculture and using local produce.

Bianca Welsh is a co-owner of Stillwater Restaurant and Black Cow Bistro and is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness in the workplace among many things. 

Bianca has a unique approach to how she runs her businesses and supports her team. She is acutely aware of mental health issues and has supported those that suffer with depression, anxiety and bi-polar, to eating disorders, substance abuse, life-changing circumstances such as death, suicides, illness, abortion and divorce and aims to provide a safe and comfortable work-environment whilst enabling her team to still to be productive with a sense of empowerment and achievement. Studying part time Bianca completed a Bachelor of Behavioural Science in December 2018 to complement her HR role within her businesses. 

In her spare time she surrounds herself with good food, wine, people and animals. She has recently become a mum and enjoys the challenge of balancing her roles. 

Is it possible to manage your own digital marketing and get it right? 

In this episode, self-made Google adwords expert, Rob Knight gives us the lowdown on how you can train yourself to successfully manage your own Google Adwords and make an impact. 

Learn whether the best solution is to outsource or keep it in-house; how to track the results; and the all-consuming question - how much to spend on Google Ads?

Passion and ambition has steered Clair and Scott Crowley to pioneer a niche market in inclusive travel, helping those living with disability to access travel and adventure experiences.

Inspired after a snowboarding accident left Scott a paraplegic, they founded Push Adventures in 2014 and The Good Scout Travel Co. in 2017. The travel company closes the gap for accessible travel and brings more accessible travel options to the wheelchair traveller community.

Determined to use their family’s experiences to inform and facilitate change within the travel industry, their experience in tourism, events and recreation, provide an invaluable insight into influencing change.

Clair and Scott (on Scott's birthday no less!) speak to host Rachel Williams about their business, and desire to improve the country's accessible tourism offerings.

Contact: hello@thegoodscout.com.au

Jason discusses how his company, For the People, goes about developing a destination brand. His most recent brand project is Tasmania’s West Coast, that has set a new standard for comprehensive community consultation and regional branding in the local government and tourism sector. Jason discusses the importance of engaging locals to build a strong tourism brand, and why leaning into what makes a place different from everywhere else is critical for building a brand that takes on a life of its own.
Contact: jason@forthepeople.agency

In this episode we focus on the small accommodation property and hone in on the question of "who are you?" We discuss finding your niche, ensuring you maintain a laser focus on your ideal customer and question every decision you’ve made about your property with your ideal customer in mind.
We also discuss distribution channels and pricing your rooms and what else you can do to ensure you're getting bookings.
Contact: david@reedconsulting.com.au

Howard Cearns is co-founder of Little Creatures – Australia’s disruptive craft brewing start-up that made ‘boutique’ a thing to be valued, leading the way for the craft beer phenomenon sweeping Australia today.

A successful branding and design creative, Howard and some entrepreneurial beer-drinking mates were determined to brew and popularise in their native Western Australia a rich hop-driven Pale Ale like the ones they so enjoyed in America, and completely unlike the traditional draught beers generated by Australia’s brewing monoliths.

Wanting their beer connoisseurs to be able to take in the true sights, sounds and tastes of a brewery, they also set about transforming an old shed on the water’s edge in Fremantle into a brewery and beer hall unlike any other in Australia. Opening in 2000, The Great Hall, has become the gold standard for Australian foodie experiences with visitors surrounded by tanks, brewers getting around in high vis and the unmistakable aroma of beers mashing in.

How can join the ranks of tourism award winner? What sort of things are the judges actually looking for? How do we decide where to focus our attention?  What do national award winners do that makes them stand out? We'll answer all these and MORE on this special hour long episode specifically made for tourism awards nominees.

For the past ten years, Brad Nowland has been one of the key staff members behind the rise of the Liberal Party from opposition to Government. 

Developing and executing innovative and high impact media and campaign strategies, he is amongst the longest-serving Press Secretaries in Tasmanian politics. 

Brad also served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Treasurer. 
Brad is now a public relations consultant and partner in Font PR and he says "the reality is, unless you’ve experienced it first-hand it is almost impossible to comprehend just how overwhelming and fast moving a real crisis can be."

Brad and his team at Font PR have been called on to help clients deal with everything from helicopter crashes, workplace deaths, fraud and even Tasmania’s near catastrophic energy crisis.

They know what it’s like to be on the front line during a crisis, what to expect, what to do and especially what not to do.

Join Brad Nowland as he shares his insights and answer your questions in an informative and interactive session that is sure to make you think about what you would do if a crisis hit your business.
Contact: bradn@pontpr.com.au

It’s so hard to keep up with the fast paced, ever changing landscape of social media.

Starting up a Facebook page might be easy but with the falling organic reach and engagement from business accounts, actually growing a Facebook page can be challenging. We’ll discuss with a social media expert living in WA, the best ways to get your customers to engage with your efforts on Facebook. 

Social media and digital marketing strategist Meg Coffey is a trainer, lecturer, media commentator, award-winning entrepreneur and regular on Australia’s business speaking circuit.

Texan by birth and Australian by choice, she is managing director of social and digital marketing agency Coffey and Tea, delivering training and developing campaigns that enable Australian businesses to compete on the global stage. She is also the founder of #SMPerth, the free digital-marketing knowledge-sharing network. With 5000-strong community that inspires and nurtures Australia’s next generation of digital marketers.
Contact: meg@coffeyandtea.com

With almost 21% of bookings coming from OTA (online travel agent) channels, it is important to ensure the relationship between OTA and providers is effective, easy, and mutually beneficial.

During his master class Greg will share key learnings from his years as Expedia Groups Market Manager to ensure everyone gets what they need from any online supply channel, with some quick and easy wins that will benefit any operator.

Content, engagement and conversion is the name of the game when targeting high value guests.
Contact: gfreeman@expediagroup.com

Humorous, honest, provocative, thought provoking, confronting, challenging – much like the man himself!
2018 Tasmanian Tourism Champion and industry legend, Simon Currant, shares his remarkable story in our inaugural Talking Tourism Podcast; Champion Tales.

Rob Cameron is a business consultant with Collins SBA. Listen for some tips on bringing your business vision to life and some tools to analyse underperforming products and what to do when you uncover them.
Contact: rcameron@collinssba.com.au

This episode covers: 

• Why your online reputation is critical to your success
• How to embrace complaints and improve
• Tips for how to respond to both good and bad feedback
• Good customer service is the cheapest form of marketing you’ll ever do 

Contact: sam@greenhattourism.com.au

During this Podcast we discuss some simple approaches that we can adopt to really connect with our visitors.

Contact: larni.davies@TasTAFE.tas.edu.au