Regional tourism in the spotlight

More than 150 regional tourism officers, operators, suppliers and managers from all Australian states and territories meeting in Hobart from 3-6 September will have a chance to hear the latest on the Federal Government’s ten year plan for Australian tourism.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Tourism, Warren Entsch, will participate in the concluding session of the Australian Regional Tourism Convention. He will give an update on development of the blueprint for Australian tourism into the next decade. A Green Paper on the plan was released earlier this year; industry feedback has been incorporated in a White Paper that will be released before the end of the year.

The Australian Regional Tourism Convention is the key annual meeting for Australia’s regional tourism organisations. Among the speakers at next week’s Hobart convention are See Australia’s Graham Perry, Tourism Victoria’s deputy CEO Wayne Kayler-Thomson, and Peter Wright from Macquarie Bank, who will speak on community partnerships and progressing regions.

The Centre for Regional Tourism Research, based at Southern Cross University in northern NSW, is managing the convention for the Australian Regional Tourism Network. The Network is an alliance of public and private sector organisations, from all states and territories, working to develop Australia’s regional tourism potential. Southern Cross University has Australia’s foremost tourism management research and program.


Other speakers in Hobart next week include:
· Dr Anne Hardy, University of Tasmania drive tourism researcher, on successful themed touring routes
· Linus Bagley, Binnaburra Mountain Lodge, on working in networks and clusters, and cross-border issues
· David Bobbermen, from Norfolk Jet and Mathilda Air, and former Greyhound Pioneer CEO and hotel/resort manager, on regional aviation, air/ground partnerships and access issues
· Lee Brady, from Desert Tracks, NT, on tourism trail development
· Dr Dianne Dredge, tourism planner and former town planner, on the link between tourism and community well-being, and strategies used in regions to improve that link
· Ian Oelrichs, NSW Northern Rivers Regional Development Board, on public/private partnerships
· Dean Carson, Southern Cross University, on using tourism data and statistics, the value of tourism and case studies of successful regions

The Australian Regional Tourism Convention is at the Grand Chancellor Hotel, Hobart, from September 3 to 6. For more details see www.regionaltourism.com.au or contact Donna McIntyre at the Centre for Regional Tourism Research on dmcintyr@scu.edu.au or phone (02) 66203503.

Media enquiries: Kate Benecke 02 66865572; 03 62354535 at the Grand Chancellor; or 0429 302966