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Occupational Health and Safety is being reformed into Work Health Safety to create safer working conditions in Australia. These changes will affect every business.
Work Health Safety is the new Federal Government initiative bringing a national standard across the country. The new laws will create greater safety protection for all workers, but more obligations for businesses.
Regardless of how large or small your business is, or what sector you operate in, you will need to understand and be compliant with the new laws by 1 January 2012.
Some examples of changes in South Australia:
A copy of the Work Health and Safety Bill 2011 is now available and more information can be found at SafeWork SA.
To get your head around the new laws & requirements and ensure you have the correct systems in place, SATIC will be providing tailored information sessions so all members can become compliant.
Stay tuned for details. |
Australia’s Climate Change Plan
The Federal Government has released its plan for Australia's Clean Energy Future. There are four key elements of the Plan: carbon pricing, renewable energy, energy efficiency and action on the land.
The Federal Government has released its plan for Australia's Clean Energy Future. There are four key elements of the Plan: carbon pricing, renewable energy, energy efficiency and action on the land. |
The State Government is proposing the introduction of Australia’s first appellation control scheme to protect the identity and enhance the marketing of foods & wines produced in defined regions of South Australia.
All SA food, wine and tourism regions now have the opportunity to comment.
The State Government is proposing the introduction of Australia’s first appellation control scheme to protect the identity and enhance the marketing of foods & wines produced in defined regions of South Australia.
All SA food, wine and tourism regions now have the opportunity to comment. |
SATIC Board Nominations now open
The South Australian Tourism Industry Council (SATIC) calls for nominations to fill four elected positions on the SATIC Board.
All financial members of SATIC are invited to nominate.
The South Australian Tourism Industry Council (SATIC) calls for nominations to fill four elected positions on the SATIC Board.
All financial members of SATIC are invited to nominate. |
SA Visitor and Travel Centre Update - 15 June 2011
On Wednesday 15 June, Ian Darbyshire, Chief Executive of the South Australian Tourism Commission announced the successful commercial partner for the new CBD Travel Centre to replace the SA Visitor & Travel Centre. Here is what he had to say...
"In February, the SATC communicated with you its decision to seek a commercial partner to manage the services offered by the SA Visitor & Travel Centre. This decision was made in consideration of the changes in the way consumers plan and book travel, the increasing trend towards online bookings as well as the expiration of the lease at 18 King William Street on the 31st July.
The SATC is pleased to announce that Holidays of Australia has been awarded the contract to be the SATC’s commercial partner for the provision of visitor information and management of travel bookings generated by SATC’s marketing activity.
Holidays of Australia are a South Australian company with a passionate and experienced senior management team who are enthusiastically working with SATC on the transition. Holidays of Australia has extensive experience in packaging and promoting South Australia.
Holidays of Australia will operate both a retail shop front at 18-20 Grenfell St and a call centre. They will service customer enquiries, phone calls and emails generated by southaustralia.com
The new arrangement will commence on the 1st July and SATC will work closely with Holidays of Australia to deliver a seamless customer experience during the transition process. Experienced SATC staff will work closely with Holidays of Australia to facilitate this, and Holidays of Australia have committed to a schedule of operator briefings, training and familiarisations to ensure their reservation team are kept up to date with new tourism products in South Australia.
With the SA Visitor & Travel Centre ceasing trade on the 30th June, this necessitates a change to the operator agreement that currently exists between the SATC and you, the tourism operators. You will receive a terms and conditions letter shortly for you to note.
Holidays of Australia will ensure a fair representation of products and will be responsible for communicating to you their own commercial trading terms, which will be reflective of industry standards. SATC has worked closely with Holidays of Australia to ensure that payment terms from 1 July 2011 are managed in a similar manner to the SATC’s current payment conditions.
Booking conditions that are reflected in the current Shorts and South Australian Holidays publications will remain the same until the end of the 2012 tourism year or validity of these programs.
Holidays of Australia will facilitate redemption of SA Visitor & Travel Centre Gift Cards that have not yet been redeemed or expired. Customers have up to two years to redeem Gift Cards. Holidays of Australia will continue to sell Gift Cards after 1 July 2011.
The SATC appreciates your co-operation as we undertake the transition process, and we look forward to continuing to grow consumer demand and drive visitation to South Australia through all of our collective efforts. If you have any queries, please email response@tourism.sa.com."
Ian Darbyshire, Chief Executive, South Australian Tourism Commission
READ THE SA TOURISM COMMISSION'S MEDIA RELEASE - 15 JUNE
SATIC'S RESPONSE TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT - 15 JUNE
VIEW THE ABC NEWS SEGMENT ON THIS ISSUE - 16 JUNE |
Good news!
The new TQUAL mark is now available and can be displayed alongside the tourism accreditation 'tick' logo.
The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program (ATAP) and ECO Certification has been approved under the Federal Government's National Tourism Accreditation Framework. Linked to this framework is a national symbol for quality - the new TQUAL mark.
The TQUAL mark is a further endorsement of quality tourism businesses and Tourism Australia have committed to spending $5.5 million on promotion of this brand over the next five years.
Learn more about the National Tourism Accreditation Framework and the TQUAL mark |
Tourism Exchange Australia, or TXA, is the national booking exchange supported by all Australian State Tourism Organisations including the SA Tourism Commission.
It gives your business more exposure by making your products bookable in real-time on many state, regional, national and international websites, visitor centres and other distributors.
It gives your business more exposure by making your products bookable in real-time on many state, regional, national and international websites, visitor centres and other distributors.
Do you...
If so, register for a FREE workshop with the SA Tourism Commission to learn about the various booking systems, TXA and the benefits of selling your products online and in real time. |
Regional Tourism Growth Plan - 5 May update
On Thursday 5 May, Ian Darbyshire, Chief Executive of the South Australian Tourism Commission updated the industry on the progress of the Regional Tourism Growth Plan. Here is what he had to say...
"As part of the South Australian Tourism Commission’s (SATC) focus on regional tourism, we have been working towards a plan that aims to increase visitation and spending in the regions.
SATC’s total financial contribution to regional tourism remains unchanged, but a greater emphasis will now be placed on direct consumer marketing. Under the plan, which comes into effect from 1 July 2011, $1.4 million per year will be spent marketing regional SA tourism.
We have consulted extensively over the past 12 months and feedback from local government, Regional Development Australia and Regional Tourism Committees has helped enhance and further develop the overall plan.
In summary, the plan will:
To do this, the SATC will employ 11 specialist roles from 1 July 2011 that will work on the above focused projects. These will include a Transition Manager to assist in the roll out of the plan; three people focusing on regional marketing, including someone to work on Regional Visitor Guides and PR; two people to develop new experiences; three people working on the VIC project, and; two people working to get operators bookable online. These people will work both on the ground in the regions and within the SATC team office.
Additionally, each region will have a local contact officer role. These people will not be directly employed by the SATC, but we will provide an annual financial contribution towards each position. The local contact will act as an industry liaison point; provide input to their respective visitor guide; provide information to the SATC on the latest industry specific changes relevant to the region; assist with the planning or hosting of familiarisations and other PR activities, and; work with the SATC to provide annual insights into regional events and festivals program funding.
Marketing funds will be spent promoting key themes such as Food and Wine; Coastal Escapes; Murray River; National Landscapes, and Touring Routes.
The SATC is currently in discussions with funding partners about the finer details of the local contact officer role as well as where the councils’ funding will be directed. Regional tourism committees are currently reviewing their own structures and activities under the plan and will advise the SATC of their decision as soon as is practical.
I am extremely confident this new approach to regional tourism will help attract more visitors to our regions which have so much to offer. As operators, I hope you find this new structure makes the SATC more accessible to you, and that your businesses benefit from increased tourism.
I hope you have found this email informative and helpful. The SATC will be in touch again in early July with further details about the plan and its roll out and, at this point, we will endeavour to answer any further questions you may have."
Ian Darbyshire, Chief Executive, South Australian Tourism Commission |
Chance To Be Named Tourism’s Greatest
South Australia's finest tourism businesses are being encouraged to enter the 2011 South Australian Tourism Awards, with nominations now open.
The prestigious Awards attract hundreds of entries each year, with winners representing SA at national level.
SATIC Chief Executive Ward Tilbrook says the Tourism Awards is the pinnacle of excellence within the tourism industry and a vibrant Awards competition demonstrates that South Australian tourism has a commitment to excellence with experiences visitors can have confidence in.
“By nominating to enter the South Australian Tourism Awards, entrants begin a journey which gives their business structure, new opportunities for growth and recognition,” Mr Tilbrook says. |
SA’s Accredited Tourism Businesses Recognised Nationally
The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program received the highest accolade as the first accreditation program to be endorsed under the Federal Government’s National Tourism Accreditation Framework.
The Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP, launched the new accreditation framework and associated trademark at the Australian Tourism Exchange in Sydney.
"The TQUAL mark will be backed by the Australian Government and Tourism Australia’s global marketing power, helping accredited businesses stand out in an increasingly crowded market place," Minister Ferguson says.
"The national TQUAL mark will help visitors choose businesses they can rely on; businesses which have signed up to standards including customer service, environmental practices and accuracy in advertising."
South Australian Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Ward Tilbrook says this is a positive step nationally, as South Australia has had its own successful accreditation program in place for more than ten years.
"South Australian tourism businesses who are currently accredited through the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program will be able to use the new TQUAL mark in conjunction with the already well-recognised "tick" logo," Mr Tilbrook says.
"This announcement also means that more than 600 tourism accredited products in South Australia will be able to leverage off the new national marketing campaigns and reap the benefits."
The South Australian Tourism Industry Council administers the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program in South Australia and is the peak body for the State’s tourism industry playing a leading role in creating a positive business environment to support and recognise the quality tourism operators in this State.
For more information on the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program visit www.satic.com.au/index.php/programs/ |
Will South Australian Tourism Get Caught in the Net?
Continued consultation and communication is the key to ensure tourism is fully considered within the issue of marine parks, as their impact on South Australian tourism is two-fold.
South Australian Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Ward Tilbrook says coastal and marine tourism is a significant part of South Australia’s nature-based tourism identity.
"Marine parks can portray a strong ecotourism marketing message; some of the world’s most outstanding and highly demanded tourism experiences are associated with marine parks," Mr Tilbrook says.
"South Australia boasts many world-class marine tourism experiences. Swimming and diving with or viewing dolphins, seals, whales, sharks, cuttlefish and tuna are all magnificent South Australian experiences, which take place in quite defined locations.
"However, fishing for pleasure is also vitally important to South Australian tourism, with many regions attributing over 20% of their tourism to fishing."
Relative to the rest of Australia, South Australia has an above average participation by visitors in fishing. 11% of interstate tourists to our State go fishing and 15% of all South Australians who holiday in our own great State go fishing as part of their trip.
"Recreational fishing is already acknowledged by Government to be well managed through strict boat and bag limits. In addition, charter tourism fishing operators are controlled through licensing," Mr Tilbrook says.
"Scientific evidence should have to demonstrate why additional restrictions and prohibitions need to be introduced on these activities as part of marine parks."
"Recreational fishers & their families are tourists who collectively spend millions of dollars in local shops and businesses along our 5,000kms of coastline."
Research also shows that tourists who enjoy fishing are also more likely to participate in other nature based tourism activities like visiting beaches, national parks and bushwalking.
"The SA Tourism Industry Council acknowledges that parts of our coastline face increasing pressure and marine parks are not solely aimed at recreational fishing but are intended to protect areas against the impacts of a range of development activities, including mining, commercial fishing, dredging and discharge," Mr Tilbrook says.
"It is important that Government has a focus on the health of our marine environment but it does need to provide definitive science on how recreational & charter fishing is threatening marine plant and animal life in South Australian waters, to justify any further restrictions or prohibitions on recreational and charter fishing in South Australia.
"The SA Tourism Industry Council is consulting with both its members in the tourism industry and the Government to ensure that the impacts on tourism are fully understood and considered within the Marine Parks issue and there is a sensible outcome."
As South Australia’s peak tourism body, the South Australian Tourism Industry Council represents over 550 members and its’ role is to engage in all of the processes that shape our State’s tourism future. |
Australia’s Best Event & Hosted Accommodation
South Australia’s Santos Tour Down Under was named Australia’s best major festival & event and Seppeltsfield Vineyard Cottage in the Barossa was named Australia’s best hosted accommodation at the 2010 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Perth.
The Santos Tour Down Under is celebrating its second consecutive national win and beat some tough competition from around the country, including Canberra’s Floriade Festival, Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
Seppeltsfield Vineyard Cottage, who last won this category nationally at the 2005 Awards, triumphed over other hosted accommodation providers including Clydesdale Manor in Tasmania and Montfort Manor in Victoria.
South Australian Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Ward Tilbrook says the Australian Tourism Awards finalists represent the best of the best from around the country.
“To be a finalist at the national level, entrants must first win a State tourism award in the same category, so our local finalists were up against some very tough competition,” Mr Tilbrook says.
“The Qantas Australian Tourism Awards recognise tourism businesses that strive for excellence in every area of their operation.
“This is an excellent result for the State and all of our finalists should be very proud of their achievements.
“These wins will not only raise South Australia’s profile in Australian tourism but also sets a benchmark for best practice.”
Chief Executive of the Houseboat Hirers Association, Peter Tucker was also acknowledged at the gala event for his outstanding contribution to tourism in South Australia.
The awards were announced at a gala presentation and dinner in Perth on 11 March 2011, attended by over 800 of Australia’s key tourism operators and industry leaders. |
The South Australian Tourism Commission is looking for a commercial partner to manage services offered by the South Australian Visitor & Travel Centre, including a call centre and a retail shopfront for a 'walk in' customers.
The following annoucement was made to industry on Friday, 25 February about the future of the SA Visitor & Travel Centre....
"In consideration of the changes in the way consumers plan and book travel, the increasing trend towards online bookings, and the expiration of the lease at 18 King William St on the 31 July, the South Australian Tourism Commission has decided to look for a commercial partner to manage the services offered by the South Australian Visitor & Travel Centre (SAV&TC). The SAV&TC’s last day of trading under the current arrangements will be Friday, 1 July, to allow time for decommissioning of the premises.
The SAV&TC assists with general queries about South Australian travel and makes bookings for consumers for travel within South Australia. Its operations include a retail centre for walk-in business, at 18 King William St; a call centre for telephone enquiries received from consumers and travel agents; and management of email enquiries generated from www.southaustralia.com.
Through an open, competitive tender process, the SA Tourism Commission will seek a commercial partner to continue servicing those customers who prefer to book via traditional methods in which they can talk to a South Australian expert. The successful tenderer will be responsible for servicing walk-in customers, handling phone enquiries, and managing emails generated by www.southaustralia.com.
At the same time, the SA Tourism Commission has commenced a digital strategy, which aims to help the industry keep up with rapidly changing consumer trends. As part of the strategy, www.southaustralia.com will be enhanced to include new features, improved functionality and a fresh look and feel. The first changes will be seen in June 2011 and will deliver an improved availability search function and real-time booking process for consumers who wish to book online.
A key component of the digital strategy is improving industry’s online capabilities. As well as investing resources into improving www.southaustralia.com, the SA Tourism Commission will implement, in conjunction with partners such as the South Australian Tourism Industry Council, an education program for tourism operators about the benefits of online distribution, with a view to improving the online capability of a greater number of South Australian operators.
The SA Tourism Commission has chosen this path in response to the changes in the way consumers plan and book holiday travel, especially domestic travel. Research shows there has been a noticeable increase in behaviours including the use of websites such as www.southaustralia.com to research and then book direct with operators; booking direct via operators’ websites; and booking via other travel websites such as wotif.com and lastminute.com..."
SATIC is seeking member feedback on this important issue.
If you're a SATIC Member, please log-in to leave your comment. |
South Australia’s Tourism Stars
Four of South Australia’s best tourism businesses have been inducted into the State’s Tourism Hall of Fame at the 2010 South Australian Tourism Awards.
Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre, Adelaide Convention Centre, UniSA’s School of Management and Unforgettable Houseboats all received the prestigious inductions at the Adelaide Convention Centre after winning their respective categories for the third year in a row.
Chief Executive of the Houseboat Hirers Association, Peter Tucker, was also honoured for his role in tourism, receiving the award for an Outstanding Contribution by an Individual.
With a passion for the houseboating industry, Peter is dedicated to promoting the Murray River as Australia’s most iconic waterway and unifying the industry with cooperative marketing.
More than 620 people attended the black tie event, where 26 awards were presented to businesses and individuals judged to be the most outstanding in each category.
A further 76 entrants who achieved a high standard in their category were recognised with a gold, silver or bronze medal.
South Australian Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Ward Tilbrook says a record 184 entries were received this year, highlighting the power a Tourism Awards win can have for a tourism business.
“The standard of entries was extremely high, which underlines the commitment our operators have towards this important industry,” Mr Tilbrook says.
“It has been inspiring to see the commitment that tourism businesses have given to reviewing their goals and achievements through the awards process and showcasing their success to the industry.
“The Tourism Industry Council aims to present the South Australian tourism industry as professional and high quality, and tonight we have seen some of the State’s finest tourism businesses rewarded for excellence.”
The South Australian Tourism Awards are the pinnacle of excellence within the tourism industry; they reward innovation and foster best business practices by setting benchmarks for all tourism operators to aspire to.
The awards are judged in accordance with a strict set of rules and criteria, and winners will represent the State at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in March 2011, to be held in Perth. |
