Gabriella Conti at the Emu Valley Rhododendron Gardens for the "Autumn Spectacular"
Congratulations to King Island's Cape Wickham Golf Links, who have been voted Australia's No. 1 golf course by Australian Golf Digest! It's a remarkable achievement, especially considering they surpassed Royal Melbourne, the former champion. Incredible effort!
This month, we've been engaging with councils and LTAs, diving deep into positive impact tourism, and enjoying a fun filled weekend of the Tasting Trail's third annual Trail Graze weekend. It was great to see so many people making the most of the fresh autumn vibes.
Don't forget to mark your calendars for our Regional Tourism Forum, it's shaping up to not disappoint! Secure your spot at both the forum and cocktail party! This year we are partnering with TICT where they will unveil the Tassie Top Tourism Towns. Will Devonport, Stanley or Queenstown steal the spotlight again? Vote NOW!!
Our WxNW Chair Cyndia, Vice Chair Simon, our Board of Directors, and the team have established our core values. Here is what we’re all about:
We strive to be bold and ambitious.
We are passionate and professional.
We work with integrity and build trust.
I'll be off on annual leave from May 7th to May 31st, but fear not—Sarah and Meg will be here running the show whilst I’m away.
Photo | (left to right) Sarah Norton, Palisa Anderson, Gabriella Conti and Lilly Trewartha.
The Off Season is LIVE!!! Tourism Tasmania's lively marketing campaign features over 100 unique experiences (combination of offers and events) across North West, West Coast, and King Island from 1st May to 31st August, visitors will find plenty to make enduring the cooler months worthwhile.
If you're part of the OFF Season campaign, boost your impact with FREE digital coaching. Elevate your presence, amplify your offerings, and explore available assistance and grants in our roundup below. Don't miss out!
Last year, our region took out ALL three awards - can you help us do it again? Devonport,Stanley and Queenstown on our West Coast, are our regions sensational entrants in the search for Tassie's Top Tourism Towns for 2024.
This competition is about promoting local pride in our regional towns, while showcasing the unique experiences that can only be found in regional Tasmania.
By voting for your favourite entry, you also go into the draw to win a Tassie Winter Getaway!
Join us for our annual Regional Tourism Forum where you can delve into major regional projects, industry insights, and discussions on Positive Impact and workforce development. We're excited to feature Christine Finnegan, CEO of the Tasmania JackJumpers, as our keynote speaker, alongside speakers from Tourism Tasmania, TICT, Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife, and more, this event promises informative discussions and actionable takeaways for your business.
Following the Forum, join us for the Cocktail Party, including the announcement of Tassie Top Tourism Town winners. It's a fantastic opportunity to network, relax, and envision the future of our region and state. Plus, we're offering a shuttle service from Devonport to ensure everyone can join in the festivities!
Following the release of the national Sustainable Tourism Toolkit for businesses, the Australian Government is hosting a series of free webinars designed for tourism operators to learn how to operate your tourism enterprise in a more sustainable way.
Designed for small to medium enterprises, the series covers:
taking a managed approach to sustainability
the environment and climate action
respecting culture
creating positive social impact, including promoting your sustainability story.
Webinars will be hosted by Brooke Liebelt and Nic Cooper of The Tourism Collective, and will continue on the May 9th.
The Tasmanian story is about people — just like you — overcoming obstacles to achieve something meaningful. You are invited by Brand Tasmania and RACT to hear the stories of two entrepreneurs who embody the Tasmanian story: Amanda French from Dress for Success and Jess Richmond from Sumday. They will delve deep into their fascinating journeys and share the incredible “why” behind their remarkable ventures.
The annual Tourism Conference in Tasmania is returning for 2024, promising two days of workshops, industry updates, keynote speakers, and networking. Themed 'Future Focus,' this year's conference aims to inspire discussions about the industry's potential guided by the 2030 Strategy. It will offer valuable insights into practical tourism skills, destination planning, and excellent networking opportunities. More information and program to be launched early June!
If you have expertise to share or inspiring insights to offer, TICT would love to hear from you! TICT is seeking Expressions of Interest from potential speakers and presenters to contribute to the program. Complete the form here!
2024 Tasmanian Tourism Awards - NOW OPEN!
The Tasmanian Tourism Awards are the premier Awards program in the Tasmanian tourism industry. The Awards are designed to encourage and recognise innovation, excellence, quality and sustainability in tourism, while providing a benchmark for industry best practice.
TICT offers a comprehensive entrant support program inclusive of your entry fee, and all entrants are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this assistance to prepare the best possible entry.
Nominations for the 2024 Tasmanian Tourism Awards are NOW OPEN!
This new, completely free program is a series of fast and fun training modules, all focused on understanding bias and inclusion in the hospitality industry.
In this program, participants will learn all about:
diversity
how to build inclusive workplaces
combat unconscious biases
feel equipped to respond to sexual harassment.
Following each 4-7 minute video module, participants will also be served up a simple questionnaire to help you put what you’ve learnt into practice.
All Tasmanian business owners, managers, marketers or representatives are welcome to participate. All you need to be is a registered Tasmanian business with an ABN. The confidential coaching sessions are tailor-made to your business by our skilled coaches, they run for up to 4 hours and are free of charge. Coaching sessions can be delivered in person or remotely via Zoom or phone.
The Tasmanian Business Advice Service provides free business advice to Tasmanian small businesses. Experienced advisors can help you with a wide variety of topics. To find out more about the support available to you, click the button below that best describes your business.
VXT is a purpose-built organisation, providing training in the hospitality and tourism industry. Visit their website for upcoming training courses in our region.
The First Nations Tourism Mentoring Program (FNTMP) is a free mentoring program for First Nations tourism businesses across Australia. It supports businesses to grow and achieve their goals by connecting them with skilled, experienced and culturally respectful tourism industry specialists who can provide one-on-one guidance, advice and support.
Through the support of the Tasmanian Government, the TICT is supporting tourism businesses in reducing their emissions by matching eligible tourism operators with one of two programs over 2023 and 2024.
Touring grants of up to $20 000 are available to eligible organisers of auto, motorbike, cycle or walking tours in Tasmania during the winter and shoulder season. Funding is based on the number of interstate or international participants staying in paid commercial accommodation for five nights or more, with 40 percent or more of the tour being held in regional areas.
The Scheme will provide no-interest loans of between $500 and $10,000 over three years to eligible households, residential landlords, small businesses and community organisations for funding investment in energy-efficient products.
The scheme provides small, interest-free loans of up to $3 000 to people on low incomes who want to start their own business or grow an existing one.
The Cultural Tourism Accelerator Program The Cultural Tourism Accelerator Program is a $5 million targeted measure announced by the Australian Government as part of the Regional Arts Tourism package.
There are four grants available under this program. See website for more detail.
Most local councils offer their own grant programs. Check your local council website for further information.
For more detail on grants and funding, you can ring the Business Tasmania helpline any time on 1800 440 026 or email ask@business.tas.gov.au.
If you know of anybody who would like to receive tourism updates from WxNW, please forward this email and encourage them to subscribe HERE. Note this mailing list has been drawn from ATDW, council websites, correspondence to date and other web-based research. If you wish to be removed, you may unsubscribe below.
Also, for more regular updates and interaction with our region's tourism industry, join the Friends of WxNW Facebook group.
We acknowledge Tasmanian Aboriginal people as the traditional and ongoing custodians of lutruwita (Tasmania). We honour their deep cultural connection and care of these lands, skies and waterways, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
