I am honoured and excited to step into the role of Minister for Tourism in South Australia and look forward to building on the strong foundation left by my predecessor, Jane Lomax-Smith.
 
I am encouraged by the industry’s ability to remain steadfast in the wake of the global financial downturn.
 
In fact, South Australia recorded a 9% rise in annual tourism expenditure in 2009, pumping $4.6 billion into our economy, compared with a national decline of 2% in visitor expenditure.
 
This resilience ensured we remained focused on the South Australian Tourism Plan 2009-1014’s goal of achieving a $6.3 billion tourism industry for our State by 2014.
 
The latest international visitor figures from Tourism Research Australia show our appeal as a world-class tourism destination is continuing to climb as visitors stay longer and spend more when holidaying in our State.
 
South Australia welcomed 361,100 international visitors for the year ended March 2010, up 3% from the previous 12 months.
 
These visitors are also staying longer, as evidenced by the 8.1 million international visitor nights recorded, which is an all time high, and up 14% on the previous 12 months - well ahead of the 5% rise nationally.
 
Significantly, international holiday visitor spending is up. In the year ended March 2010, international holiday visitors spent $188 million in South Australia, up 13% on the previous 12 months, while the nation recorded a 1% drop for the same period.
 
This rise in holiday purpose expenditure is great news for South Australia’s tourism and associated industries as these travellers are spending money in metropolitan and regional areas, creating valuable employment for South Australians.
 
This shows that our marketing strategies are hitting the mark, and we will continue to invest in sharper, more finely targeted domestic and international marketing campaigns, to take advantage of the emerging economic recovery.
 
Hosting the 2010 Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) was a great way for us to build on the momentum we’ve achieved as seen in the latest visitor figures, and I was pleased to meet with a number of you at the event, which has further increased our profile in lucrative international countries to ensure we get our fair share of visitors in the future.
 
Encouragingly and as evidenced at ATE, South Australia is positioning itself as the nation’s most sustainable tourism destination as 23 tourism businesses have now achieved Climate Action Certification through the program developed by Ecotourism Australia, which is administered by the South Australian Tourism Industry Council (SATIC).
 
SATIC continues to bring a focus to the industry and its long term sustainability through initiatives such as accreditation programs, the South Australian Tourism Awards, the Climate Action Certification program and business advice and training.
 
Having attended the launch and meeting with a number of tourism operators of the 2010 South Australian Tourism Awards in April, I am looking forward to seeing even more operators engage with SATIC to further unify and grow the industry in the future.
 
The recent Riverbank Promenade Redevelopment announcement is great news for future tourism growth in South Australia, giving visitors new reasons to come to our great State. Not only do conference attendees stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants, they can be excellent advocates for our state when they return home.
 
The SATC has run a strong and pro-active approach to developing a more appealing South Australia of tomorrow and there are now more than $1 billion worth of signature experiences either in the concept phase or being built.
 
We’re also working hard on other strategy focus areas including access. Getting more cruise ships to visit and planes to land in South Australia are crucial steps towards achieving growth in visitor expenditure. There is still unfulfilled demand for flights to and from Adelaide, and we are committed to further developing relationships with the airlines in a bid to fill these gaps.
 
Our vibrant summer events season was one of the most successful on record and the State Government will continue to enhance and promote the State’s events calendar.
 
The appointment of Ian Darbyshire, who started as the SATC’s new Chief Executive, earlier this year, is fantastic news for the industry.   He brings with him a great passion for our State, plus substantial international business experience, which will enable the State’s tourism industry to grow in an extremely competitive environment.
 
Together with Ian, I look forward to working with you all to grow the sector’s worth and bring investment and tourism dollars into South Australia.
 
I am excited at the opportunity to work with a focussed tourism industry, further harnessing the spirit that has led to recent successes to achieve even more success in the future.

 

Monday 22 February was one of those watershed days you get every now and then in life. Not only was it my first day at the SATC, but it was also my wife, Jacqui’s birthday and the day the builders started on a six-week project extending our house in Mount Osmond.

I originally came to Australia as a tourist, and despite the fact that our itinerary did not include South Australia, we had a great time. So a few years later, and after visiting many other parts of the world, we decided to return to Australia.

Denise, our UK travel agent asked if we had considered visiting South Australia and proposed an itinerary including Glenelg, North Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Mount Gambier, Victor Harbor and Kangaroo Island. We had a great time and went back to the UK where we agreed to meet Denise and take her out to dinner!

Denise arranged more holidays for us in South Australia, until eventually we’d fallen completely in love with the place, and decided to emigrate here and make Adelaide our home.

So how much has gone on since that watershed day of February 22?

During my three month induction at the SATC we:
* Had a state election;
* Welcomed a new Tourism Minister, John Rau;
* Held a very successful Routes Asia 2010 Conference, attended by around 450 delegates;
* Tiger Airways added another daily service between Melbourne and Adelaide, and added a third aircraft to their Adelaide base;
* Welcomed the Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2;
* And held a most successful ATE attended by more than 50 South Australian sellers and further national operators with SA products exhibited in the national arena. More than 100,000 appointments were held during the event and more than 450 delegates took the opportunity to participate in one of the familiarisation trips around the State.

So at the end of the first few months in the job I am writing this sitting in my hotel room in Las Vegas, regretting not taking my holiday in South Australia. International visitation to SA is growing rapidly; in 2009 expenditure grew by 23%, compared to a 3% national average.

As I have learned the hard way, South Australia is a perfect destination for first-time visitors, not just for repeat visitors to Australia. Having had red wine with my dinner in Las Vegas, I can tell you I am missing South Australian wine. South Australia is the home of (Australian) wine.

Yesterday I spent 10 hours in a bus getting to the Grand Canyon and back. By comparison, Adelaide is such a convenient gateway from which iconic Australian destinations can be visited, e.g. Kangaroo Island.

So my first few months have been very interesting, very educational, and most things have gone to plan. When I left to come to the US, the builder was still hard at work at my house after three months!  He needs a lesson in planning from the SATC team who organised ATE.

With increased numbers of environmentally-savvy travellers choosing eco accredited tourism experiences, becoming a part of Ecotourism Australia’s Climate Action Certification Program is more important than ever for South Australia’s tourism operators.

Ecotourism Australia’s Climate Action Certification program is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and assuring travellers that certified products are committed to sustainable practices related to climate change. The national program, which is implemented on behalf of Ecotourism Australia by the South Australian Tourism Industry Council (SATIC) in our State, has been designed for all sectors of the tourism industry and provides tourism businesses with meaningful ways to reduce their environmental impact and to communicate their response to climate change.

And with benefits including improved profitability and operational efficiencies, plus expanded market reach to environmentally-aware travellers, there are plenty of tangible outcomes on offer to increase businesses’ bottom lines.

We’ve tracked down two operators who are part of a group leading the way in climate change initiatives and asked them for their view on why all tourism operators should get involved with the program.

Karen Sellar, Banrock Station, Riverland

Congratulations on your Climate Action Innovator certification. Why did you decide to enter your business in the program, and have any facets of the business been improved as a result of going through the process?
Our inclusion in the program was consistent with our ethos of investigating continued environmental improvement for our business. While we have been vigilant in operating our Wine & Wetland Centre with a low footprint, the provision of relevant industry focused information allowed us to reassess our business practices and identify areas for adjustment, or the development of improved systems.

Have guests noticed your certification and if so, what comments have you received?
Many of our guests ask us to explain what the certification means and comment that they admire our commitment to conservation and the environment.  There is enormous benefit in explaining the certification as it provides 'food for thought' and guests will consider what they can do at home or during their travels to reduce their impact on the environment.

Has achieving eco certification status made it easier to market your business, and ultimately attract more guests?
The certification is consistent with Banrock Station’s environmental position "Good Earth Fine Wine", and illustrates to consumers our commitment to the continual improvement of the environment. We do not assess the number of guests that we attract as a result, however we are confident that our guests are respectful of the contribution we make.

Would you encourage other tourism operators to get involved with the program?  Why?
Absolutely - the program provides an opportunity, assisted by SATIC, to understand the impacts of climate change on the environment and your business and importantly, explore the benefits of adapting the business to sustainable practices which ultimately benefit both the environment and the bottom line.

Trevor Berry, Old Timers Mine, Flinders Ranges and Outback

We note you’re now a Climate Action Business - congratulations.  Why did you decide to sign up in the first place – and what were the benefits of going through the process?
We feel that being involved in climate action is an important step for two reasons.  Visitors are now more environmentally conscious and this process has enabled us to offer a way for them to offset their carbon footprint by offering websites to do so. Becoming a Climate Action Business also meant we looked at our business and put into place what was needed to be done to deal with climate change with constructive practices and onsite training for our staff.

Have you received any visitor feedback about your participation in the program and especially, did it make the difference to them booking with you?
Not as yet, but as we put more signs around, we expect to get results.

Would you encourage other tourism operators to get involved with the program?  Why?
We would most certainly encourage others to obtain the certification as it does benefit the business in its presentation to the public.  The more businesses we can get involved with the program, the better it is for our entire area.

For more information about the Climate Change Certification program and to get involved, visit: www.satic.com.au/accreditation/climate-action-certification-program.html

South Australia has hosted one of its most successful cruise ship seasons ever this summer, with a record 27 cruise ship arrivals carrying up to 50,000 passengers, capped off by a visit from the world’s largest ocean liner, Cunard Lines’ Queen Mary 2.

The Queen Mary 2’s relationship with South Australia is set to grow in coming years, with a return visit planned for 2011 and cruise packages on board the luxury liner to include departures from Adelaide during 2012.

The ship’s passengers offered glowing endorsements of Adelaide and the welcome provided to them by South Australia, proving the success of the South Australian Tourism Commission’s (SATC) partnership with Flinders Ports, the Port Adelaide-Enfield Council and the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure.

The hard work this season by the SATC’s partners has ensured all cruise passengers visiting our State received the friendliest and most well-organised arrival possible, and our dedicated team of "meet and greet" volunteers continue to exceed all expectations.

The boom in the cruise ship arrivals is excellent news for South Australia’s economy, with the 2009-10 season’s economic impact expected to be significantly higher than the $7.1 million boost given to the State’s economy by cruise ship arrivals during the 2008-09 season.

The terminal upgrade, which was unveiled in November last year, was a joint initiative of the SATC and its owner, Flinders Ports, to ensure the best possible first impression of our State for cruise ship passengers, as well as to streamline their arrival and departure process.

The growth in cruise ship arrival numbers is a boon for Port Adelaide and the city centre, but is also beneficial for regional South Australia, with many passengers embarking on shore excursions to the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula while docked at Outer Harbor, and a growing number of cruises adding stops at Kingscote and Port Lincoln to their itineraries, where passengers also undertake shore excursions on Kangaroo Island and Eyre Peninsula.

The Santos Tour Down Under continues to prove its worth as a major tourism drawcard for our State, as South Australia starts to look forward to next year’s race.

The dates for the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under have been locked in, with Adelaide set to kick off the world cycling season from 16 to 23 January.

Minister for Tourism, John Rau says the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under provided a $41.5 million boost to the State's economy, thanks to the influx of interstate and overseas visitors who came to watch the race.

This year’s race attracted more than three quarters of a million spectators and approximately 40,000 visitors from interstate and overseas.

"It was also the most successful race on record in terms of participation, with more than 8,000 cyclists taking part in the Mutual Community Challenge Tour recreational ride," Minister Rau says.

A record number of cyclists are expected to take part in the next Mutual Community Challenge Tour, the official public ride of the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under. Part of the Škoda Breakaway Series, the event will take place from Norwood to Strathalbyn on Friday 21 January, 2011, and allows visitors and locals alike to ride the same UCI ProTour route, on the same day, as some of the world’s greatest cyclists. Registrations for the ride are now open at www.tourdownunder.com.au.

Minister Rau says the Santos Tour Down Under has become an integral part of the global racing calendar and continues to grow in popularity.

"Thousands of visitors from across the world came to Adelaide last year to see cycling legends such as Lance Armstrong and Cadel Evans compete on our roads," he says.

"I'm sure the 2011 race will generate just as much excitement and anticipation among cycling fans."

"The Santos Tour Down Under is a wonderful week-long celebration of cycling and an opportunity to showcase South Australia to the world, with the 2010 event generating $124 million editorial media coverage and 262 hours of worldwide TV programming."

The word is out – the next phase of Tourism Australia’s exciting new global tourism campaign, There’s nothing like Australia, was launched at the Australian Tourism Exchange in Adelaide in June to the world’s tourism buyers and Australia’s tourism industry, showcasing why international tourists should visit our country.

Via an interactive web-based map, new television commercial and other online and print elements, the campaign provides South Australians with a great opportunity to tell the rest of the world about their favourite places in South Australia and what a fantastic destination we offer.

The campaign comes at a time with international visitors are staying longer and spending more when holidaying in South Australia, with the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) results indicating growth in international visitors, visitor nights and visitor expenditure, despite the difficult global circumstances in 2009.

Tourism Australia called on Australians to share their favourite holiday experiences, by posting them on the There's nothing like Australia website from 15 April – 12 May.  More than 29,000 entries were received and then used to create an interactive web-based map showing all the things Australians think are special about this country.

Public voting to determine Australia’s favourite tourism destination opened on midnight 23 June, and Australians have until midnight 29 June to vote for their favourite from the eight state finalists (Kangaroo Island's Remarkable Rocks is the South Australian State finalist). The overall winner will be announced on 3 July.

To help the industry get involved in the campaign and share their enthusiasm for their region of the nation, Tourism Australia has also launched its largest ever range of free and cooperative opportunities for the industry to use with the new campaign.

For more information about how to get involved, click here

More than 400 airline and airport decision makers from around the world descended on Adelaide to discuss future aviation route opportunities at the Routes Asia 2010 conference during April.

The conference provided SA with another opportunity to talk to existing airlines and make the case to new airlines to ensure the continued success of the South Australian tourism industry by bringing new and improved air access to the State.

Adelaide’s potential for new services, and growth of existing services was featured during the event, which gave the delegates a first-hand opportunity to experience South Australia, its tourism and commercial appeal, and demonstrated ability to cater for increased airline capacity.

It was a major coup for the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) and its partners, Adelaide Airport Limited, the Adelaide Convention Bureau and the Department of Trade and Economic Development, since it was the first time this important event was held on Australian soil.

Registrations by both airlines and airports for this international aviation networking forum were more than 50 per cent higher than for last year’s event, and there was a particularly strong contingent from China in town to attend the event.

An important first step in introducing the State to travellers from the vast mainland China market was taken earlier this year when the South Australian Government welcomed a charter flight to Adelaide from Shenzhen in southern China, building recognition of South Australia among Chinese consumers, and helping to develop a business case for regular scheduled services.

Increased flights are needed to make Adelaide more competitive with other capital cities as a holiday and trade destination, and Adelaide will become a much more attractive destination for international investors, migrants and international students when there are direct flights to their home port.

South Australia has grown significantly as a major business and tourism destination in key markets in recent years.  The SATC’s Access Development team will be working hard during the coming months to leverage opportunities created during meetings held as part of Routes Asia 2010, making sure the number of flights into South Australia keeps pace with consumer demand.

Tourism Eyre Peninsula, in conjunction with the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), regional tourism operators, local government, regional development boards, Regional Express and QantasLink airlines, have run the biggest regional tourism marketing campaign in the State’s history this year.
 
Flights by QantasLink and Regional Express now have the capacity to fly more than 3500 visitors into Port Lincoln Airport each week, and the recent campaign is the first step in a concerted effort to raise Eyre Peninsula’s profile as an accessible tourism destination, and to support the long-term sustainability of both airlines’ flights into Port Lincoln.
 
The campaign, which ran from mid-April to mid-May, for travel until mid July, invited South Australians to explore one of the nation’s hottest emerging holiday destinations from as little as $290 per person, including airfares.
 
The cooperative marketing campaign incorporated television advertising, print advertising, radio coverage, online and e-marketing, with a combined total value of $230,000.

Encouragingly, more than $20,000 in campaign-related bookings have been made with the SA Visitor and Travel Centre.  The overall value of the campaign will be much higher, as the airlines, accommodation properties and tour guides take bookings direct from consumers who have been exposed to the campaign.

In addition to the recorded passenger numbers through the Port Lincoln Airport, numbers of package bookings and enquiries and numbers of bookings made directly between consumers and tourism operators, the success of the campaign will also be measured by anecdotal feedback and surveys of visitors, businesses and the Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre.

SATC Executive General Manager Destination Development Joanne Podoliak says affordable and accessible air services are one component which is vital for the region’s tourism growth.
 
"In line with this additional seat capacity, the SATC will increase its direct-to-consumer marketing to continue to build awareness and make the Eyre Peninsula one of Australia’s best tourist destinations," Ms Podoliak says.

Port Lincoln has seen the rise of a number of new tourism developments in recent years. The Port Lincoln Hotel opened in 2008, the town’s shark diving tours have received international attention, the unique tours allowing visitors to swim with tuna have captured consumers’ imaginations, and new developments associated with the Marina and Point Boston combine to make Port Lincoln a compelling tourism destination.

Five tourism regions around South Australia have welcomed new Regional Tourism Managers.

In conjunction with the Regional Tourism Coordinators and other regional office staff, the five new Regional Tourism Managers will continue to develop strategic industry partnerships to advance development and marketing of South Australia’s regional tourism areas.

The new faces include:

Limestone Coast – Paul Mullen
Born and bred in the area, Paul is excited about the opportunity to represent the Limestone Coast and is passionate about promoting the region. Paul’s business background will be invaluable for members of the tourism community as he aims to help local businesses grow and make the most of the tourist dollar.  His aim will be to provide the best support possible to the industry by maintaining current relationships and developing new strategic relationships to help develop new product, and market the best of the region locally, domestically and internationally.

Clare Valley - Craig Dunstan
Craig is a Gawler resident and has been with the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) for almost two years in the role of Business Manager, Aviation Access, where he worked with stakeholders to improve aviation access and get more planes to fly to South Australia. Prior to the SATC, Craig was the Operations Manager for IKEA Adelaide, working for nearly four years to launch the brand in South Australia, starting  as part of the initial project team, which designed and planned the store while its site was still a cricket pitch, right through to the store opening and its first few years of operation.  

Fleurieu Peninsula - Debra Pietsch
Debra has been employed with the SATC for ten years in a variety of roles, including Media & Trade Familiarisation Coordinator, Personal Assistant to the General Manager Marketing and Travel Consultant. Deb also took time away from the SATC during this period, to work with Education Adelaide as Marketing Coordinator. In her most recent role with the SATC’s Destination Development team, Deb has worked closely with the Regional Marketing Unit and been involved with projects such as the Local Government Tourism Conference and Asia Pacific Routes Conference.  A Fleurieu Peninsula resident, Deb is looking forward to working closely with both industry and local government on key projects to further develop tourism in the region.

Murraylands - Nicole Mordowicz
Nicole has been with the SATC for almost nine months as part of its Destination Development team, working collaboratively with a team of internal and external stakeholders to successfully deliver the Asia Pacific Routes Conference earlier this year. She has also liaised with stakeholders and managed the successful arrival of cruise ships into the Port Adelaide Passenger Terminal. Prior to her time at the SATC, Nikki completed a Bachelor of Recreation, Planning and Management, as well as a Certificate in TESOL (Teacher of English to Students of Other Languages). She lived for a time in China, using the skills gained from her degrees to start a not for profit co-operative called Art+, promoting artists and art, with all proceeds of artwork sold though the co-operative going to charity.

Kangaroo Island - Natasha Bond
Natasha has been with the SATC for almost four years, and has become a familiar face among its Regional Marketing Team. Her roles at the SATC have included work in the Murraylands Tourism Office, a stint in the Destination Development team and most recently, a role with the Trade Events team working on ATE 2010. Prior to joining the SATC, Natasha worked with leading tourism business, Unforgettable Houseboats. Natasha has completed a Bachelor of Cultural Tourism, and during her studies was awarded the Wattle Range Council Prize for contribution to regional tourism. Natasha was also selected as the 2009 Young Tourism Ambassador for South Australia at the Australian Regional Tourism Network.

Five regional developments have received a funding boost from the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), as part of a $2 million annual program that aims to help develop, revitalise and update existing tourism ventures.

Raptor Domain, on Kangaroo Island, which delivers the only “Free Flight” Birds of Prey Display in South Australia to more than 30,000 people annually, will receive a $30,000 grant from the SATC to help them move into new premises with extensive facilities for visitors, which will allow the owners to host scheduled public displays daily (public displays are currently only held on weekends).

The SATC has provided a $20,000 grant to help upgrade Chapel Hill Winery’s unique art gallery, which is housed in a 19th century stone church as part of its cellar door, Visitors will be able to taste award-winning Chapel Hill wines and produce, while admiring South Australian contemporary and indigenous art, in a building which overlooks McLaren Vale’s beautiful vineyards and the coast beyond.

Meanwhile, the SATC is also providing $20,000 to Kangaroo Island Source, a company established by Kate Sumner, which aims to connect people with the land through gourmet food experiences and personalised catering using all local ingredients. With assistance from the SATC, the Source is upgrading a kitchen overlooking a working farm, to be used for cooking lessons and demonstrations and special dinners hosted by local producers and guest chefs.

The $3 million expansion of the Manna of Hahndorf (originally launched in 2008 with 50 accommodation suites) has also received a $200,000 SATC grant for a new signature fine dining experience called "The Haus", which has just opened; showcasing Adelaide Hills produce in a contemporary, yet romantic and rustic setting. The expansion will also include the construction of 20 self contained villas.

Also receiving a $200,000 grant from the SATC is the Clare Country Club, which will develop an additional 20 rooms to the existing 44-room resort. It is estimated the apartments will provide an additional 7300 room nights each year, boosting the region’s accommodation capacity during peak tourism periods and its ability to attract larger conferences.

Helping create new and refreshed tourism products is one of the South Australian Tourism Plan’s strategies to make tourism a $6.3 billion industry by 2014, and SATC funding will help with the infrastructure costs for regional developments to attract more visitors to regional South Australia.

Underlining the industry’s commitment to tourism excellence in regional areas, the Yorke Peninsula, Clare Valley and Fleurieu Peninsula have recognised the best of their local industries at tourism award gala events held in June.

With the assistance of the South Australian Tourism Industry Council (SATIC), the three regional award programs have this year been redeveloped so that they are aligned with the South Australian Tourism Awards framework, meaning that tourism operators who go through the process of participating in the regional tourism awards will have completed the bulk of the work needed to write a submission for the State awards. The new system also means that operators only need to pay one nomination fee to enter the regional, State and national tourism awards.

Around 120 people from the tourism industry attended the Yorke Peninsula Tourism Awards gala dinner and presentations on 4 June. In addition to local businesses who were recognised, Richard Davis won the prestigious Harry Dowling Award for an Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to the South Australian regional tourism industry.  Richard’s passion and commitment to regional tourism spans nearly 40 years and he works at a national, State and regional level, contributing significant personal time to the industry. For the full list of Yorke Peninsula Tourism Award winners, click here 

Meanwhile, the Clare Valley Tourism Awards were presented on 18 June in front of more than 120 members of the tourism industry.  Eight awards were handed out to businesses and individuals judged to be the most outstanding in each category.  A further six entrants who achieved a high standard in their category were also recognised with a silver medal or commendation. For the full list of Clare Valley Tourism Award winners, click here  

The overall winners of the Fleurieu Peninsula “Tell Us” People’s Choice Tourism Awards and the Fleurieu Peninsula Regional Tourism Awards were announced at a Gala dinner on Friday 25 June.  The winner of the “Tell Us” Awards was Strathalbyn’s modern and four-star rated Strath Motel for its Excellence in Customer Service, while Greg Linton from luxury tour specialists Wine Diva Tours was recognised for his Outstanding Contribution by an Individual.  This year concludes the “Tell Us” awards which will be replaced by The Fleurieu Peninsula Regional Tourism Awards. For the full list of Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism Award winners, click here

All tourism regions around South Australia celebrate their local tourism industry’s achievements with awards presentations, recognising outstanding contributions in the tourism industry around the State, raising the standard of experiences for visitors.

Photo courtesy of the Yorke Peninsula Country Times.

South Australia has received rave reviews from tourism experts at the 2010 Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), which was held in Adelaide from 29 May – 4 June, giving South Australia a fantastic opportunity to put forward the case to key decision makers for more SA inclusions in international wholesale travel itineraries.

Encouragingly, a large number of buyer delegates have indicated that as a result of their experiences at ATE 2010, they would like to increase the level of South Australian product they offer international travel agents (tourism buyer, Clare Walker from Ozeania Reisen AG in Switzerland shares her ATE experience).

This feedback, along with the 13% increase in international tourist expenditure in the year to March 2010, shows SA’s tourism offering is resonating with tourism experts from the rapidly emerging Eastern Hemisphere markets, as well as those from the key Western Hemisphere markets, which provide SA with its largest source of international visitors.

This year, ATE and South Australia welcomed record numbers of buyers from the growing Eastern Hemisphere travel markets, and our industry was able to show them the tourism products that will entice even more Asian visitors to SA, via appointments with tourism operators and during familiarisation visits around the State.

One of the key opportunities for South Australia as the host state this year, and importantly for regional tourism, was the ATE pre and post-familiarisation program.

Familiarisation trips are a key part of the South Australian Tourism Commission’s (SATC) push to make South Australia one of the "must-see" destinations, not just for repeat travellers to Australia, but also for those visiting the nation for the first time.

The SATC developed around 80 familiarisation itineraries across the State, with more than 500 places filled, allowing delegates to experience the charms of a South Australian holiday first-hand.

South Australia was also able to show off the best of the State to approximately 65 members of the media who took part in an official ATE program, meeting with SATC staff to be updated on SA tourism news and new products, and undertaking pre and post-ATE familiarisation visits to personally see the State’s tourism highlights.

Notably, South Australian operators have told the SATC that their participation in ATE will have huge spin-off effects for their businesses and the State in the future. They have established new connections and further enhanced existing relationships with influential travel experts who have now seen for themselves the State’s tourism appeal and can recommend it to future international visitors.

ATE also provided an excellent opportunity to promote the State’s sustainable tourism businesses and green credentials to international buyers and media.  The event was primarily held in a building complex with impeccable green credentials - the Adelaide Convention Centre - which was recently named the ‘Gold Award Green Supplier’ at the IMEX trade show in Germany.

ATE 2010 injected around $10 million into the local economy and resulted in approximately 13,000 visitor nights in Adelaide. 

In the long-term, it will also generate billions of dollars in export earnings as a result of business partnerships created at the event, edging the State closer to the South Australian Tourism Plan’s goal of making the South Australian tourism industry a $6.3 billion earner by 2014.

International visitors are staying longer and spending more when holidaying in South Australia, according to the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS), just released by Tourism Research Australia.

South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) Chief Executive Ian Darbyshire says the statistics are great news for South Australia’s tourism industry, which has continued to attract considerable international visitor growth despite last year’s tough conditions.

"South Australia welcomed 361,100 international visitors for the year ended March 2010, up 3% from the previous 12 months," Mr Darbyshire says.

"These visitors are also staying longer, as evidenced by the 8.1 million international visitor nights recorded, which is an all time high, and up 14% on the previous 12 months - well ahead of the 5% rise nationally.

"Significantly, international holiday visitor spending is up. In the year ended March 2010, international holiday visitors spent $188 million in South Australia, up 13% on the previous 12 months, while the nation recorded a 1% drop for the same period.

"This rise in holiday purpose expenditure is great news for South Australia’s tourism and associated industries as these travellers are spending money in metropolitan and regional areas, creating valuable employment for South Australians."

The statistics also show major gains in emerging growth markets in Asia - in the year ended March 2010, South Australia received 78,500 visitors from Asia, up 34% on the previous 12-month period.

Notably, visitor nights from Asia were also up – nearly four million nights were spent here in the year ended March 2010, up 48% on the previous 12-month period, reflecting solid growth in education and holiday purpose nights.

Mr Darbyshire says that Adelaide’s recent hosting of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest travel trade show, the 2010 Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), has further increased our profile in lucrative Eastern Hemisphere countries and will build on the growing momentum as seen in these latest IVS figures.

"The event also helped us consolidate the SATC’s recent achievements on the ground in Asia, including the opening of a new office in Shanghai to increase SA’s profile in China: a country which has rapidly moved up the ranks to be our fifth largest international source market," he says.

"In the 12 months ended March 2010 we received 14,700 visitors from mainland China - an increase of 84% compared with the previous 12 months.

"We believe our new presence in China will be an invaluable way of raising our profile among holiday makers from this market, ensuring South Australia gets its fair share of the Chinese travellers increasingly looking to take overseas holidays in the future."

As Managing Director/Owner and Product and Marketing Director for Ozeania Reisen AG, Clare Walker has been promoting the best of Australia to Swiss holidaymakers for more than 20 years.  An independent tour operator, Ozeania Reisen AG specialises in tailor-made FIT itineraries to Australia and the South Pacific, with particular focus given to ‘off the beaten track’ travel and a large emphasis on ‘unique experiences’.

The South Australian Tourism Commission caught up with Clare at ATE 2010.
 
What did you enjoy most about ATE in Adelaide this year?
Attending one-on-one appointments and other networking opportunities at ATE helps us further strengthen the relationships we have with our suppliers. We really enjoy coming back to Australia to keep in contact with our suppliers for product updates, and to jointly generate new ideas and ways of generating more passenger numbers to Australia.
 
A definite highlight for me was being able to get out and see the South Australian product we sell first-hand on the familiarisation visits.  I was amazed at the diversity of experiences on offer in South Australia - from the beautiful scenery in the Flinders Ranges to the Outback, amazing coastal areas and the wildlife on Kangaroo Island - and the accessibility of these experiences is a key selling point. 
 
What South Australian products/experiences do you think will appeal to your market?
I participated in an air safari pre-ATE famil with Chinta Air Tours, which was incredible.  It was amazing to see how quick it is to travel from Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges, Gawler Ranges and Outback and to coastal areas such as Kangaroo Island, and getting an aerial view of these amazing places.  The contrasting yet equally fantastic experiences are made even more accessible on Chinta's Air Safari Tour, which is also a totally tailored experience, a key selling point for Swiss travellers.  Instead of travelling for hours in a car from experience to experience, the air safari makes it much quicker, which is extremely attractive for time-poor Swiss visitors and means more of their precious holiday time is spent enjoying the destination.

The combination of the vastness of South Australia's scenic highlights, the Outback, the rugged coastlines, the accessible nature and wildlife is a total experience which will appeal to Swiss travellers.  Then add to this the exceptional food and wine, friendly people and warm hospitality that South Australia has to offer, and travellers can get a really authentic experience and taste the local way of life.
 
The tours offered on Kangaroo Island are great – the guides have amazing stories and so much information to share.  The guides we had on our Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours' experience would be a perfect match for our clients.
 
Have you come across any new and exciting products here at ATE?
We met with many operators who have really good product - we were very impressed.  We are very interested in the small and very personalised products – and South Australia really delivers.
 
Seascape Lodge and Southern Ocean Lodge Kangaroo Island were wonderful accommodation places I was fortunate to experience while I was in South Australia.  Seascape Lodge is in a beautiful location overlooking Emu Bay and its wonderful hosts offer the warm hospitality Australia is renowned for overseas - this is a wonderful fully hosted accommodation experience.  Southern Ocean Lodge ticks many boxes in its location and proximity to key wildlife experiences on the island, its design, style and the fact that it is absolute luxury.
 
We have seen some new products from the Flinders Ranges and Outback such as the Rawnsley Park Station Eco-Villas, Arkaba Station (and their eco-walk tours) and Arkapena Station, which we believe will appeal to the Swiss. 
 
North Bundaleer in the Clare Valley was another new product that we're pleased to have made a connection with at ATE.  We've been looking for this type of accommodation experience, which is very special and will have plenty of appeal.
 
South Australia is well suited to our high end customers who are looking for truly superb and tailored experiences. 

New Zealand is an important international tourism market for South Australia, and one from which South Australia has seen rapid growth since direct flights between Auckland and Adelaide began.

In fact, holiday visitors from New Zealand have increased 50% since 2004, when the direct flights were introduced (Australian Bureau of Statistics).

In order to capitalise on the increased access to South Australia, the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) launched a television-led marketing campaign in 2005, which has run each successive year, showcasing South Australian holiday experiences to New Zealand consumers.

The campaign has also highlighted the direct Auckland-Adelaide flights and has successfully converted consumer interest in South Australia as a holiday destination into actual bookings, as evidenced by the increase in visitor numbers.

This year in January, the SATC launched a new series of television commercials in New Zealand. These commercials showcase the South Australian holiday experiences which most appeal to the New Zealand market, including SA’s famous wine and food regions, the Murray River, accessible Outback and abundant wildlife.

As in previous years, the 2010 TV commercials have been supported by print and online advertising, as well as SATC’s ongoing attendance at trade and consumer tourism shows. The SATC’s New Zealand Office is also committed to ongoing training of New Zealand’s key trade partners about new and fresh South Australian holiday experiences. 

Results from the 2009-10 period of the campaign have been very positive, with more than 9,300 queries about South Australian holidays generated.

To view the commercials, click here

The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) and About Australia Travel rolled into Houston (Texas, US) in March to showcase The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive, an epic South Australian adventure exploring the wonder and beauty of the Outback.

Attendees at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo were given a preview of The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive, via a South Australian stand which featured footage of previous cattle drives, South Australians on hand to answer questions, plus a Drizabone coat and Akubra hat for attendees to try on.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the world's largest livestock exhibition and this year attracted an estimated two million visitors. .

The 2010 Cattle Drive will be held from 30 July – 29 August, giving participants the chance to live out a re-enactment of the legendary cattle drives of old.

Held over five unforgettable weeks, the event will be an epic journey led by some of Australia’s most famous and experienced drovers, involving approximately 500 head of cattle, up to 120 horses and many visitors from across Australia and around the world.

The event has continued to forge a reputation around the world, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience life in the Australian Outback. 

The event assists the SATC to position South Australia as the gateway to the Outback, targeting the key international markets of North America and UK/Europe and creates an Outback tourism icon that can be identifiable with South Australia.

More information: www.cattledrive.com.au

The latest visitor statistics released by Tourism Research Australia, show South Australia’s domestic tourism marketing is paying dividends for the State’s tourism industry.

Domestic overnight visitors spent $3 billion in South Australia in the year to March 2010, up 13% on the previous year, according to the National Visitor Survey.

Tourism Minister John Rau says that, in addition to the positive expenditure result, which contrasting with zero growth nationally, the latest statistics also show South Australia outstripping the nation in interstate holiday travel growth.

"Notably, for the 12 months ended March 2010, South Australia recorded a 6% increase in domestic holiday purpose visitors and a 15% increase in domestic holiday purpose nights, while for Australia, domestic holiday purpose visitors were down 1% and nights were little changed," Minister Rau says.

"Meanwhile, domestic holiday purpose expenditure pumped $1.3 billion into the South Australian economy during the year to March, up 16% on the previous 12-month period, while the nation recorded an increase of 3%."

Minister Rau says these results show that the State Government’s investment in the multi-year "Isn’t It About Time" domestic tourism marketing campaign is delivering tangible results in domestic overnight holiday visitors and expenditure.

"Our biggest ever domestic tourism marketing campaign, launched in February last year, sells SA as a tourism destination to the key interstate markets most likely to deliver people who will visit our State, stay here longer and spend more, and the latest statistics clearly show our marketing is resonating with our target market," he says.

"The latest phase of the campaign is spearheaded by the Cellar Door television commercial, which was launched by the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) in February this year.

"The commercial, which targets high-yield, wine-loving east coast Australians, reclaims South Australia’s mantle as the home of Australian wine and showcases the fact that our State has more than 200 cellar doors less than an hour’s drive from Adelaide.

"The SATC’s extensive research shows that this is one of the holiday experiences our target audience craves, and it’s precisely what our State delivers so well."

Minister Rau says all South Australia’s tourism regions are featured in the "Isn’t It About Time" campaign.

"The Cellar Door television commercial is designed to grab the target market’s interest, so that they will visit southaustralia.com, where they will find tempting holiday options from right across the State," he says.

"As these latest visitor expenditure figures show, that strategy is paying dividends for the State’s tourism industry."

South Australia’s 2009 Santos Tour Down Under was named Australia’s best major festival & event and the Adelaide Convention Centre was named Australia’s best meetings & business tourism venue at the 2009 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards held in Hobart earlier this year.

The 2009 Santos Tour Down Under win is a great recognition of the growth of the event, which has become the biggest cycling race in the Southern Hemisphere and a major tourism attraction for our State.

Celebrating its second consecutive national win, the Adelaide Convention Centre beat some tough competition from Alice Springs Convention Centre, the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre and the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Meanwhile, the South Australian Tourism Industry Council (SATIC) launched the 2010 South Australian Tourism Awards in April, a precursor to the National Tourism Awards.

The prestigious South Australian Tourism Awards recognise and celebrate business excellence within the tourism industry, and reward innovation and foster best business practices by setting a benchmark for all tourism operators to aspire to. 

Entry is open to all South Australian tourism operators. In total, there are 27 categories this year covering all sectors of the industry, from accommodation and tour operators to wineries, restaurants, events, tourism marketing, attractions and more.

2010 is a particularly significant year for the Tourism Awards because it marks the first time the nomination and submission process will be completed entirely online, creating a more streamlined entry process for all nominees.

This year also saw SATIC introduce a 'light version' of the Awards process, featuring a reduced number of categories and questions, which is being used by three of SA’s regional tourism bodies as the template for their regional awards program. By aligning the regional and State awards templates, tourism operators who compete at a regional level will be able to use the material they submit for that awards program as the basis of their State Awards submission, cutting down on the amount of time involved in entering two awards programs. Operators in the regions using the new SATIC template will also save money, since they will only have to pay one nomination fee to enter the regional, State and national Awards.

Nominations for the State Awards close on 9 July and submissions are due by 16 August. The Awards Presentation and Gala Dinner will be held on Thursday 18 November at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

More information: www.satourismawards.com.au

The development of new national bushfire danger ratings has raised some issues for the tourism industry and for operators in bushfire prone areas in particular.

The new system features ratings including catastrophic and extreme.  This suggests accommodation and tour operators should give thought to how they might operate their businesses on catastrophic and extreme days and what precautions might be prudent in these circumstances.

The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) has met with Country Fire Service (CFS) representatives to discuss the system in relation to the tourism industry.  The CFS recommended that businesses in fire prone localities develop Bushfire Safety Plans in much the same way that households in these areas are encouraged to plan.

Online information for businesses is available from the CFS website:  www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/community_information/organisations.jsp

The CFS publication Your Guide to Preparing for and Surviving the Bushfire Season also provides a good starting point.  Copies of the guide are available from the CFS and have been sent to SATC’s Regional Tourism Managers.

For travellers, bushfire advice can be found in the CFS leaflet Holiday Safety and Survival, which has been distributed to Visitor Information Centres.

The South Australian Tourism Industry Council is communicating with its members on a range of issues including duty of care and the implications of extreme weather for reservations and refunds.

Operators may also wish to make contact with the relevant CFS authorities to discuss bushfire plans for individual businesses.

Jill and Michael Coates’ award-winning Tanonga Luxury Eco Lodges on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula offer the ultimate sanctuary for those in search of intimacy and luxury that is also environmentally friendly.

Located just a stone’s throw from the aquaculture capital of Port Lincoln, the two self-contained lodges are set on the 200-hectare Tanonga property where Jill and Michael have created an eco paradise in the bushland.  Tanonga offers an experience unique to the area, with stunning views, luxurious facilities and amazing local food and wine.

Taking out the 2009 South Australian Tourism Awards ‘New Tourism Development’ category, Jill and Michael have also taken great care in all aspects of construction to ensure this luxury accommodation experience is as eco friendly as possible.

We talk to Jill about the Coates’ journey in developing this sustainable tourism business.

How did you get started in the tourism sector?
While I was the Principal at Tumby Bay Area School, I was involved with the development of a school industry and community skills centre to support the region’s emerging olive industry.  As part of this, a commercial kitchen, tourism and retail outlet were established, giving us our first link with the tourism industry.  Meanwhile, Michael was heavily involved in revegetating our 200 hectare property and creating fences to protect revegetation and to provide wildlife corridors in order to encourage bird and wildlife back to the area. We felt confident visitors would enjoy and appreciate our property as much as us, so it seemed an obvious next step to link the revegetation project with tourism.
 
Your accommodation and the experience you offer guests at Tanonga is a unique one, in a unique part of the State – how did you ultimately decide to build luxury eco lodges on Eyre Peninsula?
I grew up in Port Lincoln and Michael came to Port Lincoln in the mid-1970s to set up a legal practice, which has thrived thanks to the growth of the region’s fishing industry. Eyre Peninsula was an easy choice – up until now, the area has been one of the best kept secrets of South Australia. With Port Lincoln also becomingly increasingly recognised as the ‘seafood capital of Australia’ and our own interests in aquaculture with oyster farms at Coffin Bay and Streaky Bay, it became an obvious choice for us to return to Port Lincoln from Adelaide once our children had finished their education. Soon after moving to our property, Tanonga, we become aware of the lack of luxury accommodation located in native bush surroundings on the Eyre Peninsula. Recognising this gap in the market, we successfully applied for an Australian Tourism Development Program grant in 2006 to assist us with building the two Tanonga Luxury Eco Lodges, which opened in March 2009.
 
What place does the environment and the landscape play in your business, and the experience you offer guests?
It is absolutely integral to everything we do. The revegetation of Tanonga, a small working farm of 500 acres, included plantings of more than 25,000 native trees, shrubs, understorey grasses and sedges in order to recreate the Sheoak Grassy and Sugar Gum wetlands that dominated the local landscape before European settlement. Thanks to the revegetation, more than 100 bird species are found on the property. ‘Tanonga’ is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘sweet water’, and is the original name of the property because of the permanent springs and billabong that form part of the creek running through the property. With more 20km of walking trails, 250 acres of regenerating bushland, the permanent billabong, the Charlton Gully Stream and the abundant wildlife and birdlife, we are confident guests will enjoy the experience of staying in absolute luxury with nature right on their doorstep.
 
What challenges have you encountered as a tourism business along the way?
There is no doubt that building the lodges was the most challenging part of the project. The design, being unlike anything else found locally, proved to be challenging for local builders; however they rose to the challenge and the quality of workmanship speaks for itself. We also learned so much about ecologically sustainable design principles and found ourselves becoming increasingly committed to these along the way. While the lodges retain relatively consistent temperatures throughout the year, we have ensured guest comfort in case of extreme weather conditions by fitting the lodges with reverse cycle air conditioners; however most of our guests pride themselves on rarely using them, instead making good use of well designed low and high windows, ceiling fans and wood fire. The lodges also make full use of renewable solar energy and rainwater.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?
Seeing the smiles on the faces of departing guests. We also enjoy meeting our wonderful guests and hearing about their appreciation of the design principles that allow luxury to be successfully combined with environmentally sustainable design principles and renewable energy sources. Being able to promote all of the wonderful tourism experiences on Eyre Peninsula and the local produce and artworks in this region is also a rewarding part of operating the business.

What does the future hold for Tanonga?
It would be nice to say we will build another three luxury eco lodges - there are beautiful sites already identified to create an avenue of private luxury eco lodges in a natural bushland setting, but I think we will leave that to our successors. We feel very proud of our achievements, and most importantly feel that we have created a fantastic legacy for the future.

What advice would you give to an operator starting up a tourism business who is new to the industry?
Make sure your product or experience reflects your own integrity and the integrity you have for the business. If it does, you will be successful.