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Industry - Newsletter
Tourism Talk Edition 236
THE TIGER RETURNS TO TASMANIA
Last Thursday marked a new era of airline competition in Tasmania with the arrival of Tiger Airways in to Launceston.
Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment Paula Wriedt and Tourism Tasmania’s CEO Felicia Mariani headed up the welcoming committee at Launceston airport as the inaugural flight from the low-cost airline arrived in Launceston.
The arrival of Tiger Airways comes just over a month after Launceston welcomed its one-millionth passenger in 12-month period and further confirms the popularity of northern Tasmania as a holiday destination.
Ms Wriedt said it is expected that the introduction of Tiger Airways’ services to Tasmania will generate renewed interest in travel to the State, as has been the case in the past.
The airline has commenced business on its Australian routes with five A320 aircraft and is later expected to boost its domestic fleet to 50, all of which will operate from its Melbourne (Tullamarine) base.
Tiger Airways has also announced the commencement of a daily service to Hobart in January 2008.
“In the same way that Tourism Tasmania works with all of the State’s major air and sea carriers, this is just the start of what we hope will be a productive and mutually beneficial relationship with Tiger Airways," Ms Wriedt said.
“Tourism Tasmania has already met with Tiger Airways to discuss co-operative marketing opportunities,” she said.
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM A HUGE SUCCESS
Tourism Tasmania’s first ever International Symposium was a huge success with key Australian tourism industry experts providing delegates with insights and practical information on working in international markets.
For Peter Ernst from Premier Travel Tasmania, the International Symposium was very enlightening and rewarding:
“It gave us a lot of confidence to go into the Asian market, in particular India, to target the luxury travel segment with our product. We are now committed to pursuing this goal.
“The Symposium also allowed us to meet more colleagues from Tasmania and make some good contacts with operators whose businesses have synergies with what we are doing,” Mr Ernst said.
The group of 90 industry members at the two-day Symposium heard a range of insightful and informative presentations from Tourism Tasmania’s senior management, international marketing staff and overseas public relations representatives, as well as travel and tourism industry experts, and Tourism Australia’s trade development and global consumer marketing managers.
For Ian Rankine, CEO of Innkeepers, the International Symposium delivered a compelling message to tourism operators – understand the market and take action now.
“We need more advocates to ensure Tasmania can develop a stronger presence and increased share of voice,” Mr Rankine said.
“The Symposium also illustrated to those already active in international marketing several key opportunities including where future growth may come from, when is it going to happen and what are we, as tourism operators, going to do to maximise the potential and achieve 20% international visitation by 2012,” he said.
Tourism Tasmania is committed to providing education and support to those of you wanting to break into the international markets through a mentoring and buddy program with industry members already working with Tourism Tasmania on the international stage.
Symposium delegates are encouraged to return their International Markets Support Scheme (IMSS) survey to Gillian Abbott at:
GPO Box 399, Hobart 7001.
For more information on the buddy program or to receive a survey, please contact Gillian.Abbott@tourism.tas.gov.au or phone 6230 8156 during business hours.
Presentations from the International Symposium are now online and can be viewed and downloaded from Tourism Tasmania’s corporate website.
TASMANIA ATTRACTS MULTI-NATIONAL ATTENTION
Tasmania has recently played host to a number of high-profile international guests that will give the State exposure on a multi-national stage.
A Hong Kong film crew, German radio presenters and competition winners, Formula One racer Mark Webber and a group of sports stars, and UK and Irish Retail Travel Agents have been in the State and learning first-hand about the range of experiences on offer in Tasmania.
Hong Kong’s most influential TV station, TVB, has just wrapped up a visit to Tasmania for the filming of a documentary starring Chinese megastar Eason Chan called ‘The World’s Last Paradise.’
TVB has 2.1 million household viewers and its cable network in China reaches 52 million households.
‘The World’s Last Paradise’ is TVB’s first high-definition program and its celebrity star Eason Chan is sure to draw an enormous viewership. Actor and Singer Chan has also included shots taken in Tasmania in his latest music video to be released in February.
The ‘World’s Last Paradise’ – which promotes just two destinations, Tasmania and the Seychelles Island – will be shown in six half hour programs on Monday nights at 10.30pm on the Chinese Station TVB Jade.
Germany’s biggest public radio station, SWR3, brought 60 competition winners and 15 radio presenters and crew to Tasmania as part of a special Tasmania promotion.
Tasmania was featured in a four week ‘on-air teasing period’ before 30 trips for two to the Island State were offered to listeners. The impact of the campaign was enormous, with the 50,000 calls to the station and 2.1 million website hits each day – including a record 2.6 million hits on the first day of the campaign.
Sixty winners toured Tasmania with the radio crew who broadcast daily to Germany. SWR3 averages 3.1 million listeners per day and its website receives 20 million clicks on its website each month.
The campaign was supported by on-air content, website content, outdoor billboards and editorial in the SWR3 magazine – all providing excellent coverage for Tasmania.
Australian Formula One racer Mark Webber was joined by a host of national and international athletes and media for the annual Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge last month.
The Challenge, which last year raised over $500,000 for Australian children’s charities, will be donating this year’s funds to the Tasmanian Devil Appeal, the Leukaemia Foundation and charities selected by the Mark Webber Challenge Foundation.
Retail travel agents from the UK and Ireland also spent several days travelling around the State at the end of last month.
The 26 agents and two hosts were taken on tours across Tasmania to give them first-hand experience of tourism in the State.
It’s hoped they will take this knowledge back to the UK and be better able to explain the Tasmanian tourism experience to potential visitors.
The group then attended Corroboree ’07 UK and Ireland – a familiarisation and workshop where a number of Tasmanian operators were represented.
The United Kingdom is one of Australia’s most important international markets and Tasmania’s share is 4.2 percent or approximately 29,000 visitors annually.
TASMANIAN JEWELLERY ON SHOW IN SINGAPORE
The work of ten Tasmanian artists has been on display in Singapore for the past week, as a part of an exhibition of Tasmanian designer jewellery.
First exhibited in Hobart at the Henry Jones Art Hotel in May and in Melbourne in August, Singular & Multiple: New Jewellery from Tasmania is a showcase of the work of ten female jewellers from Tasmania. The collection has been on show in Singapore’s Curiocity gallery since and has sold over AU$4,000 worth of jewellery.
Jewellers Di Allison, Carmen Blyth, Kate Case, Anita Dineen, Dulcie Greeno, Natalie Holtsbaum, Jeanette James, Marisa Molin, Linda van Niekerk, and Jude Walsh were given a brief to create two distinct types of work: pieces that were for exhibition only and a production range capable of being produced in commercial quantities.
Supported by Austrade and the Tasmanian Department of Tourism, Arts and the Environment through arts@work and Tourism Tasmania, the exhibition concludes tomorrow.
TASMANIA’S DISCOVERIES GUIDE LAUNCHED
Play, learn, discover, experience and enjoy – that’s the message for all Tasmanians looking for something to do over summer.
Tasmania’s Discoveries Guide features the programs, events and exhibitions organised or supported by the Department of Tourism, Arts and the Environment.
A major drawcard is the giant inflatable movie screen at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens as part of ‘Cinema under the Stars’ throughout the summer.
The movie screen takes just minutes to inflate and offers a family night out watching a film, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The guide also points to other events covering everything from yacht races to music concerts and ranger activities in national parks.
The launch of Tasmania’s Discoveries Guide comes after a year in which Tourism Tasmania has promoted Tasmania to Tasmanians with great success – and many locals are now taking the time to rediscover their State.
Highlights from the program include:
- The Discovery Ranger activities in national parks and reserves, offering rock pool rambles, history walks, quiz nights and night-time wildlife prowls.
- Port Arthur will run various archaeological activities as well as outdoor plays written by Tasmanian writers.
- The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens has a fantastic array of movies showing on ‘Cinema under the Stars’, and a number of concerts for music lovers.
- The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery will open the long awaited Tasmanian Aboriginal Gallery Ningenneh Tunapry gallery as well as other great exhibits like Fierce and Friendly, an exciting new exhibition about humans and their fascination with other animals.
- Events packed with great sporting fixtures including the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race and music and cultural festivals from Elton John to the Falls Festival.
The Tasmania’s Discoveries Guide is available on line at www.discovertasmania.com or the printed version can be collected from visitor centres of any of the participating organisations.
TOURISM TO TRIAL ONLINE TOOLKIT ON EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT
A pilot project providing support to those in the tourism industry with an interest in experience development and delivery is about to be trialled in Tasmania.
Participants will be asked to take part in the development and testing of a pilot website.
The Pilot Online Community Project is an idea developed by Tourism Tasmania in response to a review last year of the Tasmania Experience Strategy.
“The aim of the Tasmania Experience Strategy is to improve the economic contribution of the Tasmanian tourism industry by increasing visitor expenditure,” says Deb Lewis, Head of Insights and Destination Development at Tourism Tasmania.
“This can be achieved through greater engagement with visitors and by attracting more high-yielding visitors to the state.
“The review found tourism operators want practical advice and support that meets their business needs in a timely matter.
“The Online Community Project we are about to trial will provide support as well as the opportunity for operators to network, share experiences and build skills,” Deb says.
The Pilot Project will be divided into two stages: the first is the development of a pilot website that will provide practical information and tools to tourism businesses and practitioners.
“Key messages will include how building a relationship with customers gives business an edge in a highly competitive environment, and how everybody has a role in delivering visitor experiences,” Deb says.
The second stage is an interactive online forum with input from experts and specialists in experience delivery.
“This will help to us to develop a new approach to communicating with tourism operators and be able to better respond to their need for knowledge relevant to their business,” Deb says.
A workshop is being held in Hobart at on Wednesday 12 December to introduce the test pilot website.
For further information on the Pilot Online Community Project please contact Deb Lewis (Project Manager) or Melissa Salter (Project Officer) from Tourism Tasmania during office hours:
Deb.Lewis@tourism.tas.gov.au or phone 6230 8138
Melissa.Salter@tourism.tas.gov.au or phone 6230 8273
TT-LINE PROFIT BRINGS CAPACITY BOOST, UPGRADES
Increased vehicle capacity, on-board upgrades and a new movie theatre are some of the improvements underway on the Spirit of Tasmania ferries after TT-Line recorded a $10.6 million profit for the 2006-2007 financial year.
The profit is thanks to increases in operating revenue and a tax benefit from a higher valuation of the Spirit of Tasmania ferries.
Tasmanian firm Taylor Brothers Ltd are fitting the ferries with new vehicle decks while they remain in service, and this will increase vehicle capacity by 10 per cent.
The Minister for Infrastructure Jim Cox said the profits are a tremendous result and is testament to the hard work of all the staff and crew at TT-Line.
Mr Cox also commended outgoing chief executive officer Peter Simmons who has been with TT-Line for 12 years during which the company has grown to be one of the State’s most important tourism assets, contributing more than $400 million into the Tasmanian economy each year.
Office of the Chief Executive |
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Felicia Mariani |
Chief Executive Officer |
03 6230 8150 |
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Adam Sproule |
Head of Office of the CEO |
03 6230 8140 |
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Marketing & Commercial Operations |
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Jan Ross |
Director |
03 6230 8152 |
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Ruth Dowty |
Head of Destination Promotion |
03 6230 8173 |
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Gillian Miles |
Head of Partnership & Event Marketing |
03 6230 8352 |
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Pam von Stieglitz |
Head of Distribution |
03 6336 3288 |
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Maria Pate |
Head of National Markets & Creative Services |
03 6230 8207 |
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Karen Fraser |
International Marketing Manager |
03 6230 8167 |
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Organisational Development & Strategy |
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Rowan Sproule |
Director |
03 6230 8101 |
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Wynde Mason |
Head of Research |
03 6230 8135 |
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Fae Robinson |
Head of Organisational Development |
03 6230 8132 |
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Infrastructure & Industry Development |
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Claire Ellis |
Director |
03 6230 8359 |
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Deb Lewis |
Head of Insights & Destination Development |
03 6230 8138 |
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Sophie Muller |
Head of Infrastructure & Investment |
03 6230 8285 |
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Events Tasmania |
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Paul Sproule |
Director |
03 6233 5737 |
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TIGERTOUR UPDATE
Tourism Tasmania’s TigerTOUR database feeds information about tourism product directly into the consumer website discovertasmania.com.
Here’s a summary of recent additions to the TigerTOUR database as well as those operators that have been removed. Tourism Tasmania’s Product Consultants can assist you updating your business details, email: TigerTOUR@tourism.tas.gov.au or phone: (03) 6230 8229.
New tourism product added to TigerTOUR
Accommodation:
- Away at Freycinet
- Oakley Place Townhouse – Tasmanian Short Stays
- Roxburgh House Apartments
- Palmers Lookout Holidays
Hire:
- Moto Adventure Tasmania
Attraction:
- Quamby Estate
- Choc-A-Lolly
Tours:
- Moto Adventure Tasmania
- Helsal Yachting
Recently closed tourism product in TigerTOUR
- Camellia Terrace
- Point at Boat Harbour - The
- Antipodes Vineyard
- Olive May Cruises (Hire)
- Olive May Cruises (Tour)
- Thomas Jacob Spa Cottage
- Ochill Manor
- Riverbella
- Manna Park B & B
- Butler's Grant Wines
- Tullah Village Bed and Breakfast
- Woodbridge Country Retreat