TOURISM VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT

strategy & Policy
Government Engagement
Tourism Victoria works closely with
Victorian Government partners to place
tourism at the forefront of government
decision making. Tourism Victoria has
collaborated with other agencies on
issues including climate change, crises
management, major and business events,
aviation and nature-based tourism.
Tourism Victoria coordinated the Victorian
Government position in the State
Government’s submission to the Towards
a National Aviation Policy Statement
issues paper.
Tourism Victoria works closely with
the Department of Sustainability and
Environment, Parks Victoria, Department
of Planning and Community Development
and Regional Development Victoria
through the Tourism Taskforce Group to
facilitate tourism investment in the State.
Tourism Victoria actively engages with the
Commonwealth and other states and
territories on tourism issues. In March
2008, Tourism Victoria hosted a meeting
of the Australian Standing Committee on
Tourism. Tourism Victoria also supports
the Minister’s participation in the Tourism
Ministers’ Council. Through these forums
Tourism Victoria was actively engaged in
the development of Tourism and Climate
Change: A Framework for Action, and is
currently engaged on work to consider a
National Accreditation Framework.
Tourism Victoria’s Chief Executive is
on the Steering Committee for the
development of the National Tourism
Strategy.
Consistent with priorities identified in
the State Government’s 10 Year Tourism
and Events Industry Strategy, a Major
Events Policy division was established to
work with the Victorian Major Events
Company, the Melbourne Convention
and Visitors Bureau and other relevant
entities, to secure major international
events to Victoria.
Major events that are integral to this
strategy are the Australian Tennis Open,
the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival,
the RipCurl Pro at Bells Beach in
Torquay, the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion
Festival, the Australian Motorcycle
Grand Prix at Phillip Island, the
Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series
and the Australian Formula 1
Grand Prix, which has been secured
in Melbourne until 2015.
Victoria has also had great success
in the Business Events area, with to
date 34 major international business
events already secured for the new
Melbourne Convention Centre due to
open in 2009. Some of these include
the International Federation of Ageing
Conference in 2010, the International
Botanical Congress in 2011 and the
International Council of Nurses 25th
Quadrennial Congress in 2013.
Industry Policy
Tourism Victoria provided input and
advice on many key strategies, policies
and issues. These included visitor
information centre standards, through
Tourism Alliance Victoria.
Tourism Victoria contributed
sponsorship and guest speakers to
industry conferences around Australia,
including the Australian Regional
Tourism Convention in Canberra in
October 2007.
Regional Tourism
Tourism Victoria provided leadership
and financial assistance to the Gippsland
region following significant floods.
Tourism Victoria also supported Omeo
and Districts Tourism following the
removal of cattle grazing from the
Alpine National Park.
Tourism operators and local councils
reported that Tourism Victoria’s Crisis
Communications Handbook for regional
tourism operators was of significant
value in responding to the effect of
the 2006–07 bushfires, leading to the
formation of highly effective regional
response and recovery groups.
In November 2007, building upon
the widespread adoption of the Crisis
Communications Handbook, Tourism
Victoria in partnership with Tourism
Alliance Victoria conducted a Dealing
with Media in a Crisis workshop.
In addition, Tourism Victoria released the
Crisis Communications Pocket Guide for
regional and local tourism. Its aim is to
help local and regional tourism bodies
respond to a crisis, either natural or
man-made. The handy z-card format
provides a list of key communicationbased
response actions required by
members of a Tourism Response and
Recovery Group, a template for key
contacts and phone numbers for public
and media relations staff at the agencies
most likely to be involved in crisis
management.
Bushland regeneration, Grampians. Photo: Publicis Mojo.
60 STRATEGY & POLICY