The View - September 2017_SATIC_Web

the 

viewTourism Business to Business 

Spring 2017 | Issue 2 

$9.95 per edition 

RAA PEOPLE’S CHOICE 

TOURISM AWARD 

PUSHING THE 

TOURISM AGENDA 

HOW TO PREPARE A 

SUCCESSFUL GRANT 

APPLICATION 

PARTNERSHIP CONTRACTS – 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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CONTENTS 

5-6 

RAA PEOPLE’S CHOICE 

TOURISM AWARD 

Voting is now open for the inaugural RAA People’s Choice 

Tourism Award, which recognises a high level of service 

excellence provided by a 2017 South Australian Tourism 

Awards finalist, as voted by the public. Find out more. 

7-10 

SHAPING THE DIRECTION OF 

TOURISM INTO THE FUTURE 

340 delegates attended the 2017 SATIC 

Tourism Conference – Tourism into the Future. 

Relive the highlights and key takeaways 

from each presenter. 

12-13 

PUSHING THE 

TOURISM AGENDA 

Gain exclusive insight into SATIC’s 

Industry Agenda, which is set to be launched 

in September. The Industry Agenda reflects 

industry needs and aims to work with all partners 

to unlock the state’s economic potential. 

21 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR 

GRANT APPLICATIONS 

Useful hints and tips to help 

you prepare successful grant 

applications. Plus, learn five top tips 

from a previous grant recipient – 

Longview Vineyard. 

22 


WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 

Learn key insights on how to best 

prepare your next partnership contract, 

ensuring all bases are covered. 

PUBLISHING INFORMATION 

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM 

INDUSTRY COUNCIL 

ABN 6499 258 5804 

Level 3, 185 Victoria Square 

GPO Box 2071, Adelaide SA 5001 

P (08) 8110 0123 

E info@satic.com.au 

www.satic.com.au 

EDITOR 

Emily Sharpe-Hall, SATIC 

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 

Rebecca Somerfield, Mercury Public Relations 

PUBLISHER/ADVERTISER 

Boylen - www.boylen.com.au 

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES 

sales@boylen.com.au or 08 8233 9433 

DESIGNER Cindy Ridgwell 

PRINTING Lane Print and Post 

COVER 2017 SATIC Tourism Conference, 

by Heidi Linehan – heidi who photos 

FREQUENCY Bi-Annual 

ISSN ISSN 2207-452X 

Views expressed in The View advertising material 

included & supplied content are not necessarily 

endorsed by the South Australian Tourism Industry 

Council. No responsibility is accepted by the 

Council, Editor, Publisher or Printer for accuracy 

of information or errors or omissions.

WELCOME 

GENERAL MANAGER WELCOME 

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you 

to the second edition of the South Australian 

Tourism Industry Council’s B2B member 

magazine – The View. 

The last few months have been an extremely 

exciting time for SATIC, having recently 

undergone our annual state-wide tourism 

conference. This year’s conference brought 

together 340 delegates, providing an 

invaluable opportunity for representatives across a variety of 

industry sectors to gain insight into the forces shaping the direction 

of tourism into the future. 

Submissions have now closed for the 2017 South Australian 

Tourism Awards, with a 16% growth in nomination numbers from 

last year. It’s wonderful to see such a high calibre of entrants put 

their best foot forward, showcasing their success and in turn setting 

the benchmarks for best business practice. 

I look forward to acknowledging the achievements of all entrants 

and the 2017 state winners and medallists at our annual gala 

dinner on Friday, 10 November. 

Having now reached more than 800 members across South 

Australia, SATIC is set to deliver even more value to our members 

and the industry at large through our increased advocacy 

initiatives, support services, programs and events. With this in 

mind, there’s no better time to encourage others to join with us 

and give their business the tourism advantage. 

I thank you for your continued support of SATIC and look forward 

to working together to provide business development programs 

that grow profitability and industry growth outcomes. 

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN 

As Chairman of the SATIC Board, I feel 

privileged to be in a position that represents 

an industry which is an undeniable economic 

driver of our state. 

Since the first edition of SATIC’s B2B 

magazine – The View, SATIC has achieved 

record breaking attendance at the 2017 

SATIC Tourism Conference (20% growth from 

2016), outstanding industry engagement for 

the inaugural year of our ServiceIQ: Smarter Business Workshops 

Program (500+ delegates), as well as the continual development of 

partner and sponsorship relationships, providing valuable benefits 

for our members. 

Looking ahead, the SATIC Board is vigorously working towards its 

two keys areas of Advocacy and Business Development. Within the 

coming months we will be actively working to further increase our 

industry engagement, as well as implement our advocacy agenda 

in aid of creating a collective voice and providing leadership for the 

future. 

We are now heading into that time of the year where we reveal 

the winners and medallists for the 2017 South Australian Tourism 

Awards. This year we have welcomed an impressive number of 

entrants into the awards program, and I look forward to celebrating 

the hard work, passion and innovation that these businesses 

contribute to our industry. 

The tourism industry has and will continue to deliver jobs, sustain 

regional communities and provide positive environmental outcomes. 

Therefore, it is SATIC’s job to continue representing our members’ 

interests, identifying growth opportunities and areas of concerns, 

as well as providing connections and resources to help our industry 

grow. 

Having said this, I not only thank our members, but the partners and 

sponsors who play an invaluable role in helping us work towards 

maintaining a sustainable and profitable future for our state’s 

tourism businesses. 

Shaun de Bruyn 

General Manager 

Eoin (Owen) Loftus 

Chairman 

View the full list of SATIC partners and sponsors: 

http://satic.com.au/index.php/site/about/our_partners/. 

4 SATIC. SPRING 2017

RAA PEOPLE’S CHOICE TOURISM AWARD 

For the first time, the 2017 South 

Australian Tourism Awards program 

has introduced a new award, which will 

automatically provide finalists with double 

the chance of taking home a win. 

The RAA People’s Choice Tourism Award 

aims to recognise a high level of service 

excellence provided by a 2017 South 

Australian Tourism Award finalist, as voted 

by the public – the first and only award to 

be entirely voted on by the public. 

SATIC General Manager, Shaun de Bruyn 

says the new award is an initiative of RAA 

and SATIC following the signing of a threeyear 

partnership agreement, allowing 

tourism operators to be further recognised 

for their commitment to service excellence. 

“The prestigious South Australian Tourism 

Awards aim to showcase the state’s finest 

tourism businesses, celebrating those 

who have demonstrated outstanding 

success throughout the year and set the 

benchmarks for best business practice,” 

said Mr de Bruyn. 

“This year RAA and SATIC have joined 

forces to further embrace the opportunity 

to recognise industry excellence where it 

is deserved, and what better way to do 

so than to let the public have their say 

on their experiences at our finest tourist 

destinations?” 

RAA Senior Manager Travel Product 

and Pricing, Giovanna Toldi said RAA’s 

involvement in the Awards is an example 

of its ongoing commitment to the tourism 

industry. 

“RAA supports its members across South 

Australia in many ways, including planning 

their most memorable holidays through 

our Travel division,” said Ms Toldi. 

Red Salt Restaurant – Crowne Plaza Adelaide 

“The RAA People’s Choice Tourism Award 

is another way for us to show our support 

for the South Australian tourism industry.” 

By voting for your favourite tourism 

experience, you’ll automatically go into the 

running to receive one of three fantastic 

prizes up for grabs, thanks to RAA. 

The Frames – one night midweek 

accommodation at The Frames in 

Pastiche Retreat, valued at $1,050. 

SeaLink Kangaroo Island – 

return ferry travel for two adults 

plus a standard vehicle, two nights’ 

accommodation at the Mercure 

Kangaroo Island Lodge and daily 

breakfast, valued at around $750. 

The Manna of Hahndorf – one night 

executive room accommodation plus 

breakfast voucher for The Haus of 

Hahndorf, valued at around $230 

Voting for the RAA People’s Choice Tourism 

Award is now open to the public and will 

close on Sunday, 15 October 2017. 

Visit: http://bit.ly/2fGQRxQ to submit your 

vote today. 

The lucky prize winners will be contacted 

on Monday, 16 October 2017. Please 

note: terms and conditions apply to all 

prizes. 

“We encourage all 2017 People’s Choice 

finalists to actively engage with their visitors 

and supporters to ensure they vote for 

you. Remember to take advantage of the 

People’s Choice Toolkit, providing valuable 

resources to help spread the word,” said 

Mr de Bruyn. 

“As for the public, please be sure to submit 

a vote and acknowledge the finalist you 

believe to have exceeded your service 

excellence expectations.” 

The winner of the RAA People’s Choice 

Tourism Award will be revealed at the 

2017 South Australian Tourism Awards 

Gala Dinner on Friday, 10 November 

2017 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. 

Please note: only finalists in categories 

1-25 (excluding category 14 – Destination 

Marketing) are eligible to enter the RAA 

People’s Choice Tourism Award. For more 

information, visit: http://satic.com.au/ 

index.php/awards/raa_peoples_choice_ 

award/. 

To find out which tourism experiences you 

can vote for in 2017, see next page. 

SATIC. SPRING 2017 5

WHICH TOURISM EXPERIENCE 

WILL YOU VOTE FOR? 

1802 Oyster Bar - Coffin Bay 

23rd Street Distillery 

Aboriginal Cultural Tours SA 

Active Education 

Adelaide Central Market 

Adelaide Central Market Tour 

Adelaide Fringe 

Adelaide Hills Convention Centre 

Adelaide Luxury Beach House 

Adelaide Zoo 

Adelaide’s Haunted Horizons 

Agnes Cottage Bed & Breakfast 

AmazeTour 

Atlantic Tower Motor Inn 

Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden 

Barossa Valley Cheese Company 

BBQ Buoys 

Beach Huts Middleton 

Berri Riverside Caravan Park 

Big Duck Boat Tours 

Bike About Mountain Bike Tours & Hire 

Bill’s Boathouse II 

Bimbimbie Hideaway 

Blinman Heritage Mine 

Botanic Gardens Restaurant 

Brighton Caravan Park 

Calypso Star Charters 

Camel Beach House 

Camel Treks Australia 

Campbelltown Moonlight Markets 

Campbelltown Pizza Festival 

Canoe the Coorong 

Caudo Vineyard 

Ceduna Shelly Beach Caravan Park 

Cellar Door Tours 

Champagne Fest 

Chateau Yaldara 

Chinta Air Tours 

Clare Valley Wine Food & Tourism Centre 

Cleland Wildlife Park 

Clipsal 500 Adelaide 

Coriole Vineyards McLaren Vale 

Creating Coonalypn 

Discovery Parks - Barossa Valley 

Dudley Wines 

Eco Adventure Group - Outdoor Education 

Specialists 

Festival Fleurieu 2017 

Flinders Bush Retreats 

Griffens Marina Blanchetown 

Hahndorf Resort Tourist Park 

Hilton Adelaide 

Hugh Hamilton Wines 

ibis Adelaide 

Jeff Morgan Gallery & Panoramas 

Kalleske Wines 

Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari 

Kangaroo Island Stall 17 - Adelaide 

Central Market 

Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail 

Majestic Minima Hotel 

Marree Hotel 

Mayfair Hotel 

Molly’s Chase Log Cabin B&B 

Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard 

Mulberry Lodge Country Retreat 

Murray River Walk 

National Wine Centre 

Novotel Barossa Valley Resort 

Penfolds 

Pike and Joyce Wines 

Proud Mary 

Quest King William South 

To submit your vote, visit: http://bit.ly/2fGQRxQ. 

Please note: the finalists for the 2017 South Australian Tourism Awards 

have not yet been confirmed, the above list may be subject to change. 

Renmark Club 

Renmark Rose Festival 

River Murray Houseboats Renmark 

River Shack Rentals 

Santos Tour Down Under 

Seal Bay 

Segway Sensation SA 

Semaphore Street Fair 

Seppeltsfield Wines 

Shiraz & Co Gourmet Food & Fine Wine 

Tours 

Sounds by the River 2017 at Mannum 

South Australian Museum 

St Hugo 

Stamford Grand Adelaide 

The Bridgewater Mill 

The Frames Luxury Accommodation 

The Haus Restaurant 

The Manna of Hahndorf 

The Mill Apartments, Clare Valley 

The Playford MGallery by Sofitel 

The Tasting Room - Mayura Station 

Tourism Kangaroo Island 

TrailHopper 

Unley Gourmet Gala 

Victor Harbor Beachfront Holiday Park 

Wakefield Grange Butchery & Grocer 

Wallaroo Marina Apartments 

Wilderness Escape Outdoor Adventures 

Wilpena Pound Resort 

Wirra Wirra Cellar Door 

WOMADelaide 2017 

Wonderwalls 

Woodhouse Activity Centre 

Woolshed Brewery 

Wrightsair 

Yankalilla Visitor Information Centre 

Yondah Beach House 

An inviting place where travellers and drivers come to take a break, Lyndhurst 

Roadhouse is the perfect stopover for anyone who wants fresh food or a little chat 

with our friendly hosts. Come and visit us today! All-Day Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner 

(Available for Eat In or Take Away) 

• Unleaded and Diesel Fuels 

• Grocery (Camping Essentials, 

Car Parts and More) 

• 3G Mobile Service 

• Tourist Information 

• Track Reports 

P: 08 8675 7782 

E: admin@lyndhurstroadhouse.com.au 

www.lyndhurstroadhouse.com.au 


Anthony Coles 

Grant Cameron 

David Cooke 

Shelley Thomson 

Mark Young 

Eoin Loftus 

David Doudle 

Russell Boswell 

SHAPING THE DIRECTION 

OF TOURISM 

6 & 7 JUNE. 4 MASTERCLASSES. 8 PLENARY SESSIONS. 15 WORKSHOPS. 26+ SPEAKERS. 

SATIC’s 8th annual tourism conference, held at the Stamford Grand Adelaide, was a must-attend event for tourism education, 

networking and professional development, bringing together a record 340 delegates. 

As well as encouraging the continuous development of a dynamic, innovative and competitive tourism industry, the conference provided 

an invaluable opportunity for representatives across a variety of industry sectors to gain insight into the forces shaping the direction of 

tourism in the future. 


“International visitation to South Australia is now worth $1.1 billion.” – Minister for Tourism, Leon Bignell 

Jan Claxton Elaine Jobson Matthew Evans 

Economic commentator Michael Pascoe kicked proceedings off 

on day two, sharing his perspective on Australia’s two-speed 

economy and the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. 

His presentation positively positioned Australia as the ‘world 

champions of lifestyle’, highlighting the ABS March 2017 figures 

that showcase short-term visitor arrivals to be at a ten-year high. 

According to Michael, the Australian tourism industry has 

considerable work to do to capture the Chinese market, 

commenting that although Chinese visitation has increased by 50% 

or so, over the 135 million Chinese people who travelled in 2016, 

only 1.2 million went to Australia. 

The burgeoning Chinese market was also discussed by SA Tourism 

Commission Chief Executive – Rodney Harrex, who told delegates 

how the Chinese market is now exploring beyond the traditional 

gateways, providing an opportunity for industry to harness future 

dispersal of these visitors. 

Rodney’s presentation emphasised the importance of using data 

to understand the changing consumer and determine what kind of 

proposition we put in front of the consumer. 

This topic was further discussed by Tourism Australia’s Managing 

Director – John O’Sullivan, who said Australia’s market focused 

on three key strengths: food and wine, aquatic and coastal, and 

nature and wildlife. John also highlighted the highly adventurous 

Japanese and South Korean markets, reporting that there is a 

potential for these markets to grow a further 20% within the next 

six to nine months. 

With international visitation up 9.1%, (8.4 million) according to 

John, it is no surprise that Adelaide is now the fastest growing 

international airport in Australia. To meet this demand, Mark 

Young – Managing Director of Adelaide Airport shared insight into 

the airport’s development plans, starting with next year’s exciting 

terminal expansion. In November 2018, the airport is also set 

to welcome a new 165-room Atura Hotel, operated by the Event 

Hospitality and Leisure Group. 

Following on from Mark, Caroline Phillips – General Manager 

of Destination Riverland and Julie Bates – Tourism Development 

Manager, RDA Murraylands & Riverland, took delegates along their 

journey to overcoming the high flow event for the Murray River, 

highlighting the key elements to their formula – timely intervention 

and early strategy planning; strong working partnerships; 

allocating appropriate time and staff; industry engagement; 

consistent repetition of positive key messages; using credible local 

spokespeople and industry experts, and ensuring they were briefed 

accordingly; PR involvement; presenting balanced and positive 

news; using traditional media in combination with social media 

and engaging in formal debriefs with learnings documented. 

Continuing with the topic of winning formulas, Jan Claxton – 

owner of the award-winning Ocean Rafting Whitsundays, inspired 

delegates with her tourism success story, sharing her five key tips 

for business success and sustainability: 

1) Know your product and point/s of difference. 

2) Branding and marketing – get it right and stick to it. 

3) Look after your staff – set an example by your 

actions and reward your staff. 

4) Be proactive and get involved – put yourselves 

out there. 

5) Look after yourself and your family – don’t give up! 

“Sustainability for us in business has been passion, committing 

financially and through our efforts, and staying with our principles 

no matter how hard it gets,” said Mrs Claxton. 

Delving into the intriguing world of Artificial Intelligence and 

Machine Learning, Google’s Strategy & Insights Manager – 

Matthew Evans shared some innovative ideas that are a result 

of these concepts, such as a world where Google Translate uses 

image recognition to live translate signage, so the next time you’re 

in a foreign country and are unable to read the menu, you can 

simply take a picture of the ‘signage’ and select the language you 

wish to translate this to. 

Now that Australia has all three things for machine learning 

(computing power, data and connectivity) “the growth is going to 

be exponential,” said Mr Evans. Adding that there’s no better time 

to ensure your business is set up for tomorrow, using his top three 

tips: 

1) Make sure your business can be found online. 

2) Be fast and ruthless on speed – be open to anything 

that will improve website speed. 

3) Focus on maintaining attention and providing 

assistance – this is the path to purchase. 

Having spent the last 25 years working internationally with some 

of the world’s most renowned leaders, including Richard Branson, 

Elaine Jobson – CEO of Jetts Australia, took delegates along the 

path that has shaped her into becoming a leadership veteran, 

highlighting the need to remove yourself from what’s comfortable 

in order to grow and develop. Elaine concluded the conference 

with a bang, leaving with us her five life lessons on leadership: 

1) Leadership is influence. 

2) Leadership is putting yourself first. 

3) Leadership is being uncomfortable. 

4) Leadership is growing your people. 

5) Leadership is first making sure your people feel safe. 


KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR YOUR BUSINESS 

HOW PUBLIC SECTOR SPENDING CAN SUPPORT INDUSTRY 

DIVERSIFICATION AND GROWTH IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR 

Ian Nightingale | The Industry Advocate & Jeremy Hawkes | 

Bowhill Engineering 

• Ensure there’s accountability in your business. 

• Urgent versus important – find time to focus on: planning, 

thinking, strategy, innovation and improvement. 

• Utilise opportunities with federal, state, local government, 

Australian Taxation Office, industry groups and private 

companies. 

Business programs available: 

• Connecting with Business Program – builds relationships 

between key state government buyers and local businesses, 

assisting small businesses to capitalise on opportunities from 

the Industry Participation Policy. 

• Meet the Buyer – an opportunity to match your product or 

service with the right buyers. 

• Supplying to Government Workshops – assists businesses to 

learn about the intricacies on tendering and quoting for state 

government procurement. 

For more information, visit: http://www.industryadvocate.sa.gov. 

au/. 

THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 

Tanya Jarman & Claire Sim | SA Tourism Commission (SATC) 

• Think about the potential of distribution partners and what 

area of distribution might work best for you – national, 

international or online? 

• Need some assistance? Contact Marc Leopold: marc.leopold@ 

sa.gov.au or visit: http://www.tourism.sa.gov.au/events-andindustry/industry-support/industry-resources-and-tools. 

GOOGLE ANALYTICS MASTERCLASS ON 

ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS 

Marcelo Mello | Google 

• Understand who your main target 

audience is. 

• Optimise your acquisition channels based 

on performance and consider the influence 

each channel has in the conversation 

funnel. 

• Track all relevant actions on your website. 

Learn more about Google Analytics with 

free online courses, visit: https://analytics. 

google.com/analytics/academy/. 

LEADING CULTURE TRANSFORMATION 

Jerome Parisse-Brassens | 

Talking the Talk 

• Culture is patterns of behaviour 

that are encouraged or tolerated. 

• Behaviour and actions of 

authority figures tend to shape the 

characteristics, culture and ways 

of doing business. 

• For healthy cultures to develop, 

leaders must be responsible, 

principled and open. 

HOW TO INCREASE THE PROFITABILITY OF YOUR TOURISM BUSINESS 

Aly Garrett | CMS Strategic 

How to start your action plans: 

• Identify quick wins for your sales, cost of sales and expenses – simple changes, don’t require a 

lot of investment and can generally be done within 12 months. 

• Identify big bangs for your sales, cost of sales and expenses – big changes to your business 

that are going to take investment, time and planning. 

• Harness digital technology to create efficient cloud ecosystems – programs include Xero 

(accounting) and Receipt Bank (purchases). 

• Improve your digital profit by being found online, researching your competitors and finding 

efficiencies. 

• Consult with your staff, customers, clients and professionals to obtain diversity of thought. 

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL 

PLANNING APPROVALS 

Angela Hazebroek & Matthew King | Urban & Regional Planning 

Solutions (URPS) 

• Understand the planning parameters before commencing the 

design phase. 

• Research other legislation and what acts apply to you i.e. Native 

Vegetation Act. 

• Within your statement of support and effect, address questions 

that councils may ask, including: 

Could this proposal result in pressure for future land division? 

How will traffic management and parking issues be addressed? 

Will it create a nuisance for neighbours? 

What visual impact will it have? 

BACK TO THE FUTURE - 

CHINESE MARKETING 101 

Anthony Coles | Sinosphere Group 

• Be authentic – focus on local 

product/stories. 

• Be international – learn more 

about China and Asia and 

connect via mobile channels i.e. 

WeChat and AliPay. 

‘NATURE LIKE NOWHERE ELSE’ – ACTIVATING NATURE-BASED 

TOURISM IN SA 

Chris Thomas | Department of Environment, Water and 

Natural Resources (DEWNR) 

• Government is ‘open for business’. 

• Focus is on growing jobs and the economic footprint. 

• Want to develop industry partnerships, offer incentives and help 

build advocacy to reconnect people with nature and parks. 

DIGITAL MARKETING FOR TOURISM 

Brent Hill & Edward Brooks | SA Tourism Commission (SATC) 

• List your business on the Australian Tourism Database Warehouse 

(ATDW) – free for SA tourism businesses with listings distributed on 

tourism sites and digital communications by the SATC. 

• Local Search Engine Optimisation – Google My Business is a free 

service, increasing engine visibility for your business. 

• Social media – devote time to regularly engage with your audience 

and drive website traffic. 

• Work on your digital presence – don’t be afraid to engage a digital 

marketing agency. 

• Analysis and Return on Investment: 

Create a goal in Google Analytics to measure. 

UTM tagging – Google Campaign URL Builder will allow you to put 

parameters on your posts, helping you to understand website traffic 

and conversation attribution. 

Visit: https://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/. 


CAN WE REALLY BRING THE UBER WEALTHY TO SA? HOW 

IMPORTANT IS FOOD AND WINE TO THEIR EXPERIENCE? 

David Doudle | Goin’ Off Safaris 

• Make sure your food product is fresh and local. 

• People love simple, homemade produce and want to know where 

the food comes from. 

• Get the people involved with the food i.e. meeting the farmers/ 

fisherman, pick the produce. 

E = MC2: THE NORTHERN AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE 

Russell Boswell | Savannah Guides, Northern Australia 

• Deepen experiences through activities and storytelling that 

connect to emotions. 

• Use TORE: thematic, organised, relevant and entertaining. 

• Deliver your stories on all platforms. 

INTERNATIONAL READY FAST20 

Jennifer Bruce | Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) 

• Nail your pitch as this is your unique value proposition – the 

human attention span lasts eight seconds. 

• Secure a strong foothold within the domestic tourism market 

before you break out. 

• Consistently research your competitors to ensure your offering 

is unique. 

• Research all potential international markets and their culturally 

influenced needs to determine which fits best as your target 

market. 

• Start small and really understand the travel distribution system. 

For all 20 tips, download:http://www.tourism.australia.com/ 

content/dam/assets/document/1/6/w/u/x/2002137.pdf. 

THE TRUE COST OF UNHAPPY 

VISITORS IN A COMPETITIVE AND 

HYPER-CONNECTED WORLD 

Shelley Thompson | Experience360 

• Use The SEE FORMULA® in your 

business: 

Smile – when you smile at someone they 

smile back, creating a positive chemical 

reaction that is proven to leave customers 

feeling positive for more than an hour. 

Eye contact – influences consumer trust 

and the likelihood of purchase. 

Engage – face-to-face is the best 

mode of communication for forming 

relationships 

PANEL DISCUSSION EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES IN LUXURY FOOD AND WINE TOURISM 

David Doudle | Goin’ Off Safaris, Justin Nugent | The Luxury Network Australia 

& Sharon Romeo | Fino Seppeltsfield 

• Create a ‘luxury’ perception by embracing luxury as your experience. 

• Collaborate – keep it simple, considering your objectives and resources. 

• One offering is not enough. 

• Don’t be compliant with your product – continually find ways to develop and enhance it. 

• Six luxury characteristics: quality, aesthetics, extraordinary, symbolism, rarity and price – 

it’s very difficult to be luxury if you’re not of a higher price. 

CREATING A VIABLE & MEMORABLE TOURISM PRODUCT 

Paul Victory | SeaLink Qld and NT 

• Influence the purchase decision by understanding 

consumer behaviour. 

• Articulate who your market is and ensure your 

product meets their expectations. 

• Ensure you plan an engagement strategy with your 

consumers. 

• Pricing and profit – the keys to success. 

• Consider all aspects of the marketing mix, not just 

advertising. 

HOW CONNECTING WITH INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 

CAN HELP GROW YOUR EXPORT BUSINESS 

Karyn Kent | StudyAdelaide 

• Students and graduates are easy to employ with no 

sponsorship required. While studying, students can 

work 40 hours a fortnight and unlimited hours during 

semester breaks. 

• Look out for the 485 visa (Temporary Graduate Visa) 

– a post-study visa, allowing international graduates 

to be employed under the same conditions as an 

Australian citizen or permanent resident for two to 

four years. 

For more information, visit: http://www.employerportal. 

com.au/. 

A PLAN TO FOSTER ADELAIDE’S URBANITY AND IDENTITY THROUGH 

THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES 

David Cooke | City Collective 

Projected outcomes if Adelaide hosts the 2030 Commonwealth Games: 

• Projected economic benefit ratio of 2.26 or $4.4 billion return. 

• Creation of 41,000 jobs and 17,500 new residents. 

• Increased awareness of Adelaide’s identity. 

• Increased access to sports and recreation facilities 

• Completed street grid, providing walking and cycling as first choice – 

supported by tram network. 

UPGRADE YOUR ENTERPRISE – OPTIMISE, DEVELOP & REIMAGINE 

Tony Barradale | H-ONE 

Invest time to work ON your business and: 

• OPTIMISE its performance i.e. revenue management analysis, identifying 

core opportunities, marketing plan preparation. 

• DEVELOP its opportunity i.e. developing a vision, critical analysis of 

development, review of development options. 

• REIMAGINE its future i.e. critical review of current enterprise, appraisal 

of external threats, developing a comprehensive Reimagine Business and 

Operating Plan. 

LUXURY FOOD AND WINE TOURISM – WHAT’S SA’S OPPORTUNITY? 

Jo Collins & Pauline Mooney | Primary Industries and Regions SA 

Justin Nugent | The Luxury Network Australia 

• Create an environment of collaboration between providers to deliver 

unique offerings. 

• Make and create your innovative experience based on the A4E Strategy: 

aesthetics, escapism, entertainment, education and enjoyment. 

• Develop a strong offering and coordinate marketing towards influential/ 

high net worth customers. 

SATIC Members can view all podcasts and presentations at: 

http://satic.com.au/index.php/events/conference/. 


MEDIA RELATIONS TIP FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES 

BY BRAD CROUCH, JOURNALIST – THE ADVERTISER 

Start with the end in sight, a wise lady told me. For some tips on 

media relations, following a presentation at the SATIC Conference, 

I’ll draw on the ‘Five Takeaways’ I concluded with and elaborate 

on them. 

1. TARGET MEDIA CAREFULLY AND TAILOR YOUR APPROACH 

TO THE OUTLET. 

Walk into any newsagent and there will be a plethora of 

print media that may be interested in your product, from 

travel magazines to those focusing on food & wine, fishing, 

outdoor life, etc. Newspapers have travel sections, but also 

general news pages, business sections, features and issues 

sections, regular inserts aimed at target markets – each may be 

interested in your product. If approaching a particular outlet be 

familiar with what audience they are seeking to attract. Whether 

for a news story or a feature review, an approach to Gourmet 

Traveller might be different to targeting a motor cycle magazine, 

the Sunday Mail’s Escape lift-out, The Advertiser’s Business 

Journal, and so on. Email then follow up with a phone call to 

gauge interest. 

If pitching a news story it has to have a 

news angle – have some kind of peg so 

the journalist can get a bit of a headline in 

their head, and visualise a photo or video. 

2. HAVE AN ANGLE IF PITCHING A NEWS STORY. 

A lot of travel media revolves around feature reviews drawn from 

a writer’s experience, so there might be months between a writer 

seeing the place/product and having something published. News 

is a different beast. If pitching a news story it has to have a news 

angle – have some kind of peg so the journalist can get a bit of a 

headline in their head, and visualise a photo or video. It needs 

to be something to get them excited, and should be time-urgent, to 

make them rush up to their editor and blurt out in three sentences 

which will, in turn, get the busy editor thinking it will be strong 

enough to beat other stories for limited news space. 

3. KEEP PRESS RELEASES SIMPLE, CONCISE, CATCHY. 

Journalists are bombarded daily with press releases – which is 

good as media is a voracious beast we have to feed daily and 

each may be a P1. However, the sheer volume hitting inboxes 

means a quick scan needs to catch attention as the finger hovers 

over the delete button. Have the news angle up high, preferably 

in the headline. Have all the relevant facts – who, what, when, 

where, why, how, etc. Include price. Consider offering it to an 

outlet as an exclusive. If it involves arranging photos, release it 

early under embargo to help the outlet with planning. 

4. HAVE PHOTOS/VIDEO AVAILABLE. 

A great photo can elevate a minor story to greater prominence, 

lack of photos can be the death knell of a reasonable story. Have 

images available when pitching a story, if they are great the outlet 

might be happy to use them, if not it might be enough to convince 

them to take their own photos or video. 


PUSHING THE TOURISM AGENDA 

SATIC Board 2016-17 

The South Australian Government has set 

a goal to grow our visitor economy to $8 

billion by 2020. Tourism has been identified 

by the Premier as an economic priority, and 

the South Australian Tourism Commission 

aims to realise this priority by making 

South Australia a destination of choice for 

international and domestic visitors to realise 

this priority. 

The tourism industry employs more than 

35,000 South Australians and is currently 

worth more than $6 billion. The visitor 

economy created by tourism is important 

because much of the economic benefit 

it brings to the state flows to regional 

communities and has a positive impact on 

other industries, such as agriculture, wine, 

retail, education, real estate and transport. 

The opportunity for all tourism stakeholders 

in our state to work more collaboratively 

is fundamental to our future success and 

prosperity. The South Australian Tourism 

Industry Council’s ‘Industry Agenda’, seeks 

to positively position tourism business 

needs with partners and stakeholders with 

the aim of driving economic growth and 

employment outcomes. 

South Australian Tourism Industry Council 

(SATIC) Chairman, Eoin (Owen) Loftus 

says the state has seen significant growth 

in visitor spend over the past few years, 

and an increase in the number of South 

Australians employed in the tourism 

industry. 

“Now is the time for our industry to push 

forward an agenda to unlock our full 

economic potential,” said Mr Loftus. 

“We have spent much of 2017 undergoing 

extensive consultation with industry, 

members and stakeholders to identify the 

key issues holding us back. This industry 

12 SATIC. SPRING 2017 

agenda will be formally launched later in 

2017 and provides robust, evidence-based 

policy positions that reflect the needs of the 

tourism industry.” 

“The SATIC Board has been instrumental 

in ratifying the key themes raised through 

the extensive consultation process and 

has provided sound leadership on where 

the policy development work has been 

allocated to and the evidence and rationale 

behind each agenda item.” 

Mr Loftus said there is a lot of talk about the 

‘visitor economy’ when describing tourism’s 

economic benefit but many people didn’t 

understand exactly what this meant. 

“Tourism is a substantial economic and jobs 

driver for the South Australian economy, 

and only recently the full impact of the 

industry has been recognised through the 

notion of the ‘visitor economy’ concept,” 

said Mr Loftus. 

“In the past, the definition of economic 

activity related to tourism was restricted to 

only those activities that directly reflected 

traditional tourism, such as people 

travelling and staying outside their usual 

place of residence for the purpose of a 

holiday, sight-seeing and recreation. Rather 

than the narrow focus on only the direct 

activities related to tourism, the ‘visitor 

economy’ recognises the halo effect of other 

activities that are a consequence of tourism 

behaviours.” 

The visitor economy definition also 

recognises a broader range of contributing 

activities and businesses, such as the 

production of goods and services for 

consumption by visitors, the industries 

that directly serve visitors, such as hotels, 

transport providers, tour companies and 

attractions, as well as those involved 

indirectly, such as the retail supply chain 

and food production. 

This definition highlights that visitor 

activity has broader impacts across a 

range of stakeholders and shows the true 

contribution of tourism to a region. 

“The Industry Agenda informs stakeholders 

on the key growth opportunities, and 

provides clear rationale on the issue and 

how SATIC recommends resolution,” said 

Mr Loftus. 

“Our consultation will not stop here, this 

is merely the start of SATIC’s advocacy 

program of representing the tourism 

industry agenda to government at all levels 

to maximise our potential.” 

“We welcome your feedback and continued 

dialogue.” 

Key opportunity areas that have been 

identified by industry include the 

following: 

• Ongoing funding support for SATC 

through the forward estimates 

• Whole of government accountability 

to leverage the Premier’s priority for 

tourism 

• Regulation of the Sharing Economy 

• Workforce Development and 

Building Business Capability for 

the Tourism Industry 

• Adelaide CBD Vision 

• A consistent approach to regional 

tourism 

• Investment in Regional Tourism 

Infrastructure 

• Impact of the cost of doing business 

in South Australia 

• Government Process and Red Tape.

2017 

BUSINESS OVER BREAKFAST 

Join the South Australian Tourism Industry Council, along with State and 

Local Government representatives, for the inaugural Business over 

Breakfast event. This is your exclusive opportunity to be a part of the 

official launch of the Tourism Industry Agenda. 

Currently, tourism in South Australia delivers over $6 billion annually 

and over 35,000 jobs. This is your chance to gain insight and learn more 

about the needs of tourism businesses across the State, to further drive 

economic growth and employment outcomes. 

Special guest speakers include: 

Glenn Cooper AM, Coopers Brewery Limited, Chairman 

Luke Walker, Adelaide Casino, General Manager 

Eoin Loftus, Culshaw Group of Companies, CEO and SATIC, Chair 

The 2017 Business over Breakfast event will be on 

Wednesday, September 27 at the Adelaide Oval. 

For further information and to purchase your tickets, go to 

http://bit.ly/2vjAOwR. 

Come along and engage with industry and government leaders, 

share your ideas with industry leaders, so we can unlock the full 

economic potential of the State. 


INSIGHTS FROM INDUSTRY – WHAT’S NEW? 

From a new distillery in the old Renmano Winery to the rejuvenation of a seaside motel on the Fleurieu, there’s plenty happening in our 

State’s tourism industry. We caught up with some of our SATIC Members to learn more about their products and business development 

journeys, and to get their tips for tourism success. 

QUEEN’S COTTAGE BAROSSA VALLEY Situated in Williamstown in the Barossa Valley, 

Queen’s Cottage is a restored 1800s stone cottage. Having only been in business for 

three years, the self-contained cottage has recently undergone repainting, upgrades and 

replacements, including the installation of double-glazing in the front windows to reduce 

road noise. Owner Mel Menadue believes it’s the little touches that make the difference, such 

as homemade jam on arrival and local Barossa and Adelaide Hills produce. “We want guests 

to feel like they are walking into a home away from home, but with a luxurious and indulgent 

feel.” Mel attributes much of her growing success to having an engaging website which 

showcases professional photos, knowing her target market, and maintaining a commitment 

to implementing the latest tourism trends. Over the past year, she has completed courses on 

social media and is now working on integrating an automated and integrated cloud solution 

to improve bookkeeping and admin efficiencies, allowing more time to be spent on business 

growth, improvements and customer service. 


TWENTY THIRD STREET DISTILLERY Built in 1914, Twenty Third Street Distillery is located in the 

old Renmano Winery in Renmark. Managing Director Angela Kotses has redeveloped and 

rejuvenated the warehouse into an expansive venue centre which offers guided tastings, site 

tours and a simple lunch menu. Plans are also in the pipeline for the construction of a new 

kitchen and restaurant space. The complex is a prime example of how mixing the new with 

the old can enhance a tourism business – Renmano memorabilia is on display in the distillery, 

and tour participants are told about the historic journey of the site. In addition, the distillery 

still uses three century-old SA-built copper pot stills to produce their spirits. The team attribute 

much of their success to networking with the local community, including local businesses, 

tourism groups, visitor information centres, government bodies and local councils. They 

believe it’s important to seize every opportunity and have a willingness to learn from others 

no matter their position or title. “Success comes when you have an excellent quality product, 

a passion to be the best, and a willingness to work extremely hard,” said Assistant Venue 

Manager, Jessica Main. 

BBQ BUOYS The first of its kind in SA, this exciting new business offers self-drive barbecue 

boats on the River Torrens for groups of eight to ten. As well as seeking creative input from 

their peers, developing a bold brand and online presence, BBQ Buoys received support from 

the Adelaide City SPLASH Program prior to opening. This enabled them to promote their 

product to over 400 people across two family friendly events at the Riverbank – a pivotal 

step in creating brand awareness and spreading the word. With a growing number of 

bookings under their belt, Director Martin Kloeckner is glad to have implemented Rezdy – a 

cloud-based booking system which updates availability over all connected sales channels 

in real-time. “It was very easy to integrate on our website and now that we are planning to 

expand our distribution partner network, we can easily do that with a few clicks within the 

market place module of the system,” he said. BBQ Buoys recently re-located their office to 

the Adelaide Business Hub – an incubator facility in Port Adelaide that has allowed them to 

extend their connections, support and partnerships through access to affordable expert advice 

and networking events. 

RAWNSLEY PARK STATION Overlooking the southern side of Wilpena Pound, Rawnsley Park 

Station provides the perfect base for its 25,000 annual visitors to explore SA’s Flinders Ranges. 

Having turned a sheep station into a multi-level outback resort, owners Tony and Julie Smith 

consider the creation of their Woolshed Restaurant and luxury eco-villas to be the two turning 

points in their journey. To ensure customer expectations are achieved, Tony and Julie maintain 

an ongoing asset maintenance program, from table and chair upgrades to the integration of 

a new swimming pool which offers a cool oasis to guests through the use of quality sandstone 

pavers and shade sails. “The new smart saltwater chlorination units make managing the pool 

a trouble-free exercise,” said Tony. Rawnsley Park Station has also partnered with Helivista 

to support and enhance their Walking the Flinders Ranges Tours via the incorporation of a 

helicopter flight and overnight camping at Chace Range. As well as being engaged with the 

industry and maintaining a consistent approach to customer service, Tony believes it’s important 

for businesses to get involved with quality assurance programs. “Perhaps the best quality 

assurance program that you can do is enter the State Tourism Awards.”

CU@WALLAROO Centrally located in the beachside town of Wallaroo, cu@wallaroo 

provides two accommodation venues designed for groups. Due to increasing demand, 

in 2016 owners Derek and Nicole Matthewman decided to restore a three-story, 

historic run-down building as a new cu2 property. During the development process, 

they converted the top floor into accommodation for 20-30 people and created a café/ 

restaurant tenancy in the lower two floors. They attribute much of their success to solid 

research, a sound business plan, the use of Facebook as a marketing tool, and trusting 

their gut instincts. They encourage all operators to get involved with the industry and 

to identify ways to support one another. “Even the effectiveness of Facebook marketing 

can be increased through industry support and engagement, particularly sharing and 

liking each other’s posts,” said Derek. As an accredited tourism business, Derek and 

Nicole strive for excellence and regularly invite customer feedback as a tool to ensure 

customer needs are met and to establish areas of improvement to enhance their guest 

experiences. “Being a quality assured business demonstrates our commitment to quality, 

reliability and professionalism,” said Derek. 

MARREE HOTEL As the first building constructed in Marree in 1883, The Marree Hotel 

provides a unique, remote outback experience in the far north of SA. For owners Phil 

and Marilyn (Maz) Turner, relying on passing trade was not an option, they wanted to 

“get people to the region and then target the visitor with the benefits of the hotel.” Since 

its opening, the hotel has expanded to include two chefs, providing outback-style food; 

upgraded housekeeping and room facilities; structured stock management and point 

of sale systems; and scenic flights. More recently they opened the John McDouall Stuart 

Museum to showcase the history of the premises and honour the Birdsville Mailman, 

Tom Kruse. A place where visitors were once reluctant to stay for one night has grown 

into a destination of choice. As well as recognising the importance of social media 

and implementing this within their business, Phil and Maz believe reputation is key, as 

is finding the balance of being socially responsible, implementing effective marketing 

projects, engaging in environmental practice, structured financial management and 

investing in effective people. 

COAST MOTEL & APARTMENTS Located in Port Noarlunga South, COAST Motel & 

Apartments is a beachfront hotel that has been recently rebranded by owners Jacqui 

and Josh Coulter to reflect a fresh young image. As well as giving the motel a complete 

facelift and creating a cypress pine hardwood deck and outdoor dining area, Jacqui and 

Josh have been proactive in establishing partnerships with Fleurieu-based businesses to 

reflect their brand and promote the region to their guests, including selling local produce 

and offering discounted services during their stay. This has resulted in business growth 

and the attraction of a different target market, thanks to the development of a more 

marketable business with improved online presence. Jacqui attributes much of their 

success to seeking customer priorities and analysing online reviews. “By actively doing 

more of the top two things customers liked, and fixing the top two things they didn’t like, 

we were able to remove 99% of negative feedback overnight and shift the customers 

who were just neutral about their stay into being real promoters of our business.” They 

also recently released a Google Virtual Tour of the motel, enabling the public to take a 

360-degree online tour of the property and its picturesque location. 

WILDERNESS ESCAPE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Wilderness Escape are a leading 

outdoor education provider in SA, providing dynamic and tailored experiences for all 

individuals. Their current focus is on developing their Earth Adventure Brand, which 

focusses on the tourism space for local and visiting international students. Having 

drawn inspiration from the increase in visitation statistics, the team at Wilderness Escape 

have been dedicated to growing their business through increased sales and marketing 

resources, as well as partaking in Austrade missions and research visits to China. 

Although they didn’t experience an increase in visitation during their initial research 

phase, now that they have developed a better understanding of their target market, 

they’re expecting to see strong results within the next quarter. Chief Executive Officer, 

Andrew Govan believes research, patience and having a clear understanding of your 

target market’s requirements are critical for business development. “We felt before 

putting our product to market, we had to be 100% ready to deliver,” said Andrew. As an 

adventure-based service, Andrew also considers their involvement with quality assurance 

programs to be key, representing their commitment to security, quality and service. 


THERE’S MORE TO DIGITAL THAN MARKETING 

BY SIMON WALLER, TECHNOLOGY EXPERT FOR SMES AND FOUNDER OF DIGITALCHAMPIONS.COM 

Successful tourism businesses are fundamentally built on 

experiences, and it could be argued that the best experiences are 

ones that make customers forget they have any technology with 

them at all. But thinking like this may result in operators missing 

valuable digital opportunities. 

Most tourism operators have come to accept the power of 

social media platforms, such as Trip Advisor and Facebook for 

engaging customers and generating product awareness. What 

is less common is using technology for operational improvement 

and cost reduction. Given the human focus of great tourism 

experiences it might be uncomfortable to reduce your operations 

to a series of information flows, but information is the grease that 

makes tourism businesses go round. 

From what we sell and our availability, to the names, contact 

details and preferences of our guests, the amounts they paid, the 

names of our staff, the amount of time they worked and what we 

owe them, to the reporting of maintenance and incidents, to the 

invoices we send and the balance of our bank accounts - these 

are just a small fraction of the information we need to deliver 

exceptional experiences. 

Once we start seeing information as an opportunity, rather than 

an administrative burden, we can start improving how we manage 

and use it. 

Two times SATIC Hall of Fame winners Adventure Bay Charters 

attribute much of their success to digital innovation. Over the 

last few years they’ve digitised their booking system, customer 

manifests, time sheets and maintenance logs. They’ve even gone 

so far as to provide free Wi-Fi for customers on board their vessels 

Shark Warrior and Adventure Lady. 

As Adventure Bay Charters’ managing director, Andrew McKinnon 

says “by taking the mental energy out of managing the admin 

side of the business it’s freed up our time to focus on product and 

service innovation. People worry about the reliability of technology 

but when there was a three-day power outage in Port Lincoln all 

our mobile devices and cloud-based systems kept working and 

we were taking bookings while our competitors couldn’t even turn 

their computers on.” 

Successful tourism businesses will be the ones who can identify 

and deploy technology solutions cheaper and faster than their 

peers. To do this, business owners need to stop looking to 

expensive external consultants and outsourced IT providers and 

start developing internal experts or ‘digital champions’. 

Digital is about more than marketing, it’s about capturing, 

managing and sharing critical information that drives efficiency 

and improves the customer experience. Many operators might 

not consider technology their ‘strong suit’ but there’s significant 

rewards for those who are willing to give it a go. 

VIDEO CONTENT MARKETING AND ITS FREE SEO 

BY JERRY ZIMMER, DIRECTOR/CAMERAMAN – MAD PANTS MEDIA 

It has never been more important to market your business with 

Video Content. 

Google purchased YouTube one year after it started in 2006 

for $1.65 billion. Google paid such a high price because they 

realised that video was the medium of the future. Now, over five 

billion YouTube clips are watched each day. It’s not just kids on 

their iPads, there are quality viewers out there if you are selling a 

product or service. In fact, 59% of executives would rather watch 

a video on a subject than read text, and 65% of them will visit the 

company’s website once watching a video. 

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is becoming more complicated 

and it’s increasingly harder to land on Google page one. 

AdWords is expensive and achieving high rankings with a modest 

budget is difficult. 

Having a series of YouTube videos helps with organic (free) SEO 

as Google owns YouTube. If you have a video that is getting some 

great views, shares and leads back to your website, you will get 

the free SEO benefits. 

Google Plus is underutilised in Australia. The beauty of it is that 

if you post a video and some text on Google Plus, it immediately 

gets indexed by the Google crawlers and affects Google searches 

instantaneously. Whereas when you blog on your website or 

update some information, it takes the Google crawlers sometimes 

months, to find your new article or information and add it to 

search results. 

Google My Business is massively important, not only so people 

can find your physical location, but for Google Reviews and lots of 

good reviews can help with your SEO. It’s important to invite your 

happy clients to review your business. 

If you aren’t utilising these three free products - YouTube, Google 

Plus and Google My Business to promote your business, make a 

start. Do it now! 


5 QUESTIONS YOU NEED ANSWERS TO WHEN 

USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR BUSINESS 

BY SIMONE DOUGLAS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER – SOCIAL MEDIA AOK 

It would seem nearly everyone is on social 

media these days. In Australia alone, 7 out 

of 10 people are on Facebook, and they’re 

spending roughly 12.5 hours a week on the 

channel. 

The temptation to jump right in and try to 

generate business is tempting, right? 

Before you take the leap for your business 

or brand, here are the top five things you 

need to get your head around: 

1. DO YOU ACTUALLY KNOW YOUR 

TARGET MARKET? 

Many business owners default to “My 

customer is anyone who….”. 

When it comes to social media, you can’t be 

all things to all people. Applying a ‘machine 

gun’ approach is likely to have you out of 

bullets quickly, and with no food on the 

table. Get really clear about who your top 

clients are; these are the ones that make 

you the most profit, and take up the least 

amount of your time. The top 20% are the 

ones that you want to replicate, so get really 

clear on who they are: 

How old are they? 

Where do they live? 

What are their interests? 

What social media do they use? 

You can’t really get started until you know 

who it is that you really want to talk to, so 

be clear on your target market as it will 

inform everything else that you do. 

2. WHAT DOES YOUR CUSTOMER 

ENGAGEMENT PLAN LOOK LIKE? 

So, someone visited your venue, or stayed 

at your B&B, or came on one of your tours – 

what now? 

You need to have a distinct plan around 

building your ‘social proof’ by capitalising 

on their fantastic experiences. How will 

you ensure that you have an even amount 

of reviews on Facebook, Google and 

Trip Advisor? If you are in the business 

of corporate events or travel, LinkedIn 

recommendations are going to be critical 

too. 

With encouraging fresh reviews on a 

regular basis, you also need to have a 

plan on responding all to reviews – good 

and bad. Having been in hospitality for 15 

years my best advice for you in dealing with 

negative reviews online is first to imagine 

that you are dealing with someone that is 

Google Analytics gives you all the information you need 

to work out how successful your different marketing 

activities are and where you might be losing customers. 

twice your size and only a foot away from 

you. It’s important not to get defensive, but 

to instead respond in a way that positions 

you as the customer-centric, professional 

business that you are. 

3. WHAT ARE YOUR SALES GOALS? 

Too often marketing and sales departments 

or individuals in a business don’t speak to 

each other, but the reality is that the best 

social media strategies tie into your sales 

goals. 

If you need 30 new visitors a week, or 

you are looking to increase occupancy, 

you really need to narrow it down to hard 

numbers and then work out the target 

market that is best suited to achieving these 

goals. From there your messaging will be 

sharp and tailored to suit, and tracking 

results and conversions through your 

website from social media advertising will 

be much simpler. 

4. HOW THE HELL DO I MEASURE 

THIS STUFF? 

First off, it is not about the Likes, Fans or 

Followers - these things do not put food on 

the table. It is about traffic to your website, 

time on site, contact forms submitted, or 

leads generated. 

If you have never looked at the Google 

Analytics on your website or don’t even 

have access to it, then now is the time to fix 

that and fast. Google Analytics gives you 

all the information you need to work out 

how successful your different marketing 

activities are and where you might be losing 

customers. 

5. HOW MUCH IS SOCIAL MEDIA REALLY 

COSTING ME? 

Social media is free right? Anyone can do it! 

Technically true. It doesn’t cost you anything 

to register your profiles and set them 

up - except time! And what if you do it all 

yourself and don’t do it well? It becomes a 

time, resource and opportunity cost to your 

business. 

Ask yourself how much your time is worth. 

Then look at how many hours you are 

spending pulling this stuff together, and how 

much more would you make if you were 

actually focussed on the things that you do 

best? 

If you are the face of your business, then the 

time you spend doing social also comes at 

an opportunity cost. Don’t get me wrong if 

you have spent time developing your skills 

and staying abreast of all the changes that 

roll out daily, then running the whole box 

and dice yourself is easy. But if you haven’t, 

then you might want to have a think about 

what you are missing out on in the process. 


WEBSITE HEALTH CHECK: 

ARE YOU MAKING THESE 

10 MISTAKES? 

BY PETER FREEMAN, DIRECTOR – WOOF MEDIA 

HOW TO PREVENT 

CYBERATTACKS IN 

YOUR BUSINESS 

BY THE TEAM AT AON 

A typical tourism business holds high quantities of sensitive data, 

including payment details of their clients and vendor information, 

much of which is now also stored on mobiles and online, leaving 

the average tourism business vulnerable to attack. 

A common misconception is that cyber-hackers only target banks 

and large multinationals with a lot to lose. However, the reality is 

that ‘hacktivists’ often play off this somewhat ‘blasé’ attitude and 

target small businesses who believe their I.T. software and firewalls 

are sophisticated enough to protect their data. 

After auditing (and rebuilding) many tourism websites, I’ve seen these 

and many other mistakes too often. How many of these are you 

making? 

1) “EVERYONE” IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE Your website must be 

laser-focused on your ideal customer, and answer their question of 

“What’s in it for me” within seconds. 

2) THERE’S NO CLEAR PATH TO PURCHASE Be intentional about the 

journey your ideal customer should take through your website. Lose 

the 14 menus and 17 buttons–too many choices will overwhelm 

visitors into inaction. 

3) MOBILE EXPERIENCE IS AWFUL The mobile debate is over. More 

travellers will use your website on a mobile device than any other. A 

mediocre mobile experience isn’t going to cut it in 2018. 

4) POOR PHOTOGRAPHY If your visitor experience is amazing, but 

your website is filled with low quality photos, you will lose sales. And 

you won’t even know! Visitors will leave if you don’t inspire them to 

stay on your site. 

9) YOUR…WEBSITE…IS…SLOW…TO…LOAD… Slow loading times 

kill website conversions. Optimise your website for speed, use high 

quality web hosting and avoid “all in one” bloated templates. 

6) NO ANALYTICS Would you employ a 24/7 sales person but never 

track their performance? Of course not! Don’t let your website off 

the hook. Use analytics to improve your visitor’s experience and your 

bottom line. 

7) DESIGN ISN’T A PRIORITY Research shows that design is a huge 

trust factor in marketing. Does your website tell visitors you’re a quality 

business that cares about their customers enough to give them a great 

digital experience? 

8) YOU HAVE NO SSL CERTIFICATE Every modern website should be 

secured with an SSL certificate. It increases trust for visitors, has speed 

benefits for your website, and can help improve your search rankings. 

9) LOW QUALITY DOMAIN AND WEB HOSTING Is that $10/month 

budget hosting deal really worth it if just one customer per month 

loses patience and leaves? With domains and hosting, you absolutely 

do get what you pay for. 

10) YOUR WEBSITE DOESN’T SUPPORT YOUR OFFLINE MARKETING 

Not all tourism marketing occurs online and your website is often 

the first place visitors go after seeing your print advert or brochure. 

Provide a consistent, on-brand experience for your potential 

customers. 

These are just a few of many common mistakes. Find even more 

mistakes at http://woof.media/saticview2017, plus practical steps 

you can take to fix them. 

On top of this, cybercrime continues to grow more sophisticated 

by the day. According to Stephen Hughes from law firm Carter 

Newell, “hackers are increasingly using ‘passive malware’ that 

lays dormant until the computer logs on to a bank or financial 

file sites, and then it downloads and transmits keystrokes. This 

provides criminals with password and security data that they can 

HOW IMPORTANT 

ARE PHOTOS IN YOUR 

MARKETING STRATEGY? 

BY HEIDI LINEHAN, OWNER & PHOTOGRAPHER – 

HEIDI WHO PHOTOS 

Your photo library is the visual foundation on which any marketing 

strategy is built. 

Research says you have eight seconds to catch the eye of a Gen Z*. 

And for print - the decision to read or reject pamphlets and direct 

mail pieces is made by readers in just 2.5 seconds*. 

Travellers want to visualise potential new experiences. How will it 

make them feel? To stand out in the tourism industry and inspire 

travellers to book you over competitors, place compelling visuals 

centre-stage throughout your marketing. There are two types - hero 

images and stock/complementary images. 

‘Hero Shots’ are your defining images - what sets you apart. 

They are ‘wow’ photographs that make the viewer think ‘I want 

to be there now!’ They grab attention quickly in a saturation of 

images. A library of promotional images complements the hero 


use to illegally access the same sites, stealing the financial details 

and sensitive information contained within them.” 

So, what can you do to help reduce the risk of a cyberattack? 

1). SPEAK TO YOUR BANK AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTION: 

Ask what measures they recommend to prevent a cyberattack, who 

is liable in a breach and what is covered. Preventative measures 

can be as basic as changing passwords regularly to undergoing 

compressive financial security reviews. 

2). THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK: 

Be cautious about opening any attachment, clicking on links, 

or downloading files from an email. Confirm that your security 

software is active and current. As a minimum, your computer should 

have antivirus and antispyware software and an active firewall. 

3). DON’T BE FOOLED: 

A common misconception is that a cyberattack or data breach 

is covered in existing property or PI polices. It’s not. Be sure to 

seek solutions from your broker if you have concerns about a 

cyberattack. 

4). ATTACKS ARE NOT JUST LIMITED TO ONLINE: 

Protect yourself from threats in your physical environment, ensuring 

file cabinets and draws are locked, computers have passwords 

and security bins are utilised. Aon suggest having a robust policy in 

place regarding the use of USB drives, hard drives and any other 

device that may be plugged into a business network. 

5). FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE NEW AUSTRALIAN 

DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS: 

By February 2018 all Australian government agencies, 

businesses and not-for-profit organisations with a turnover of 

more than $3 million, will be required to notify the Office of the 

Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) within 30 days of 

the entity becoming aware that there are reasonable grouWnds 

to believe there has been an eligible data breach. The fines for 

repeated breaches will be $360,000 for individuals and $1.8 

million for organisations. 

All tourism and leisure operators that are serious about protecting 

their data, brand and finances should speak to their broker about 

mitigating this risk. 

For more information on how Aon can assist your business, 

visit: aon.com.au/SATIC or contact local representatives, Kane 

Fullerton or Stephen Thurston on (08) 8301 1111. 

shots. These images are less memorable, but just as necessary 

to tell the story. Just like a magazine with their hero image on 

the cover, and the additional images within the article. 

YOUR APPEAL AND UNIQUENESS + 

GREAT IDEA/CONCEPT + 

AWESOME TEAM = 

HERO IMAGE 

Uniqueness/appeal could be a landmark, a feeling or an 

experience. 

The great idea revolves around a story. What does your ideal 

audience want to see? Weather, atmosphere, activity, talent 

similar to themselves? Let your audience imagine it could be 

them there, enjoying your destination. 

Find the production team you need and trust. Look at their 

portfolio, get to know them, find recommendations. You have to 

be comfortable and confident. 

Finally, make sure your images (hero and stock) sit firmly within 

your marketing brand. They should be images that define you 

and make you unique. 

Thousands of dollars are being spent taking those images into 

the marketplace - websites, promotional collateral, travel shows, 

social media - it makes sense to do it properly from the start. 

LOCAL AUTHORITY ON 

TRAVEL: WOTIF.COM 

Expedia recently welcomed Adelaide and surrounds hotel partners 

to the inaugural Expedia Adelaide Partner Summit, providing a 

fantastic opportunity for Amanda Behre Director, Brand Marketing & 

Communications for Wotif Group, to share three exciting updates on 

how their SA partners can work closer with Wotif guests. 

1. HALF OF ALL AUSTRALIANS AND 1 IN 4 NEW ZEALANDERS 

HAVE BOOKED WITH WOTIF.COM SINCE 2000 

Australian Leisure Travelers and Families make up most of the Wotif 

target audience, using Wotif.com as their go-to for online travel*. 

The majority of leisure travelers are couples (42%), holidaying to 

experience the local culture. In an average year, leisure travelers 

book 3.8 domestic trips on Wotif and spend roughly $2,830 per 

person. These guests are flexible with destinations with 53% of 

travelers using the site to tick off bucket list holidays (like sharking 

cage diving in Port Lincoln!). 

49% of families are travelling for a special occasion or event with 

25% also booking for the school holiday period. Family holidays 

are usually dictated by the kids but these guests also like a great 

weekend break – as long as the online reviews are positive. The 

average family spends around $1,350 per person (per year) on the 

travel and 44% have a destination already in mind. 

2. RISE OF THE MOBILE 

The ease of access provided by mobile and electronic devices makes 

it simpler than ever to book accommodation, with Wotif witnessing 

an increase in search and demand for Adelaide accommodation on 

the app over the last 12 months. 

3. AUSTRALIANS LOVE SA! 

In 2017 Wotif has seen both an increase in searches for Adelaide 

and an increase in intrastate travel, proving SA is a customer 

favourite on Wotif.com. 

Not already working with Wotif.com or Expedia? Contact your SA 

Market Manager, Allyvia Oberman at: aoberman@expedia.com. 

*Data2Decisions segmentation report, September 2016 


MEET THE MEMBER – 

BIG HEART ADVENTURES 

Specialising in exclusive women’s only active and adventure 

travel, Big Heart Adventures is determined to get more women 

out exploring South Australia’s amazing trails through their Wise 

Women Walking program. 

As well as offering a supportive space for women to try 

bushwalking across a range of distances, durations and difficulty 

levels, they also offer experiences that introduce women to the 

concept of multi-day treks or base camp walks. 

SATIC recently caught up with Lisa Murphy, Chief Adventurer at Big 

Heart Adventures, to find out more about this unique business. 

WHAT ENTICED YOU TO GET INVOLVED WITH TOURISM AND 

WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THE BUSINESS COME FROM? 

I have been a travel agent for eight years, but felt most inspired 

after completing a walk or trek I didn’t think I could do when we 

travelled. After realising that I could encourage other women 

to take on similar challenges, I designed a supported multi-day 

walking tour in New Zealand called Wise Women Walking that 

took on the 72-kilometre Queen Charlotte Track and included an 

eight-weekend training program in the Adelaide Hills. I literally 

had the idea to create this trip on a massage table in early 2015 

and decided that we would also have a ‘Give Back’ initiative that 

donated part proceeds of our women’s trips to a local education 

program for young carers. From there, Big Heart Adventures 

was born. Since then we have added winter walks for women 

in the Adelaide Hills along our stunning trails and some more 

challenging overseas treks for men and women to raise funds for 

various causes with the aim of changing our world through travel. 

HOW DO YOU PROVIDE SERVICE EXCELLENCE AND EXCEED 

CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS? 

I focus heavily on being organised with high attention to detail 

from our local short walks, which last 90 minutes, to our 

international travel experiences that can be up to 20 days in 

duration. I ensure our clients are happy with all elements of what 

we offer and seek honest feedback to ensure we deliver the best 

walking experiences both locally and through our service delivery 

partners overseas. From little touches, like baking our own Anzac 

Biscuits for our day walks, or adding inspiring affirmation cards to 

Lisa Murphy 

our travelers’ final documents – our customers love it. Providing 

these little extras and ensuring our walkers are looked after by 

professionally trained leaders is paramount. 

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A QUALITY ASSURED 

TOURISM BUSINESS THROUGH THE ATAP PROGRAM? 

For our local South Australia walks and tours, I decided to become 

accredited through the ATAP program to help our new brand gain 

credibility in the industry and work towards solid work practices, 

policies and procedures. It gives our newer clients assurance that 

we are accredited, legitimate and following processes and policies 

to ensure they receive the walking experience to the highest 

standard. 

TO WHAT DO YOUR ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS? 

Focusing on customer care, concentrating on delivering our 

product to the highest standards, being unique and offering 

something niche that sets us apart. 

WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D SHARE WITH OTHER 

TOURISM BUSINESSES? 

Believe in your product and invest in your customers – they are 

your best form of advertising. 


HINTS AND TIPS FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS 

Applying for grants can be a long and 

rigorous task. Luckily we’ve complied some 

hints and tips to help you best prepare your 

next application. 

• Find information and statistics, including 

market research (i.e. TRA’s visitor survey), 

tourism demand and trends (i.e. SATIC 

Tourism Barometer), regional profiles 

and the economic impact of the industry. 

The more local the research, the more 

relevance. 

• Refer to government strategic plans, such 

as South Australia’s Strategic Plan and 

highlight how your project aligns with 

these. 

• Ensure you have researched the 

requirements and obtained all necessary 

documents and approvals. Depending on 

the project and its complexity, approvals 

can take up to 12 weeks*. 

• To demonstrate the total project 

value, provide a detailed expenditure 

breakdown and provide quotes as 

evidence – up to three quotes is 

recommended. 

• Discuss the project with your Regional 

Tourism Manager or Regional 

Development Board, as they may be able 

to assist and guide you throughout the 

process. 

• Seek letters of support from relevant 

individuals and bodies, such as SATIC 

– these will help demonstrate your 

credibility and offer supporting evidence. 

• Ensure that you clearly articulate the 

following as a result of your project: 

1. Tourism benefits to the region (e.g. 

increase in: visitor numbers, length of 

stay, yield, profitability, employment). 

2. How the project will drive demand 

3. How it potentially fills any current 

market gaps 

4. Financial capability statements. 

There are some great funding opportunities 

available for tourism businesses with the 

State Government revealing the following 

inclusions within the 2017/18 State Budget: 

• Ongoing funding of $15 million per 

annum for the Regional Development 

Fund – in support of increasing economic 

growth and productivity for regional SA. 

www.pir.sa.gov.au 

• An additional $8.1 million to continue 

the Job Accelerator Grant Scheme and 

$200 million for a Future Jobs Fund 

– to drive employment growth www. 

revenuesa.sa.gov.au | www.treasury. 

sa.gov.au 

WHAT OTHER GRANTS/ASSISTANT 

PROGRAMS SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR? 

• Regional Capability Community Fund 

– supports rural, regional and remote 

communities across SA to better protect 

themselves from the impact of disasters. 

www.safecom.sa.gov.au 

• The Regional Events and Festivals 

Program & Community Events 

Development Fund – provide financial 

support towards marketing and PR for 

events that promote SA and its regions. 

www.tourism.sa.gov.au/ 

• Agribusiness Growth Program – 

supports small enterprises in the valueadding 

agriculture, food and beverage 

industries. www.pir.sa.gov.au 

• Business Evaluation – provides 

businesses mentoring to help implement 

growth strategies. www.business.gov.au 

• Export Partnership Program – provides 

funding assistance for small and 

medium-sized businesses to access new 

global markets through marketing and 

export development opportunities. www. 

statedevelopment.sa.gov.au 

For all grant and assistance opportunities, 

visit: 

Grantassist: www.grantassist.sa.gov.au/. 

“The Cellar Door Grant via the 

SA Wine Industry Development 

Scheme has been very helpful. 

While we have invested 

quite significantly in the entire 

project, there are always 

finishing touches you want, 

that add a little touch of extra 

finesse to the final product. 

That financial assistance can 

elevate your offering to the 

kind of high standard that we 

should all hope to achieve in 

tourism.” 

Mark Saturno, Director – 

Longview Vineyard 

Department of Primary Industries and 

Regions SA (PIRSA): http://pir.sa.gov.au/ 

grants_and_assistance. 

business.gov.au: www.business.gov.au/ 

assistance. 

To submit a project proposal for funding 

assistance, visit Fund My Idea: https:// 

yoursay.sa.gov.au/initiatives/fund-my-idea. 

Information source: SA Tourism Commission 

– Destination Development. 

*Planning Institute Australia. 

SATIC-accredited member, Longview Vineyard was a 2016/17 Cellar Door Grant recipient. Director Mark Saturno 

shared his top five tips for preparing a successful grant application. 

• BE REALISTIC! While increasing numbers for visitation, 

employment opportunities etc. is one of the main goals for 

expansion, saying you’ll be employing 100 new people for a 

small family operation (for example) a is a huge exaggeration. 

• BE AMBITIOUS - whilst the above tip should be heeded, what 

the assessors want to see and hear is a robust vision for your 

project that is achievable. 

• IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! Talk about how your project can 

benefit the region you’re in. 

• WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? Have a point of difference and 

explain why your project stands out and should be supported. 

What makes you special? 

• WHAT’S THE STORY? If you can’t tell an authentic story as 

to what your brand/business is about, where it’s come from 

and where you see it going, then why should anyone support 

you? Market driven statistics and hard numbers help, of 

course, but through it all, a passion for what you do should be 

paramount. 



WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 

The travel industry is interconnected and 

tourism operators will often develop industry 

partnerships, generating great outcomes. 

Having said this, when you are forming 

partnerships, you should be formalising 

contracts and agreements. 

A contract doesn’t have to be a dull complex 

document, but you will need to make sure 

you cover all the bases and personalise the 

contract to each business partner. 

With this in mind, we have put together 

some key tips to help you prepare your next 

contract. 

“[It’s] always really important 

to work with likeminded 

businesses.” 

Kym Brown, Owner – Getaways SA 

1. UNDERSTAND THE LEGALITIES 

A contract MUST contain the following 

elements: 

• The identity of the parties (preferably with 

the use of ABN’s) 

• An offer being made of some description. 

• Key issues such as length of the 

agreement and who is responsible for 

what. 

• Acceptance (written, verbal or a 

combination). 

• A clear out clause and expectation that 

if the agreement is breached, legal 

consequences could eventuate. 

• Payment of money must change hands 

or be due to change hands as part of the 

agreement. 

2. NEGOTIATE STANDARD FORM 

CONTRACTS 

Standard form contracts are those with set 

terms and conditions, mostly in favour of the 

party who created the contract. For example: 

finance documents and insurance contracts. 

If the contract is between you and a 

large organisation, it may still be difficult 

to negotiate any of the terms albeit the 

recent introduction of unfair contract 

terms legislation to help protect smaller 

businesses when they are in dealings with 


larger organisations. It is worth seeking 

advice from a lawyer if you feel that any of 

the clauses are repressive (refer to the ACC 

website for more information: www.accc. 

gov.au/business/business-rights-protections/ 

unfair-contract-terms. If the contract is 

between you and an individual or a smaller 

organisation, there may be more room to 

negotiate, so it pays to be creative and ask 

for changes. 

3. THINK BEFORE YOU SIGN 

Make sure you clearly understand what 

you’re agreeing to and what happens if 

things don’t go as planned. 

We asked Wallmans Lawyers’ Business and 

Commercial Partner, Trevor Edmond for his 

advice on what you should check before 

signing: 

• Does the contract properly reflect your 

understanding of the agreement? 

• Does the agreement create binding 

commitments? 

• Are amendments properly documented as 

part of the contract? 

• Are any of the parties bound by 

confidentiality? 

• Is there a potential conflict of interest 

between you and the other party? 

• Can any tasks assigned be delegated to 

others? 

• Is there a clear process for dispute 

resolution? 

• Do you know when the contract starts and 

ends? 

• Do you know what currency payments are 

to be made in? 

• Does GST apply to any amounts referred 

to in the contract? If so are the amounts 

GST inclusive or exclusive? 

• Are you protected from any claims an 

outside person may make against you? 

• What laws and regulations apply to the 

contract? 

• Who owns intellectual property rights and 

what are they? 

• Is there a certain level of quality or 

performance required by the contract? 

• Can the contract be renewed and does it 

include a notice period that needs to be 

complied with? 

Once you have put pen to paper, it is 

important to keep a copy of the contact, 

as well as any changes that have been 

negotiated – never rely on verbal contracts 

alone. 

We highly recommend seeking legal advice 

when developing contracts to ensure you’re 

protected and don’t get anything wrong. 

Arguably one of the most important 

contracts your business can have is up to 

date and tailored Terms and Conditions. 

These terms should clearly specify any 

liability clauses or releases that your 

customers must agree to before buying your 

product or service. While liability releases/ 

clauses may provide you with an ability to 

reduce your possible liability should an issue 

arise, it is important to note that Consumer 

Protection legislation may also place further 

restrictions on your liability release. 

“When we are working with 

partners it is important to 

have clear outcomes [and] 

expectations listed. We often 

put in a review date, so if 

the contract is for 12 months, 

review in six months.” 

Kym Brown, Owner – Getaways SA 

If your terms and conditions are not up 

to date or you need to create a tailored 

liability release for your business, then we 

recommend speaking to a lawyer. It could 

save your organisation a lot of money 

and heartache in the unfortunate event of 

something going wrong. 

All SATIC Members are entitled to a free 

15-minute telephone advice line to discuss 

any legal (or potential) legal issues. 

Phone: 8235 3018 and quote your SATIC 

membership when calling. 

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for 

information purposes only and should not 

be regarded as formal legal advice.

GET READY FOR CHINA 

OPINION PIECE BY RODNEY HARREX, CHIEF EXECUTIVE – SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION 

China is a once in a lifetime opportunity 

and the opportunity is now, with the value 

of Chinese tourism in Australia estimated at 

over $13 billion by 2020. 

THE OPPORTUNITY 

It is critical that we look at this opportunity 

in its broadest scope. Tourism provides 

an international shop window for our 

state. It has a flow on effect and touches 

every industry, business and community. 

The opportunity then becomes about the 

future of our economy, creating jobs, 

sustaining local economies and giving future 

generations the opportunity to live and work 

in our beautiful state. 

South Australia welcomed 50,000 visitors 

from China for the year ending March 

2017 and is currently South Australia’s 

number one tourism market by expenditure, 

spending $315 million over this period, an 

increase of 49%. The average spend by a 

Chinese visitor is $6,282 making them the 

highest spending visitor to South Australia. 

The most significant development that 

can trigger growth of the Chinese market 

for South Australia is the commencement 

of direct flights between Adelaide and 

mainland China by China Southern Airlines 

that began in December 2016. The service 

will generate an estimated $23 million into 

South Australia’s visitor economy, creating 

more than 135 jobs across the state 

PROVIDING THE CHINESE TRAVELLER WITH 

WHAT THEY WANT 

So, what exactly does the Chinese traveller 

want? Put simply, they want the complete 

Australian experience - everything we 

have on offer but in a short amount of 

time – it must be compact, but not diluted. 

The Chinese traveller is looking for 

authentic Australian experiences, including 

interactions with the locals and the lifestyle. 

They are also looking for something that will 

give them plenty of ‘bragging rights’ and 

photo opportunities that they can share on 

popular social media platforms like WeChat. 

There are opportunities for South Australian 

operators to have a presence on these 

platforms and promote our experiences and 

it is important that we consider these digital 

marketing opportunities. 

Shopping and gift buying is an important 

part of the holiday experience. Chinese 

visitors are always on the lookout for 

locally made products which they take as 

customary gifts for family and friends while 

on holiday. 

The Hahndorf Inn 

It is our unique selling point of natural beauty, 

encompassing our food, wine and wildlife that the 

Chinese traveller wants. 

Most importantly, the Chinese traveller 

needs assistance in how they can engage 

with the experiences on offer, not just a list 

of what they can do. Simple information that 

helps them understand how to make the 

most of their stay such as how much time to 

allocate to a certain activity are welcome. 

It is also about improving in areas like 

signage, more well- lit streets or considering 

the option of promoting their offering 

instead of the brand name of the business. 

For instance, “fresh seafood sold here”, as 

opposed to “visit name of business”. 

Tourism operators looking to engage with 

the Chinese traveller may need to adjust 

their service offering for this market, but 

that doesn’t mean operators should change 

everything they do or make everything 

Chinese. It is about customising offerings 

and getting some of the basics right, for 

example, offering shared platter options of 

food. 

ATTRACTING THE CHINESE TRAVELLER TO 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

South Australia has a lot to offer Chinese 

tourists. It is our unique selling point of 

natural beauty, encompassing our food, 

wine and wildlife that the Chinese traveller 

wants. 

While South Australia receives less of the 

first-time visitor/large group business 

we do attract more of the repeat/visiting 

friends and relatives, business from all 

Asian markets including China. This is a 

good thing as it means Chinese travellers 

who come to South Australia are usually 

more experienced, want to engage with the 

product or experience on offer and tend 

to spend more - great news for tourism 

operators and the visitor economy. 

THE $450 MILLION QUESTION – ARE WE 

READY FOR CHINA? 

It’s early days. There is still much to be done 

to make sure South Australia delivers as an 

international destination and our focus is on 

getting the messages of Adelaide and our 

regions to this target market. 

There are tourism operators who are 

already successfully catering to the Chinese 

market while others are just getting ready 

to embark on the journey. At the other end 

of the scale there are operators who are 

not looking to attract the Chinese market as 

Chinese visitor business is not for everyone, 

nor is it for everyone right now. 

But countries like China do present a unique 

opportunity for our state that cannot be 

overstated. We are starting to understand 

the Chinese traveller, we can attract them 

to our state and we can provide them with 

what they want. I encourage all tourism 

operators to ask themselves if they want to 

cater to the Chinese market, and if so, to get 

involved. 


$330 MILLION REDEVELOPMENT TO 

EXPAND ADELAIDE CASINO 

SKYCITY Entertainment Group have 

confirmed the company will commit $A330 

million to proceed with plans to expand 

Adelaide Casino on the Festival Plaza 

forecourt, forming part of the rejuvenation 

of the Riverbank Precinct. 

The expansion will include a luxury hotel, 

new VIP gaming facilities, function spaces, 

a wellness centre and new bars and 

restaurants. 

The hotel will be the most luxurious 

in Adelaide and boast 123 stunningly 

appointed suites and villas to meet 

increasing demand for high quality hotel 

suites in Adelaide from both domestic 

and international visitors. Additionally, 

the expansion will include three new bars, 

including a rooftop bar with spectacular 

views across the River Torrens and Adelaide 

Oval and three new signature restaurants 

offering guests unique dining options. 

Function spaces will cater for up to 750 

guests, offering the perfect option for 

banquets and special events, while the 

wellness centre will include a pool, sauna, 

gym and day spa. 

Villa Bedroom 

During construction, there will also be a 

strong focus placed on the current Adelaide 

Casino building, which will be integrated 

seamlessly into the new development by a 

three-story glass atrium. 

Construction on the expansion of Adelaide 

Casino will begin in early 2018, with the 

redeveloped casino and hotel complex 

expected to be completed in 2020. 


Concourse 

Corner Suite

MAKE IT A ‘STAYCATION’ AND EXPLORE 

YOUR LOCAL SURROUNDINGS 

Holidays don’t always have to be 

extravagant overseas trips – taking a week 

off at your local beach can give you all 

the relaxation you require, at a quarter 

of the price. Whether you’re a local who 

loves the beach or a tourist visiting SA for 

the first time, you’ll find plenty to do in the 

popular beachside suburb of Glenelg. 

SUMMER 

Visiting Glenelg during the summer will 

provide you with the ultimate beach 

staycation. The City of Holdfast Council 

work hard to ensure there’s always 

something happening in the local area 

during the summer months, including 

the popular New Year’s Eve fireworks 

and concert, New Year’s Day beachside 

concert, Australia Day celebrations 

and a ‘Glenelg Street Party’ filled with 

entertainment, food and kid’s activities. 

The Tour Down Under also stops by 

Glenelg in early January, bringing 

interstate and international tourists to the 

area for a glimpse of the riders as they 

speed down Jetty Road. For those more 

interested in wining and dining, the Tour 

Down Under Street Party draws thousands 

of people the night before the race 

bringing an array of street food vendors, 

outdoor bars, live entertainment and much 

more to the area. There’s also a Grand 

Bar Village on Moseley Square during the 

Tour Down Under Street Party, as well as 

other key dates throughout the summer, 

offering visitors a pop-up space to enjoy 

the sun, some well-prepared food and a 

cold beverage. 

For the young (and young at heart) The 

Beachouse offers a large interactive space 

to play and have fun. Including a mini golf 

Winter Wonderland 

course, water slides, dodgem cars and 

arcade style games, The Beachouse is the 

ultimate family destination for visitors to 

the area. 

AUTUMN 

As the months cool down, Glenelg beach 

is still a hotspot for a relaxing break. With 

great beachside walking tracks, bike hire 

and plenty more, you will find something 

for everyone. In April, Ben & Jerry’s Open 

Air Cinema visits Glenelg, bringing the 

hottest new releases and family favourites 

to the outdoor big screen. Before getting 

cosy and rugging up in front of a movie, 

visitors will be spoilt for restaurant choices 

along Jetty Road – whether you choose 

to sit outside and enjoy the afternoon 

sunshine or rug up in front of an open 

fireplace, you will be sure to find an 

option to suit your taste. The Promenade 

Restaurant at Stamford Grand Adelaide 

offers unsurpassed ocean views teamed 

with a fresh, South Australian menu 

which is sure to get mouths watering. The 

Promenade Restaurant also serves up one 

of Adelaide’s best high teas, available 

every day from 3pm. 

WINTER 

One of the best times to visit the region 

is during the winter school holidays 

Open Air Cinema 

when a large Winter Wonderland Ice 

Skating rink is constructed, giving both 

adults and kids endless amounts of 

fun to enjoy beachside. In addition to 

the ice skating rink, the Holdfast City 

Council has a number of other initiatives 

including shopping vouchers for the local 

traders and laneway activations, bringing 

tourists and locals alike to the area, even 

when the sun isn’t out. Stamford Grand 

Adelaide, located in the heart of the 

action in Moseley Square, puts together an 

annual accommodation package which 

includes entertainment vouchers for other 

local businesses, including tickets to Winter 

Wonderland Ice Skating. 

SPRING 

As the weather starts to warm up and the 

days become longer, you’ll find people 

flocking from all over the state to Glenelg. 

Holiday-makers can soak up the sun on 

the beach or watch the sunset with great 

live music at a beachside music festival. 

Why not sit on The Grand Bar deck and 

enjoy a crisp glass of wine or visit one of 

the many fabulous eateries in the region 

– most serving locally sourced, fresh 

produce. Whether you’re a local who 

loves live music or a tourist visiting South 

Australia for business, you will never be 

short of things to do in this area. 


POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY 

South Australia’s tourism operators are positive about the future 

according to the June quarter 2017 SATIC Tourism Barometer. 

Though the index for the June quarter was down by 11%, tourism 

industry sentiment was on the up, rising by 18% to reach 138 points. 

The proportion of survey respondents experiencing improved 

business activity when compared to the same period last year was 

45% – a fall from the previous survey but still relatively positive 

compared with the trend over recent surveys. 

SATIC General Manager, Shaun de Bruyn said as well as a positive 

short-term outlook, 54% of respondents were confident with the 

outlook for the next 12 months, while 16% said they were ‘extremely 

confident’. 

“Factors cited as influencing performance included camping, the 

Chinese market, conferences, event linkages, digital marketing and 

nice weather,” said Mr de Bruyn. 

“Less favourable factors that were mentioned included that the 

backpacker/budget market had dropped off, partially due to the 

negative impact of the backpacker tax, and the cost of regional 

flights.” 

Factors influencing a positive short and long-term outlook include: 

• Conferences, conventions and events. 

• Extension to the Adelaide Convention Centre. 

• Inbound from China with China Southern adding additional flight. 

• Increasing popularity of nature-based tourism. 

• Investing in expanding the business offering and in digital 

marketing. 

• Return on investment from coop marketing with Adelaide 

Convention Bureau. 

• Strong forward bookings. 

• Increase in demand by corporate visitors in Adelaide. 

• Online reviews for TripAdvisor and Booking.com have improved. 

• Improved online presence. 

“Less positive factors cited by operators included a reported 

downturn in cellar door visitation through 2017, the growing 

number of Air BNBs, increasing power costs and problems 

with power supply and the closure of the car industry in South 

Australia,” said Mr de Bruyn. 

The SATIC Tourism Barometer is an independent quarterly survey 

of SATIC Members designed to measure recent activity and the 

outlook for the future. 

View the full report at: http://bit.ly/2eJzgoH. 

WANT TO WIN A BIG SLICE OF 

CHINESE TRAVEL GROWTH? 

Let’s make sure that you have the right products, promotional materials, 

and customer service skills to welcome these Chinese visitors. 

“CLCA worked hard to ensure that we were given a tailored program that was not only 

relevant, but also engaging. Our staff took away various valuable insights on how to better 

understand and communicate with our Chinese clientele.” - Adelaide Airport 

W: www.clca.com.au 

E: info@clca.com.au 


COMPETITION SUBMISSIONS – #TheViewSA 

Congratulations to SATIC Member, In The Flinders – winner of #TheViewSA competition. 

Take a look at some of the standout submissions we received. Remember to share a pic of your South Australian “view,” to win* a spot 

to be featured in the next edition. Tag your image #TheViewSA, across Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. 

*The lucky winner will be contacted for a high res version of the image. 

IN THE FLINDERS Location: Mount Remarkable. 

g 

@intheflinders 

BIG HEART ADVENTURES 

Location: Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. 

@bigheart_adventures 

CALYPSO STAR CHARTERS 

Location: Swim with the Sealions tour at 

Hopkins Island off Port Lincoln. 

@calypsostarcharters 

KANGAROO ISLAND OCEAN SAFARI 

Location: Penneshaw Beach. 

@KangarooIslandOceanSafari 

a 

PUSH ADVENTURES 

Location: Remarkable Rocks, 

Kangaroo Island. 

@push_adventures 

SEAWALL APARTMENTS 

Location: Seawall Apartments – 

looking onto Glenelg Beach. 

@seawallapartments 

THE BACKYARD UNIVERSE 

Location: Wirrina Cove. 

@TheBackyardUniverse 

a 


Moonlight Markets 

3 November | 1 December 

2 February | 2 March 

@ Thorndon Park 

Flavours of Campbelltown 

Discover the history, 

culture and tastes of the 

City of Campbelltown 

with the Flavours of 

Campbelltown Food Trail. 

www.foodtrail.net 

foodtrail@campbelltown.sa.gov.au 

Campbelltown 

Pizza Festival 2018 

The Campbelltown Pizza Festival is held in ten 

pizza venues during the month of July. Come and 

try new pizza creations or enjoy your favourite 

toppings while being entertained by the live 

music on offer. 

The 2018 Festival details will be available on 

www.campbelltown.sa.gov.au/pizzafestival 

For more information on any of our events please call 8366 9222 

or visit www.campbelltown.sa.gov.au 

Providing a quality lifestyle

The View - September 2017_SATIC_Web

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