TICT Quarterly - Summer 2019/20

QUARTERLY

Image credit: Adam Gibson

SUMMER | 2020 | EDITION 1

SUMMER | 2020 | ISSUE 1

TOURISM INDUSTRY COUNCIL TASMANIA

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Policy Watch: from couch surfing to corporate behemoth – TICT CEO Luke Martin on Airbnb

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Q&A with Bianca Welsh: 2019 recipient of the Tourism Minister’s Young Achiever Award

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Come down for air: Tourism Tasmania’s Emma Terry discusses the power of calm 1

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CONTENTS: Welcome from the CEO

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Come Down for Air with Tourism Tasmania

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Gallery 7 Policy Watch: Airbnb

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Cover Story – Q&A with Bianca Welsh

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Profile – Oar Inspiring Jenny & Reg Grundy

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Insurance with Steadfast Taswide Insurance Brokers

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Policy Watch: 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy

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Feature – Ecotourism in Tasmania by Emma Hope

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Save the Date – TICTs 2020 Leadership Luncheon Series

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To advertise in the next TICT Quarterly or for editorial enquiries contact michaela.lamprey@tict.com.au

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Tasmania’s Production Company

Tourism media production Location scouting/management Event direction/production VJP guiding Logistics Level One • 2 Salamanca Square • Battery Point TAS 7004 info@hypetv.com.au 0424 436 422 Official Media Partner of TICT 2

WELCOME: TO THE FIRST EDITION OF TICT QUARTERLY

If you’re in tourism your life revolves around digital media – EDMs, social media, booking platforms. It’s the never-ending inbox.

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n your hot little hands you’re holding the inaugural edition of TICT Quarterly! Or it might just be the only edition ever published. I’m not sure yet whether we will do another.

This is an experiment to see whether there is a space in the Tasmanian tourism industry for a true, journalistic style industry magazine.

The irony with so many communications flying around is that it’s making it more difficult to have a genuine conversation about the issues we’re facing as an industry, and sifting through all the noise to find some true pearlers of insights, information and inspiration to make us more engaged and ultimately even better Tassie tourism professionals.

This is something we’ve given a lot of thought to at TICT over the past couple of years. How can we better engage our industry and cut through the noise?

This year we launched ‘Talking Tourism’ – a free podcast series of short, sharp blasts of practical tourism conversations with some of our best and brightest in the industry that can be listened to in the car, on a walk, at your desk, or in the shower... wherever and whenever works for you.

The response to Talking Tourism has been so positive, and we know more people are streaming in every week.

TICT Quarterly is our second idea – going back to the future with a simple, short, paperbased (recycled) magazine that you and your team can pick up and flick through when it suits you. It’s the antithesis to industry EDMs and e-news, and more glossy trade and travel magazines.

This inaugural edition has something for everyone; we profile one of our most successful tourism adventure operators, Roaring 40s Kayaking; explore practical sustainability ideas to lessen your businesses impact on the environment, meet one of our industry superstars in Bianca Welsh, and I try my best to decipher where things are at with Airbnb regulation.

It’s about giving you a taste of what a regular Tasmanian tourism journal might be like.

If you do really like it and think we’re on the right track – please let us know. Your feedback will encourage us to make this a regular (Quarterly) thing.

If you don’t like it, that’s fine too. The fact you’ve opened the front cover and read this far suggests we at least sparked your interest. Is there something we could include in a future edition to make it really pop for you?

Enjoy the read, and hopefully our second edition will be arriving in your mailbox (remember them?) around April.

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We think there is.

Luke Martin – CEO Tourism Industry Council Tasmania 3

BREATH IN, AND COME DOWN FOR AIR: TOURISM TASMANIA’S EMMA TERRY ON THE POWER OF CALM

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awn breaks over the Bay of Fires to the sound of stretching knicker elastic and human squawks as icy water kisses the nether regions of a bunch of swimmers. Mist rises on Lake Rosebery as a lone kayaker takes his sweet time paddling across on a morning coffee run. And at The Nut, a couple shares the simple pleasure of rich flaky scallop pies in the front seat of their Kombi as gentle rain drums on the roof.

These single-shot television ads portraying quiet, wry, “anti-ordinary” moments in extraordinary landscapes launched the state’s new tourism brand platform, Tasmania – Come Down for Air, in mid October. “We know our key audiences are really stressed and yearning for a break from routine and relentless urban pressures,” says Tourism Tasmania’s Chief Marketing Officer, Emma Terry.

“We think we’ve got a unique perspective on living and being in Tasmania, and this is an invitation for travellers to experience that, to come down and find their ‘air’ – whether it’s space, time, freedom, connection or adventure.”

In the campaign’s first six months, Tasmania – Come Down for Air will be featured on television, radio, cinema screens, social media and digital channels in domestic markets through three bursts of marketing activity. It will also be seen on billboards and sites

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again, just as we did with Go Behind the Scenery.

Emma, briefly what’s the background to Come Down for Air?

How can industry operators use this new brand platform?

When Go Behind the Scenery was launched in 2013, it was really a watershed moment for Tasmania’s tourism marketing.

No one expected us to come out of the gates with something so different and distinctive, and it changed people’s perceptions of the state. That was a time when we were evolving beyond just a clean, green image to capturing more of our people, our personality, our culture, our art, our food.

That brand did really well for us for six years.

To sustain our growth into the future, we looked again at what’s happening for our target audiences and the cultural tensions they’re experiencing, then looked at what Tassie and our community can uniquely offer that makes those people feel more human, more connected. A lot of places offer great food and experiences.

From a traveller’s perspective, what makes Tassie distinctive is the space and place to disconnect from their pressures and reconnect with what’s important to them. Come Down for Air is about harnessing the power of place and our people, and placing travellers in that moment of calm. It’s a natural progression.

I feel like we’ve reimagined the destination marketing category

The value is not in using the tagline or creative expression we’ve created – that’s the role of Tourism Tasmania.

The brand is more than the tagline. It’s a platform for what makes Tasmania a distinctive destination and the opportunity for industry lies in tapping into those audience needs and telling their own brand-aligned stories and delivering brandaligned experiences. Everyone has a distinctive offering and the key is understanding what kind of “air” your customers are seeking – it could be kayaking, or exploring a gallery, or going to a festival, or doing a walk or just enjoying some great produce. You can use these insights to build your own voice and tell your own stories that bring the brand to life.

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such as bus shelters, airport lounges and railway stations.

The brand is more than the tagline. It’s a platform for what makes Tasmania a distinctive destination and the opportunity for industry lies in tapping into those audience needs and telling their own brandaligned stories and delivering brandaligned experiences.

Everyone has a distinctive offering and the key is understanding what kind of “air” your customers are seeking.

Stuart Gibson

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The travellers we’re targeting want to know why you’re here and what you offer, and they want the powerful emotional connections you can help them make to Tasmania.

We’ve kicked off a webinar series for industry operators to help deepen your understanding of the brand and how you can leverage it in your business. We’re also working on a workshop and toolkit to help you develop your own stories inspired by the brand. We’ll be hitting the road with Regional Tourism Organisations in early 2020, so stay tuned for more information in the New Year.

How does Come Down for Air dovetail with Brand Tasmania’s work?

We’re fundamentally working off the same brand narrative.

The two were built in parallel so that we have a consistent and powerful foundation. Tourism Tasmania’s remit is to translate this into a proposition for our visitor audiences and to bring Tasmania to life as a compelling destination to visit. Brand Tasmania’s remit is to provide a platform for all of Tasmania to use. We’ve been working closely with Brand Tasmania to ensure the work of both organisations is nicely aligned.

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Stuart Gibson

What’s the lifespan of Come Down for Air? As a tourism body we understand the power of brand, and we know brandbuilding isn’t a quick exercise.

Consistency is really important.

I believe Come Down for Air has great flexibility and longevity and we’ll be building on this platform for some time.

We’ve got to be smart and play the long game. That’s really important in effective marketing for us and for what we’d like to achieve for Tasmania into the future.

SOCIAL GALLERY: TASMANIAN TOURISM AWARDS 2019

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Over 550 award entrants, tourism operators, industry stakeholders and MPs gathered at Wrest Point on Friday November 8 for the 2019 Tasmanian Tourism Awards Gala. Thanks to our major partners Tourism Tasmania and Spirit of Tasmania and venue partner Wrest Point for another fantastic event celebrating the best of the best in our industry.

The team from Pennicott Wilderness Journeys celebrating Gold for Major Tour and Transport Operators, sponsored by NAB.

Senator Jonathan Duniam presenting Stillwater SEVEN with the Gustav Award for Best New Tourism Business. Sponsored by Tourism Australia.

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SOCIAL GALLERY: TASMANIAN TOURISM AWARDS 2019

The team from Ibis Styles celebrating Gold for Standard Accommodation, sponsored by Cumulus Studio.

The team from Wonders of Wynyard Exhibition and Visitor Information Centre won gold in the Visitor Information Services category, sponsored by Wrest Point.

Photo credit: Al Bett 8

2019 Tasmanian Tourism Champion Vin Barron, celebrating with family and friends, sponsored by NAB.

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Marnie Craig, CEO of Business Events Tasmania presenting Gold for Business Event Venue to Ben Targett and the team from The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel.

Ian Reed from Knight Frank presenting the award for Destination Marketing to MONA FOMA: Air Mofo

Steve and Leanne Sowerby from NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park receive Gold and entry into the Tasmanian Tourism Hall of Fame in the Caravan and Holiday Parks category, presented by Madeleine Sawyer from Caravan Industry Association of Australia.

Matthew and Vanessa Dunbabin with the Bangor Team receiving gold for the Tourism Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries category, sponsored by MooBrew.

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POLICY WATCH: AIRBNB – FROM COUCH SURFING TO CORPORATE BEHEMOTH

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n October Airbnb announced they were spending $500 million sponsoring the next five Olympics Games.

It’s a big number but they can afford it. The long-awaited floating of Airbnb on the US Stock Exchange next year is expected to value the company at $40 billion.

That’s a hell of a long way from the living room of a small San Francisco apartment where company founders and roommates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia famously blew up their air mattresses one night back in 2008, to try and make a few extra bucks putting up desperate

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delegates to a big conference in town that had filled up all the city’s hotels.

It doesn’t get much bigger for any global brand than sponsoring the Olympics. It’s a reminder of just how massive and corporate Airbnb have become.

Globally Airbnb will generate $73 billion in bookings and ‘host’ 500 million guests in 2020. When it does go public it is expected to be hot on the heels of Marriot, as the world’s largest publicly traded accommodation business.

We must stop looking at Airbnb as some disruptive new kid on the block bringing home sharing to

It doesn’t get much bigger for any global brand than sponsoring the Olympics. It’s a reminder of just how massive and corporate Airbnb have become.

the masses. They’re now as big, mainstream and competitive as any global corporate behemoth.

Yet governments and regulators all over the globe are still struggling to find an effective way forward in managing the changed landscape of the commercial accommodation market.

In Australia just about every State has now had some form of Parliamentary inquiry into the issue and have undertaken reviews of their visitor accommodation licensing and regulations.

All in the hope of finding a way forward that balances off the interests of the traditional accommodation industry, with the desire of many property owners to do with their own home what they want, and, increasingly, the consequences for residents and communities in the transition of properties from residential to visitor accommodation.

In Tasmania, we’ve lived this debate as much as any other State, while reflecting the changing public and political sentiment towards Airbnb and ‘home sharing’ platforms.

When the Hodgman Government came to power in 2014, embracing the ‘sharing economy’ was a perfectly timed and practical representation of the new Government’s ‘open for business’ mantra to get the State economically moving. Cutting red tape meant embracing Airbnb and Uber, and that was all in-vogue.

I would cringe whenever I got a

media call asking for a comment about Airbnb, knowing full well that if I was reported as saying anything even slightly negative or perceived as resistant to the sharing economy rage, I would soon be met with howls of texts and social media posts calling me ‘protectionist’ of the traditional accommodation and hotel industry. This political dynamic was reflected in the policy settings of government, which at the time Airbnb described as ‘nation-leading’.

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We must stop looking at Airbnb as some disruptive new kid on the block bringing home sharing to the masses. They’re now as big, mainstream and competitive as any global corporate behemoth. Yet governments and regulators all over the globe are still struggling to find an effective way forward in managing the changed landscape of the commercial accommodation market.

It led to a total deregulation of the hosted accommodation market for property owners putting their own home into the visitor accommodation market.

Deregulation is not without risk to both the property owner and guest, but the principle of enabling Tasmanian homeowners to share their own home as they see fit seems to have been broadly accepted by all stakeholders.

The more contentious policy and planning debate has really been about what to do about the nonhosted market – self-contained investment properties, second homes and shacks – being converted into commercial visitor accommodation businesses.

Traditional accommodation operators have been whitehot angry about so many new entrants to the market, many of whom have been avoiding some of the conventional operating costs and regulatory compliance expected of all accommodation businesses. Welfare services have voiced concerns about the 11

POLICY WATCH: AIRBNB – FROM COUCH SURFING TO CORPORATE BEHEMOTH (continued) impact on housing affordability of property owners taking their investment property out of the residential rental market and into the short-term visitor accommodation market.

Clearly there has been a significant shift in the market.

TICT’s latest Accommodation Investment Report analysing Tasmanian Visitor Survey over the past three years revealed the number of visitors to Tasmania who stayed in Hosted or SelfContained Accommodation including traditional B&Bs and Guest Houses, along with Airbnbs, grew by 106%. The number of visitors to the State who stayed in a Hotel or Motel grew by 5% over the same period.

We need to recognise this market growth, and the challenge it presents the traditional accommodation industry and in planning further visitor growth across the State.

This starts with recognising Airbnb hosts are very much a part of the Tasmanian tourism industry. There can be no ‘them’ and ‘us’ any longer.

The last time TICT surveyed all our accredited accommodation operators, 60% said they were listing on Airbnb. This number will only grow. Airbnb’s commissions are cheap; their website is attractive and easy to update listings, and it has a cult like following from a very large chunk of Tasmania’s most lucrative visitor markets.

There is also now a very clear and even regulatory playing 12

field for all accommodation operators, whether you are only listing on Airbnb, or running a traditional B&B or self-contained accommodation business.

From late November, all Airbnb hosts and any accommodation operator with a property less than 200 square metres in size must have obtained a permit from their local council. The only exception is if the property is also your principal place of residence. If your property is over 200 square metres or part of a strata, you must lodge a development application with your council.

The challenge now is compliance and ensuring Tasmania’s 29 Councils are effectively applying this framework within their local area. This is where data comes in, and why the State Government had to firstly, ask, and then plead, and eventually legislate, for Airbnb to make their hosts data available to the State so that Councils can compare and follow up with their own records.

Irrespective of who you are, what your property is and what booking platform you use to get your guests, every accommodation operator must also be aware of their responsibilities as commercial business operators hosting paying guests; No, standard house and contents insurance will not cover paying guests if something happens. Yes, the ATO does consider income from home sharing as income.

Ultimately, we want every participant in our visitor economy

Irrespective of who you are, what your property is and what booking platform you use to get your guests, every accommodation operator must also be aware of their responsibilities as commercial business operators hosting paying guests.

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to represent the Tasmanian brand for quality visitor experiences and commit to the standards and expectation the industry sets itself.

player and the many Tasmanians who have used these platforms to become a permanent part of our industry and the broader visitor economy.

The emergence of Airbnb has been a very challenging issue for the Tasmanian tourism industry and remains one we need to continue to monitor and respond to carefully. But we have moved beyond disruption and as an industry we need to embrace the opportunities of this major new

Luke Martin Chief Executive Officer Tourism Industry Council Tasmania

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TICT Q&A: WITH BIANCA WELSH, RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 TOURISM MINISTER’S YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD

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o-Owner of Stillwater SEVEN Restaurant, Seven Rooms and Black Cow Bistro, HR & Restaurant Manager, Board Director, Mental Health Ambassador with a Bachelor of Behavioural Science and most recently Tourism Minister’s Young Achiever Award Recipient 2019, Bianca Welsh’s name is synonymous with entrepreneurship and excellence in Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality industry. TICT’s Michaela Lamprey caught up with Bianca after her recent win to talk all things success, achievement and growth.

What would you say is your defining career achievement or the thing you are most proud of?

The recent Tourism Minister’s Award for Young Achiever is definitely one I’m most surprised with and honoured to have received. I feel incredibly humbled and have had a few of those “imposter” moments where I think I doubt the things I do. The Young Restaurateur of the Year award in 2015 also meant a lot to me being on a national level, as it certainly gave me the confidence that I was on right track to be the best in the industry and to be a leader in my field.

But the thing I’m most proud of is the teams I’ve had the opportunity to put together and the relationships formed.

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Image credit: Adam Gibson

To have lifelong friends from previous and current employees, to see amazing friendship groups formed where some of the team have become friends for life, and the culture we’ve created means the most to me. To have previous employees contact me years later and say it was still the best place they’ve ever worked at before and since makes all the blood, sweat and tears worthwhile.

For you, what is the best thing about working in Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality industry?

The sense of community, the ability to create meaningful relationships across a range of industries and within your own industry and be able to feed off each other both personally and professionally. I’ve had some amazing opportunities come my way which have gone across a range of sectors such as education, mental health, arts, media, events, tourism and government and that makes for, I think, a really exciting state.

I truly believe Tasmanians are generally very versatile and resilient. I think the nature of our island state with a smaller population and more small businesses means you have to do a lot of different jobs and roles yourself, making us very adaptable and resourceful. I would be able to compare with my counterparts in the big cities and they get to do exciting things in hospitality but don’t ever really get to venture out

of this field. Also, the fact you get to surround yourself with amazing food, wine, produce, design, travel and activities – what more could you want in life!

What is the most valuable piece of career advice you have ever received?

Funnily, I was going through some old articles the other day and found one from 2010 where I was asked this question, and I had a chuckle because it is still the best piece of advice I’ve received. That is, every experience is a good experience, be it a disaster and/ or terrible, you come out in tears sort of experience – you can still learn something from it. It makes you more resilient, it teaches you to perhaps not make that mistake again or to try a different way. No one can ever learn everything if they get it right all the time.

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Tasmania has really become a place where you come and experience what we have to offer – nature, food and wine, unique spaces and history and the spotlight on us at the moment across the state makes it a really exciting time to be involved in industry.

Also – one my husband always says is measure twice, cut once.

What is the number one piece of career advice you would offer someone starting out in Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality industry?

Well, this piece of advice applies to any industry but certainly in tourism and hospitality – that is to work on relationships. Make genuine connections with people, find those who you can turn to for advice and you can learn from.

Be patient and just dive into it and be hungry for knowledge -it’s one thing that can take you 15

TICT Q&A: WITH BIANCA WELSH, RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 TOURISM MINISTER’S YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD (continued) so far in life (research shows it too!).

To be hungry for knowledge can lengthen your life by years and can be what sets ‘successful’ people apart. If it’s wine you’re interested in, take the time to watch some YouTube videos, read some books, buy the magazines, taste the wine. If it is mountain biking then learn the tricks, the tracks, the equipment etc. Knowledge will take you so very far in this industry.

In 2018 you completed a Bachelor of Behavioural Science to support your HR role within your business.

How has this further study complemented your day to day business operations and in your opinion, how important is mental health awareness to the success of a team or organisation?

How long have we got? I feel my study has greatly improved my role and my understanding, more importantly of mental illness and what goes on in the brain. The biopsychosocial (mean biological, psychological, sociological) model is fairly straight forward, but once you scratch the surface there is a lot to uncover and understand and how to apply that knowledge in a setting such as a workplace.

An undergrad degree really only is the beginning, there is endless information and research out there, but I’d like to think it has complemented our day to day operations.

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I’d be confident to say our turnover has improved by 40% since learning different things around mental health and having different approaches than we would have 10 years ago. To be able to have open, honest and non- judgemental conversations in the workplace really is important and can contribute to the success of your team thus your business.

person should do this. It’s a two-day course (which we spread out over 2 weeks) and the knowledge we all walked away from with that will be invaluable both personally and professionally for the rest of our lives.

Most of our front-of-house management team just did their Mental Health First Aid certificate and I strongly recommend every single

Collaboration, experiences and a sense of who we are.

Collaboration across businesses and sectors and collaborating with community. The West

What do you see as the three biggest opportunities for Tasmania’s tourism & hospitality industry?

Tasmania has really become a place where you come and experience what we have to offer – nature, food and wine, unique spaces and history and the spotlight on us at the moment across the state what makes it a really exciting time to be involved in industry.

Thirdly, a sense of who we are, as I truly feel the industry is finding a united voice in how we want to be viewed by the outside world. It’s hard to put into words but it’s a feeling you get in Tasmania – authentic I suppose is the best way to surmise it.

And three biggest challenges?

Sometimes I feel the greater community don’t quite value the effort individuals and groups put in and how much it contributes to the economy.

Another is that it’s still not viewed as a serious career option amongst many people, it’s the gap job to work in tourism and/or hospitality. We need teachers and parents to be nurturing and encouraging their kids to think about a career in the industry as it can be very fulfilling, rewarding and prosperous.

I also think just where the world is at the moment, climate change, politics, consumerism, it’s changing the world rapidly and the way people travel and the way they spend their money, how they eat, diets, trends, social media, technology. There are threats we probably have no idea exist that could change the face of what we do and value in a second, in which you cannot prepare for.

What inspired your love of food and wine?

I think just discovering how enjoyable it is to share a meal with people whom you enjoy their company. I grew up in a meat and three veg household, boxed wine and a vienetta was a special treat. I certainly didn’t grow up with a ‘gourmet’ household, I guess I just discovered it as I grew up and began dining out with friends.

I think it’s more the ability to change someone’s entire day or week with a great a meal or to experience a wine which makes you smile is more what draws me to it, that it can be an enjoyable conduit to feeling good and happy!

How do you ‘come down for air’?

I like to go for a drive, be it the coast or just somewhere rural.

We have a toddler, so some experiences are saved for when he has a sleepover with his grandparents. My husband is a sommelier, so most of our trips are around great wine, great food and excellent design.

We love to stay in unique properties, sit back with a great book (by a Tasmanian author of course! I’m reading Flames by Robbie Arnott at the moment) and a glass of Tassie Pinot Noir or Chardonnay to come down for air.

BIANCA’S FAVOURITE TASMANIAN:

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Coast campaign with the team from For the People blew me away with how they engaged with community first and foremost and produced such an incredible piece of work that that community now has a sense of ownership over.

Coffee spot – Alberto’s (George St, Launceston) Weekend escape – Anywhere! East coast, North-West and we want to explore the West Coast more. We just stayed at the Sea Stacks at the Denison Rivulet (near Bicheno) and haven’t stopped raving about it and trying to plan when we can go back!

Tipple – Tasmanian Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, depends on my mood, oh and of course a Tasmanian Gin! Long lunch – Timbre at Velo Wines (Tamar Valley) Hidden secret – I think the Sea Stacks I just mentioned, barely anyone knows about them and they’re so amazing!

Guilty pleasure – getting a foot massage, watching a horror movie (usually zombie themed) and eating massive amounts of cheese and olives by myself. All at once would be the dream!

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OAR-INSPIRING ROARING 40S KAYAKING: THE SEA CHANGE THAT LED TO AN ADVENTURE TOURISM ICON BY EMMA HOPE

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N oar-inspired sea change has seen Reg Grundy leave behind a career as a diesel mechanic in the mines and Jenny Grundy a highpowered government job in environmental management in Queensland for an opportunity in Tasmania’s adventure tourism sector.

“We decided that life and lifestyle was much more important than earning money,” says Jenny of the decision to relocate to the island state.

She said the catalyst for their move to Hobart was so kayaking-mad, Tassie-born Reg could complete the TasTAFE outdoor guiding course.

“We were living in Mackay at the time and the Hobart course had the best reputation so it was a bit of a no brainer.”

A year or so later and with Reg qualified and thriving as a guide for Roaring 40s Kayaking the opportunity arose for the couple to buy the business.

“The choice to move down here was to have the amazing Tassie wilderness at our doorstep.

“I’m not sure when we moved that we envisaged buying a business, it was a lifestyle choice. But buying the business is a lifestyle choice too because it’s not 12 months a year. Which gives us the opportunity to have some fun in the downtime as well.”

Roaring 40s Kayaking has been running since 1996, with the 18

Grundys taking over in August 2013 and putting their stamp on the business, which has grown from strength to strength and won numerous awards.

“We purchased the business whereas most people in the industry start their own business.”

Jenny said they seriously considered starting from scratch but were drawn to the appeal of having a client base and forward bookings from day one.

But from the first day they began making changes.

“The previous owners were operating out of Kettering and the first thing we did was move it into Hobart.

“One thing I’m quite proud of is that we’ve changed the products from when we purchased the business. We have everything from beginners through to expedition kayakers.”

The Grundys offer everything from a 2.5 hour Hobart waterfront tour, which finishes with fish and chips delivered to your kayak, to day trips to Tinderbox and the Tasman Peninsula. The signature South West Wilderness tours remain with options of four or seven day expeditions. They also run six-day Flinders Island tours during February and March.

The Grundys met over a badminton net. Jenny was playing for South Australia, where she was living at the time,

while Reg was representing Tasmania.

“He ended up moving to South Australia and playing for them as well.”

Jenny has represented Australia and she continues to win gold at National Masters competitions. Hard work is just one of the factors Jenny credits for Roaring 40s’ success.

“Having a good product and having good staff and looking after the staff are so important.

The staff are the frontline of our business and they provide these amazing experiences.”

Some of the staff have been with them from day one and

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they’ve built up to a team of 13 which includes Demleza Wall, a world championship bronze medalist slalom paddler.

“One of the best parts of the job are the people. You meet some inspirational people.

“You don’t have to stop doing this as you get older. One of our guests who stands out in my mind was an 83-year-old lady who did the three day South West trip. She brought her three kids along who are in their 60s.”

Jenny joked that the lady set the pace and her kids had to keep up.

She said that while there have been many memorable clients over the years another woman she remembers fondly is one who had never kayaked before in her life and was terrified.

One of our guests who stands out in my mind was an 83-year-old lady who did the three day South West trip. She brought her three kids along who are in their 60s.

“She was in her late 60s and was there with her husband and a couple of friends. The others were cyclists and they’d talked her into doing this trip and she couldn’t really keep up. But she just decided ‘I can do this’. And now we get postcards from her from all over the world doing kayaking trips. She’s found this adventure activity that she can do with her friends and keep up and she loves it.”

Jenny said that winning silver at last year’s Australian Tourism Awards and back-to-back golds at the Tasmanian awards for adventure tourism was reaffirming and gave a boost to staff morale.

“It also gives confidence to the people who book with us that we’re reputable.”

Jenny said while they couldn’t be happier with how well the business is doing the sea change sometimes has them all out to sea.

“One of the biggest challenges for Reg and I has been getting the work/life balance.

“One of the things we were told when we bought the business and we haven’t done it is trying to get that break during summer. That’s been challenging. It’s hard when it’s your business and you’re passionate about it and you want everything to be perfect, to actually just step away and let someone else take over. They might do it slightly differently and that’s OK. But it’s our baby so it’s hard to let go.”

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INSURANCE WITH STEADFAST TASWIDE: THE FORGOTTEN BUSHFIRE RISK

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he summer of 2018/2019 was a stark reminder of the threat bushfire poses to our World Heritage areas, National Parks, local communities and industry more broadly.

Stuart Alexander, Account Executive at Steadfast Taswide, TICT’s Insurance Partner, outlines some of the strategies you can implement to mitigate against financial loss and damage to property in the event your business is impacted by bushfires.

Large areas of Australia suffer from the threat of bushfires. Unfortunately for us all, Australia is predicted to experience an increasing number of fire events over the coming years, with fire seasons starting earlier and earlier and running longer than in previous years.

While state and territory protocols vary, the common theme is to prepare and plan.

If you live or work in a high risk bushfire area, planning and managing risks will decrease the risk of damage to life, property and assets.

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It is also important to ensure that you have correctly calculated your business interruption insurance and have the correct indemnity. Bushfires can create prevention of access problems. Your business interruption cover will respond to the lost income if your visitors can not get to the front door of your business.

Bushfire Awareness The Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) system was introduced in 2009, after the Black Saturday bushfires. BAL ranks the different intensity levels a home may experience during a bushfire. It takes into account the region where the home is located, the type of vegetation around the property, the distance the property is from different vegetation types and the slope of the property.

Bushfire preparation checklist This bushfire preparation checklist outlines a few basic steps to take before, during and after a bushfire. It is essential that you plan well in advance, have an Emergency Kit packed and that everyone in the family

or workplace understands the plan of action.

For more detailed information on bushfires in your state or territory, visit the Bureau of Meteorology.

Preparing your home or business • Regularly clean leaves from gutters, and fit metal leaf guards • Move woodpiles and other flammable materials away from your property • Draw up your own bushfire ‘plan of action’ For more information on becoming bushfire ready and to stay up to date with fire alerts and bans this summer head to: www.fire.tas.gov.au For campfire restrictions in national parks and reserves: https://parks.tas.gov.au/ explore-our-parks/knowbefore-you-go/alerts For the latest information in the event of a bushfire emergency, tune into your local ABC Radio.

For an obligation free review and quotation of your insurance needs contact Stuart Alexander, Steadfast Taswide on 6334 6111.

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Underinsurance It’s important that you insure your property for the right value. Underinsuring your home and possessions may save you a small amount of money in the short term but it can also mean you will have to pay far more to replace or repair damage.

Cheaper premiums often mean less coverage and lower payouts.

It is also important to ensure that you have correctly calculated your business interruption insurance and have the correct indemnity.

STEADFAST TASWIDE INSURANCE BROKERS Tourism Accredited businesses who engage Steadfast Taswide Insurance Brokers receive a 25% discount on their annual Tourism Accreditation fee.

No catch… it’s just a small incentive to encourage you to support a Tasmanian business that supports our industry.

Contact Stuart Alexander on 03 6334 6111 for an obligation free review and quotation.

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POLICY WATCH: ANNE GREENTREE FROM TOURISM TASMANIA PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE 2030 VISITOR ECONOMY STRATEGY

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21 is a unique and enduring partnership between the Tasmanian Government and industry, represented by the TICT. This partnership has set the direction and priorities for the development of tourism and the broader visitor economy since 1997. The current 2015-2020 Visitor Economy Strategy is coming to an end in December 2020 and work started earlier this year to develop a new 2030 outlook for our visitor economy supported by a four-year strategic plan. This work is being completed through a partnership between Tourism Tasmania, as the lead government agency for T21, and the TICT. For more information on T21, visit www.t21.net.au Consultation on the priorities for the 2030 visitor economy strategy commenced in August this year with a workshop involving the Premier’s Visitor Economy Advisory Council, the T21 Steering Committee and the Boards of Tourism Tasmania and TICT, as the T21 Agreement Sponsors.

Since then, Tourism Tasmania and TICT have been on the road listening to what regional industry leaders have to say about the future of tourism and the visitor economy in our state. We will have

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Image credit: Flow Mountain Bike

There have been consistent themes which have emerged across all the workshops. A priority on ensuring the visitor experience and industry are sustainable into the future has been a strong theme – ensuring Tasmania is positioned as a leading destination in the era of climate change and with travellers making choices according to conscience.

Tourism has a strong track record in creating jobs for Tasmanians right across our state and attracting, retaining and skilling Tasmanians to meet the projected demand across a range of skill areas is fundamental to our growth.

Discussions indicate this is a key focus for industry right now. Positioning our regional towns and communities as the epicentre of the Tasmanian visitor experience has featured

prominently in conversations right across the state, along with growing year-round visitation through a range of events and experiences. Local government participation in the workshops has been important and has emphasised the increasing role that our regional councils play in the visitor experience in region through quality visitor infrastructure and services that benefit both residents and visitors.

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visited 14 regional locations by the time consultation is completed, involving over 350 industry leaders including representatives from Destination Action Plan groups, local government including Mayors and General Managers, the Parks and Wildlife Service, Visitor Information Centres and other key stakeholders.

Such extensive consultation has not been undertaken in Tasmania previously for a tourism strategy. The breadth of our discussions recognise the evolution of the importance of the visitor economy in our state and in particular the vital role regional tourism plays in the future of tourism in Tasmania.

The breadth of our discussions recognise the evolution of the importance of the visitor economy in our state and in particular the vital role regional tourism plays in the future of tourism in Tasmania.

Consultation on the 2030 strategy will continue throughout December with Visitor Economy Forums, attended by the Premier as Minister for Tourism, that engage broader industry and stakeholders. Recognising the importance of wider Tasmanian community in the future of the visitor economy, a draft 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy will be released for public consultation in early to mid-2020, with a final strategy due for release later that year. Information on public consultation will be distributed through industry channels – so please keep your eye out and make sure you have your say!

Timing of the Tourism 2030 consultation has coincided with the newly launched tourism brand for Tasmania through Tourism Tasmania which has received widespread acclaim, repositioning Tasmania as a must-do destination. You can find out more here https:// www.tourismtasmania.com.au/ marketing/brand-launch 23

ECOTOURISM IN TASMANIA: WORDS BY EMMA HOPE

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asmania’s ecotourism operators say they are conservationists and environmentalists whose passion is to share the state’s pristine wilderness with the world.

While Ian Johnstone came from a construction background to found Maria Island Walks in 2003, he said that in his experience nature-based tourism operators in Tasmania were doing it because they loved Tasmania’s natural beauty and they wanted to share it.

“We’re painted as being rapacious, busy, greedy developers by some of our critics, particularly around the EOIs, but I’d say that we’re not doing it for money. We’re doing it because we love Tasmania and we love the outdoors and we love employing people. We love the wilderness and we want to preserve and protect it and show it to others.

As well as saving water through composting toilets they also collect their own rain water to use on site.

“Tasmania has such a wonderful reputation as being a global destination for ecotourism and adventure tourism and I think that that will only grow.

“We generate our own solar power and we consciously minimise waste and take all our rubbish and recyclables off the island.

“We see ourselves as conservationists and environmentalists.

“We have a small footprint in the way we do things.”

“There are a lot of opportunities for the right people in tourism in Tasmania, if they’re wanting to do something sensitive and sustainable.”

Ian’s company has two wilderness camps on Maria 24

Island which are built above ground, with no penetration of the soil. Huts are joined by boardwalks, again built above ground.

Ian said to him ecotourism was about more than the environment.

“We’re big believers in respecting the local culture and history, wildlife and wilderness values. For example, from day one when we hop off the boat the guide will do a timeline

of the history of humans on Maria Island. It goes for about 30 meters and the last 10cm is when the white people arrived, so it puts that in perspective.

We talk about the various eras from a human perspective – the indigenous, the explorers, then convict and the sealers and whalers and so forth.

“A large part of our walks are the interpretation and education side.”

Ian said the company supported various charities, conservation and environmental groups including Raptor Rescue.

“We’ve also been involved in the revegetation of Maria Island.”

He said accreditation such as their advanced eco-tourism and climate action leader recognition from Ecotourism

Having won 16 Tasmanian Tourism Awards and four Australian Tourism Awards Ian said it was as much about the process as the glory.

“Every time we do the awards it makes us think about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it and how we can do it better.”

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys have been sharing Tasmania’s scenery, wildlife and produce since 1999 and now have eight different tours across Tasmania and Victoria.

Australian Tourism Legend Rob Pennicott said that his company’s 12 national and 27 state tourism awards were testament to the business’ ecotourism values.

where all the cats – introduced by the former lighthouse keepers – were eradicated, stopping them killing 50,000 birds a year.

The company offset its carbon emissions working with Greening Australia and planting far more trees than required.

But Rob believes the future of sustainability is in maintaining the ocean.

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Australia were important as was mentoring other businesses.

Tasmania has such a wonderful reputation as being a global destination for ecotourism and adventure tourism and I think that will only grow.

“Phytoplankton produces 52% of the world’s oxygen. Most people think it’s forests. But I believe that the future for putting oxygen back into the environment will come from the seas not the trees, particularly with global warming and fires increasing.”

“Everything we do and believe in is about sustainability.”

The Pennicott Foundation was established about 10 years ago, with a portion of every tour booked going towards the charity.

“Last year we gave to 376 organisations or projects of our own and they’re to do with sustainability or environment.”

One of the Pennicott Foundation’s major projects is island restorations. The most recent being Big Green Island where rats, which were killing about 30,000 sea birds a year, were completely eradicated.

Another was Tasman Island 25

Rob encourages all tourism businesses to do their part.

“People shouldn’t be intimidated by environmental sustainability. If you do lots of little things it adds up to a big thing. Like thinking about your waste, recycling, beach clean ups – pick up plastic if you see it on the beach so it doesn’t end up in sea birds.”

Sara Dolnicar, Research Professor of Tourism at The University of Queensland, has extensively studied ways to nudge tourists to be more environmentally friendly.

According to Sara’s research international tourism contributes up to 12.5% of global warming, generates 5% of CO2 emissions and tourists produce 35 million tonnes of waste each year.

Her research showed that 26

simply by reducing the plate size at a hotel’s breakfast buffet by 3cm there was 20% less food waste.

Sara found that by offering guests drink vouchers instead of room cleans, hotels could save on water and cleaning products.

She said if just 1% of the 1.2 billion international tourists each year didn’t have their rooms cleaned each day of their holiday it would save enough water to provide food preparation and drinking for 5 million people every year.

neighbours are watching us and judging us.”

She says tourists need to be enticed to be more environmentally friendly, either by reward or other measures.

“Don’t assume tourists will sacrifice pleasure or enjoyment for the environment, they will not.”

Jenny Grundy, owner of Roaring 40s Kayaking, is an environmental manager and ecologist by degree and has worked for the Queensland Government in this area.

Sara says that many of the energy saving and environmental measures people undertake at home fail in a holiday format.

She takes pride in practicing the principles learned in her degrees in her business, which she says is particularly important in Tasmania’s pristine wilderness.

“When we’re at home we save energy and we save money, and when we’re at home our

“For me, with my background in environmental management it’s common sense stuff. It’s leave

“Also for us, because we have up to seven days with people, without being in their face, you can educate them about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it in an environmental sense.”

Hobart Hideaway Pods, at Kingston, promote themselves as boutique, eco-friendly accommodation.

Owners Clare and Jimmy Corrigan have a young family and are concerned about climate change.

“In the current climate everyone needs to think about being more sustainable,” said Clare.

using recycled and sustainablysourced materials. They also use passive solar building design where windows, walls, and floors are made to collect and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter months.

Grey water from the pods is filtered biologically through a series of reed beds and absorption trenches meaning 159,500 litres of wastewater is prevented from being washed into rivers and waterways each year.

Rob Pennicott says that ecotourism operators make Tasmania a better and more sustainable place.

The average flushing toilet uses 60,000 litres of drinking water annually. At Hobart Hideaway Pods they use high-end compostable toilets with no water.

“It’s living and believing that us operating a tourism business will leave the world in a better place than if we weren’t.”

“People aren’t aware how much water a toilet uses, especially when there are water restrictions and so on. Just by having three compostable toilets we’re saving 180,000 litres of water a year.

• Recycling. It’s an obvious one but simply by having a bin system so guests can separate rubbish from recyclables makes a big difference.

• Consider installing solar panels and for new builds take into account passive solar building design.

There may be government subsidies too.

• Look closely at your business’ energy consumption. Could double-glazing, solar power, LED lighting etc make you more sustainable and in the long term cut costs?

“I have guests saying ‘I didn’t know about the compostable toilets at first’ but then they say they want to get them in their own homes and you’ve converted us.

“It’s educational but it’s also aspirational, showing that it doesn’t have to impact the experience.”

The pods were constructed

TIPS FOR BUSINESSES:

• Encourage guests to use less power by turning off lights/power points when they’re not in use and attach friendly reminder stickers to your light switches/power points.

• Consider donating a proportion of ticket sales/ stays per night to an environmental or wilderness charity.

• Do you cater for guest who are eco-conscious? Ie have you got electric car cables/car chargers, provide or encourage the use of reusable bags/keep cups etc.

• Look into off setting your carbon emissions by planting trees or investing in other offsets.

• Encourage your guests to use public transport, walk or provide bikes.

• Consider growing your own produce. It’s also a great experience for tourists to see where their food comes from and if it’s Tasmania’s clean green soil they will likely be impressed!

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no trace, bring everything out.

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BECOME AN ECOSTAR

EcoStar is free for accredited Tasmanian Tourism Operators wanting to demonstrate their commitment to the very highest standards of sustainable environment and cultural practices. It provides a practical framework for tourism operators working in and around conservation areas and high value natural and cultural destinations, to implement best practice and measures to minimise their impact on the natural environment they operate in. EcoStar accreditation is also a resource for all tourism operators wanting to demonstrate to their customers and community their commitment to the highest business sustainability practices.

EcoStar is an add-on module of the Quality Tourism Framework with its own accreditation criteria assessing operators business practices, policies and procedures relating to: • Sustainable Resource Use: Monitoring and minimising Electricity, Fuel, Water and Materials • N atural Environment Protection: Measures and procedures to minimise footprint on natural habit and wildlife. Engagement in conservation initiatives.

• B uilt Environment Performance: Building design and performance that conforms to the natural environment values in which it is situated • E nvironmentally Responsible Behaviour: Evidence of design, planning and business procedures to minimise impact of activities on natural environment • Working with Local and Indigenous Communities: What steps has the business undertaken to engage, support and involve local communities and traditional land-owners?

• Promotion of Environmental and Social Understanding: Training and education resources and practices for staff and customer on relevant environment and cultural practices.

For further details and to sign up head to https://tict.com.au/tourism-accreditation/sectormodules/ecostar/ or email christine.pritchard@tict.com.au Operators who complete the EcoStar criteria will be assessed as part of their normal tourism accreditation. They will have access to the EcoStar brandmark to display on their marketing collateral, and able to reference their EcoStar Accreditation in grant applications, awards submissions and licensing agreements.

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A Czech-style lager, brewed in Tasmania.

Rules are meant to be broken.

PILSNER

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SAVE THE DATE

#EachforEqual

THE TOURISM COLLECTIVE: A CELEBRATION OF TASMANIAN WOMEN WORKING IN OUR TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

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ICT invites tourism operators, professionals and industry stakeholders to The Tourism Collective, an International Women’s Day lunch recognising the leadership and enormous contribution of women in Tasmania’s tourism industry and growing visitor economy. Join our guest speakers Sarah Clark, Managing Director AU/ NZ Intrepid Group and Anne Greentree, Director Visitor Economy Strategy at Tourism Tasmania as we explore this year’s International Women’s Day theme #EachforEqual.

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An initiative of:

THE TOURISM COLLECTIVE To be held in the week of International Women’s Day.

With thanks to our Major Event Partner:

Wednesday, 11 March 2020 Coal River Farm 12.30pm – 3pm head to tict.com.au/events to secure your tickets.

A portion of each ticket sale will be donated to support Dress for Success Hobart

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SAVE THE DATE

NATIONAL OUTLOOK LUNCHEON with Phillipa Harrison: Managing Director Tourism Australia & Simon Westaway: Executive Director Australian Tourism Industry Council

SPRING BAY MILL, TRIABUNNA WEDNESDAY 19 FEBRUARY, 2020 12.30-3.00PM Secure your tickets at www.tict.com.au

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PAY YOUR 2020 ACCREDITATION FEES BY 31 JANUARY, 2020 SAVE MONEY AND WIN GREAT PRIZES Receive a 10% discount on your accreditation fees by signing up for ezidebit

In a bid to make your life easier and reduce our administrative costs, we have partnered with ezidebit to offer a direct debit service for your accreditation fees. We are offering 10% off for all operators who sign up to this service, in addition to a fantastic weekly prize draw throughout December and January.

To sign up for either a one off payment on the 31st of January 2020 or to split your fees across two payments with half deducted on the 31st January 2020 and the remainder on 25 June 2020, head to https://tict.com.au/ and follow the link to our direct debit sign up page.

If you prefer to pay via cheque, credit card or direct credit you can still do that too… and all payments received prior to 31 January 2020 will also be entered into the prize draw.

There are some amazing prizes up for grabs and the earlier you pay the more chances you have to win.

EARLY PAYMENT PRIZE DR AW 2020 JANUARY, FEES BY 31 CREDITATION ES AC IZ PR 20 T 20 EA PAY YOUR AND WIN GR New Year ’s Eve Two Prize Draws: Club Tasmania for st do Echo at Country – with thanks to Wre 2 x tickets to Psue t for New Year ’s Eve ouse at Wrest Poin 2 x tickets to Iceh + Cradle Club ley ntry Stan Cou nts, and t Poin xe Apartme nts two at Horizon Delu Deluxe Apartme for one night for thanks to Horizon 16/12/19 Voucher l Package – with nce Coast Tasting Trai n Tourism Confere ania Tasm 2020 the on full registration to ntry Club Launcest 23/12/19 One Airport mmodation at Cou art International + one night acco ith thanks to Hob t the Gold Coast – w ht to n flig etur Pumphouse Poin to ne r 30/12/19 O t – with thanks Poin use pho look at Spring for $60 0 for Pum ts to National Out 06/01/20 Voucher Package – 2 x ticke n cheo Lun ip Lead ersh Coal River Farm 13/01/20 TICT rism Collective at nce Bay Mill and Tou n Tourism Confere the 2020 Tasmania full registration to One ntry Club Tasmania 1/20 Cou at 20/0 mmodation dinner at of sive + one night acco inclu lions in the MONA Pavi for one night stay 27/01/20 Voucher to MONA ks ge and a than Lod t with – cine Faro at Frey in a Coastal Pavilion tions by RACT for two night stay thanks to Des tina 31/01/20 Voucher erag e credit – with bev and food $100

9/12/19

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ANKS TO OUR SPONSORS ITIATIVE OF

MA JOR PARTNERS

TICT PARTNERS SUPPORTING TASMANIA’S TOURISM & HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY SUMMER | 2020 | ISSUE 1

E VENT PARTNERS

Tourism Tasmania

Business Events

AWARD PARTNERS

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Level 5, 29 Elizabeth Street Hobart TAS 7000 (03) 6231 2244 info@tict.com.au www.tict.com.au 34