JOHN FITZGERALD- Tourism Tasmania CEO
What a great summer we’ve had so far with many fantastic events like the Taste, MONA FOMA and Falls to name just a few. I took some time off over Christmas, which gave me an opportunity to experience the Overland Track for the first time. And wow, how lucky we are! You can see why it has become such an icon for Tasmania. It was a challenge but certainly well worth it and the scenery was incredible! Back in the office we are well and truly in the swing of things and have a huge program of work for 2018. Our social media campaign #TassieStyle has been getting a lot of attention this summer and you may have seen some of the campaign material at the Taste, Sydney to Hobart Race Village, the Hobart International Tennis, and online. So far there’s been more than 13,500 posts by visitors (and locals) who have shared their Tassie photos and videos on Instagram using the #TassieStyle hashtag. The first four weekly competition winners have been announced but there is still plenty of time for your guests to win a $500 weekly prize voucher or one of three $7,500 Tasmanian travel vouchers, drawn late April. As the main point of contact, you and your teams are in a great position to encourage your guests to get involved and share their #TassieStyle experiences on Instagram. It’s also a great way for your business and region to gain exposure through authentic word-of-mouth advocacy to a large audience of potential customers. There is an industry toolkit on tourismtasmania.com.au, where you’ll find a selection of free, downloadable digital and print campaign material to share through your networks. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to post your #TassieStyle moments on your own social media channels. In other news, the T21 Visitor Economy Strategy mid-term update is now being finalised. The strategy is a partnership agreement between
the Tasmanian Government and tourism industry represented by the TICT, and is designed to guide the growth and development of Tasmania’s visitor economy. The T21 Steering Committee which oversights the implementation of T21, has your own Steve Old on it and Paul Jubb sits on the Premiers Visitor Economy Advisory Council which provides the overarching governance, so the THA is right in the thick of planning for our visitor economy future. Last year we held a forum with around 70 industry and government representatives that looked to the future of our visitor economy. It reflected on our shared achievements, and gathered feedback from industry which informed the preparation of the mid-term update. The strategy’s focus will continue to be improved access, new products, experiences and services and a commitment to building workforce capacity and career pathways. There is also a growing focus on targeting markets that return a higher yield, visitor dispersal and increased regional visitor nights. Hospitality plays a tremendous role in the T21 strategy and the progress reports have featured numerous achievements for the industry. We are progressing well towards meeting our 2020 targets of 60 per cent visitor satisfaction with customer service and 35 per cent satisfaction with value for money. Our research for the year ending June 2017 reveals we are currently sitting at 56 per cent and 33 per cent respectively. We know customer service satisfaction is a high contributor to word of mouth endorsement and repeat visits, so your team should be proud of the quality service they are providing. As you know better than anyone, Tasmania’s visitor economy is thriving and we have a lot in store for 2018. I look forward to providing you with more updates on what is shaping up to be another important year for our industry.
February 2018 www.australianhotels.asn.au
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