Nick, Tom and Jack recently visited King Island to understand the unique challenges residents face being one of the most remote and isolated parts of Tasmania. O ur aim was to gather firsthand insights into the issues affecting the industry. What we discovered, were several critical concerns that weren’t so different to venues in our high population areas, such as staff shortages, costs of living expenses, lower than normal tourism numbers and of course one of the biggest issues we are facing as an industry, Insurance. As well as some unique issues to the island itself, transportation infrastructure is in need improvements to allow larger planes to land to allow cheaper freight and more visitors to fill venues. Access to water is a huge problem for our clubs, for example the King Island Cup is a nationally broadcast race, but the track doesn’t have access to fresh water to grow grass. We hosted an Industry Night on the first evening of the visit at the King Island Golf & Bowls Club. This event saw the attendance of 34 representatives from sporting clubs, hospitality operators and a few locals who wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
from the horse’s mouth what support and assistance is needed for hospitality businesses to thrive on King Island. It was great to see such a strong turnout and get everyone together in a room and get on the same page. Hearing the concerns is the easy bit, now we must take these insights and make sure we incorporate them in our strategies and initiatives to help support our industry, as well as advocate on behalf of King Island operators at all levels of government to help address the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis. By directly hearing these concerns, the THA is better positioned to advocate for King Island’s hospitality and Community Club sector. The insights gained will inform the THA’s strategies and initiatives, aimed by addressing issues like high insurance costs and living expenses through targeted advocacy at the state and national levels. We will also assist in anyway we can to help improve transportation infrastructure to boost visitor numbers and lastly, collaborating with local and state authorities to find long-term solutions for water scarcity. The trip wouldn’t have been complete without Jack and Nick making a trip to the school to showcase hospitality careers and pathways, as well as teaching some hands on skills to help the students find their into the industry.
The industry night was a great way for us to hear straight
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