PRESIDENT UPDATE
Another year is drawing to a close and it has been another year with plenty to celebrate for Tasmanian hospitality. We saw four businesses take home gold at the recent AHA Awards for Excellence in Adelaide at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, a great achievement which again highlights the world class offerings our state provides. A brilliant effort for Furneaux Restaurant to go back-to-back in the Best Restaurant – Regional category, while Tasmanian Wild Seafood Adventures made it consecutive wins for the state in the Best Tourism Initiative category after The Cove took top honours last year. Congratulations also to Cataract on Paterson (Best Marketed Hotel – general division) and The Old Woolstore (Outstanding Community Service and Achievement), as well as all the Tasmanian finalists who continue to mix it with the best venues in the country. The past 12 months has of course not been without its speedbumps, with increasing costs across the board at the forefront and putting strain on all businesses. Rest assured we remain in constant dialogue with all levels of government to address these concerns and find solutions for the sector. There is no doubt the THA continues to make headway across a range of initiatives; this year saw the announcement of Tasmania’s first Chief
Happiness Officer as part of the Hospo Health program, investment into workforce development remains strong while making our industry a leader in sustainability is progressing strongly. Much of this is thanks to the efforts of our CEO Steve Old and his team – their passion to promote hospitality as a career of choice confirms their commitment and I extend my gratitude and thanks to all for their efforts. I must also thank my fellow board members for their time and commitment throughout 2023. It was great to have some new faces join us this year, bringing fresh perspectives which contributes to the robust discussions around the table. Holding our board meetings in different locations around the state proved a great success and allowed us to interact directly with a range of people in each region to hear from them what issues are important. Being president of this association is something I don’t take for granted, I am passionate about advancing us into the future and I will never take a backward step in protecting the interests of the industry. As always, the next few months are likely to be the busiest for our operators, I hope you get to spend some quality time with your loves ones and I wish everyone a safe, happy and prosperous festive season and new year.
RESPECT AT WORK TRAINING FOR HOSPITALITY WORKERS Contact Respect at Work for a no obligation quote or to discuss your needs: M | 0419 671078 E | roz.taylor@respectatwork.com.au
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator