REGIONAL tourism has been identified by the South Australia Tourism Industry Council (SATIC) as a key area for growth in the state’s visitor economy.
SATIC has called for a four-year funding commitment from the State Government to implement South Australia’s Regional Tourism Strategy, due for release in 2018.
After extensive consultation with industry members and stakeholders, SATIC identified regional tourism as a priority to grow the visitor economy and has released its own Tourism Industry Policy Agenda 2017/18.
“We are stepping up our advocacy, including in regional tourism, so we can push our agenda to government at all levels and in doing so unlock our industry’s full potential,” SATIC general manager Shaun de Bruyn said.
“There is a significant need for all tourism stakeholders in our state to work more collaboratively to ensure future success and prosperity.”
While the number one priority outlined in the policy agenda was maintenance of the current $89m in State Government funding to the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), SATIC has also highlighted a range of critical regional tourism measures.
“We want to see the reinstatement of the Tourism Development Fund for investment opportunities in regional tourism infrastructure,” Mr De Bruyn said.
“SATIC’s industry priorities seeks to align tourism business needs with those of partners and stakeholders for the purpose of driving economic growth and employment outcomes.”
Tourism Mount Gambier chair Kent Comley said local tourism could benefit from the reinstatement of the Tourism Development Fund.
“SATC identified a lack of four star accommodation in the Limestone Coast,” Mr Comley said.
“SATC recommended the region needed 115 more four star and above rooms and that sort of fund would be an important contributor.”
The industry policy agenda outlined a need for a more robust alignment between Regional Development Australia organisations, local and state government and industry – a sentiment Mr Comley agreed with.
“That’s something Tourism Mount Gambier has certainly embraced – it’s important stakeholders, government and industry are all working towards common goals and pulling in the same direction,” he said.
SATIC has also called on the Federal Government to commit to the continuation of the tourism demand infrastructure driver program for a four year period to encourage regional investment.
“We need to do more when it comes to working together and undertake a far greater partnership approach to regional tourism,” Mr de Bruyn said.
“By strengthening our visitor economy it in turn brings benefits to regional communities, which has a positive impact on other industries, such as agriculture, wine, retail, education, real estate and transport.”
The State Government has set a goal to grow South Australia’s visitor economy to $8b and create 41,000 jobs over the next three years, as outlined in the South Australian Tourism Plan 2020.
