Who we are
Our story
When I first started studying my tourism degree at Southern Cross University in 1999, I never dreamed that today I would be running my own successful consultancy and working with some of Australia’s most iconic rural and regional destinations to positively impact their communities.
My dream back then was to manage the Mercure in Port Douglas, however that all changed when I did a major uni project on the tiny town of Nundle, NSW. This dying town with a population of less than 300 people had reignited itself through tourism, opening shops and creating experiences to attract visitors – and they were reaping the benefits!
I was so inspired, and being a born and bred country girl, I started thinking about how tourism and events had the power to change the landscape, build the economy and enhance the social fabric of rural and regional Australia.
After completing an internship in destination marketing with Lismore City Council, my now husband and I took off to travel this amazing country we live in, camping and working our way around Australia for close to two years. We eventually landed in Wagga Wagga NSW where I worked with the Wagga City Council and Charles Sturt University in event roles until I went on maternity leave and started my family.
It was then that I was approached by Riverina Regional Tourism about assisting with a PR project, and it was this role and the connections I made that inspired me to start the Tilma Group in 2008 (then called Tilma Management).
Tilma Group has evolved over this time, going from a sole operator to having multiple employees, to moving states, but one thing has remained the same – our passion for rural and regional Australia and encouraging more people to explore the REAL Australia.
Today, our small but agile team works one-on-one with clients from all over regional Australia, from bustling regional destinations to ‘two-man towns’, thriving rural tourism businesses and lone operators.
We are on a mission to transform regional Australia with meaningful experiences, and we do this by supporting clients with destination development, experience design, capability building and strategic activation projects that achieve results and support their communities into the future.
Supporting communities to thrive through the visitor economy is at the forefront of everything we do, and we don’t stop until we see the hard work, passion and dedication of our clients pay off.
You can read more about the inspiring clients we have worked here.
If you are as passionate about regional and rural Australia as we are then please book a discovery call with us.
You can read more about Team Tilma here.
We look forward to working with you to keep shining the spotlight on regional and rural Australia!
Business for good
Our commitment to sustainability
“Sustainable tourism is tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”
Why should regional destinations act?
To benefit: Travellers are choosing to spend their money at destinations that align with their values. With three-quarters of travellers wanting to travel sustainably, according to Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report 2023 (and increasing every year) and with sustainability increasing in Australians’ Google searches, destinations who make responsible choices improve their competitive edge.
It’s our share of the global response to the climate crisis: We each have an essential part to play in the global community’s halving of emissions – in our businesses, destinations, travel decisions, homes, community groups, sports clubs, and more. That responsibility is simply fair, as is being socially and environmentally responsible.
To avoid climate change’s negative consequences: Global warming will affect tourism in our destinations.
Tilma Group commits to
Halving our business emissions by 2030, in line with the UN’s targets
Setting SMART goals for emissions reductions, the environment and social justice
Planning tactics to achieve our goals
Measuring and reviewing our progress annually
Sharing our progress towards our goals publicly
Implementing our policy when decision-making and purchasing
Encouraging clients, suppliers and partners to make similar choices
Sharing best practices amongst our peers and colleagues
Advocating for a rapid transition to regenerative tourism
Tilma Group is a Global Sustainable Tourism Council member, a Future of Tourism signatory, and proactively works to help destinations and events invest in sustainable and regenerative tourism practices.
We are focusing on contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
12. Responsible Consumption and 13. Climate Action.
We donate 1% of our profit to support rural communities’ resilience to climate breakdown
We contribute 1% of our profit each year to the Prepare & Recover grant program
of the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal (FRRR).
FRRR’s Prepare & Recover grants enable regional communities to implement initiatives that
prevent, prepare for, and recover from climate change related impacts and disasters.
Tilma Group’s clients regularly benefit from FRRR’s grants, so the partnership is a great fit.