Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council near Wagga Wagga is one of Australia’s leading Councils for proactively developing agritourism.  

Here is what they have achieved with the support of grants and Tilma Group since 2018 - which was recognised with a national economic development award.

Linda’s key takeaways from Local Government NSW’s Destination & Visitor Economy Conference

A series of Inspiring Agritourism webinars on best practice case studies to support agritourism development.

An Australian-first collaborative approach to acquiring events has resulted in a huge economic benefit for Victoria’s Gippsland region.

Events Gippsland, a collaboration of six Councils to pool resources to acquire events rather than compete and duplicate effort and resources, has provided a return on investment of 80:1 so far.

Are your tourism plans such as your Destination Management Plan, Regional Events Strategy, or Visitor Servicing Strategy living documents that guide what you work on, or have they been kind of forgotten as time passed since they were created?

The incredible transformation of a small town using an events strategy and the development of an anchor attraction - the journey.

There are big and small ways Councils can support their region’s event organisers and grow the economic and social benefits events provide to the community.

The Australian Regional Tourism Convention program was jam-packed with great presenters, insightful conversations, and plenty of networking full of robust discussions and laughter.

Tourism and events are symbiotic

• Events give people a reason to travel to destinations

• Successful tourism strategies increase attendee numbers, and broaden the reach and boost the reputation of events which enhances the visitor experience

The federal government has developed a national strategy for Australia’s visitor economy recovery and return to sustainable growth called THRIVE 2030 (THe Re-Imagined Visitor Economy).

This article looks at what THRIVE 2030 means for regional tourism over the coming eight years.

If a destination is marketed successfully with strong investment and superb content using a detailed and focused marketing strategy, but fails to deliver a quality experience when visitors arrive, the tourism potential of the destination will never be realised!

All the pillars of the visitor economy require effective management.

In reviewing the award categories for 2021 we noticed an exciting opportunity: there is currently no award for destination management (or better, destination development).

Here’s why we think an award for destination development would be a great addition to the tourism awards…

Tilma Group’s takeaways from a national survey on economic development and tourism investment by local governments across Australia, with a focus on regional cities and rural areas.

What is it like to implement a tourism development strategy developed by Tilma Group?

We strive to provide plans that are realistic and achievable and suit the capacity of a region's human resources to deliver (or identify where potential sources of funding or partnerships can support implementation).

Just over a year ago we developed a Visitor Economy Strategy for Central Highlands Development Corporation that is project-based for easy implementation.

Are you prepared for the funding opportunity available to regional tourism?

There is currently significant federal, state and local government funding available to support regional tourism development and recovery from bushfires and COVID-19, ranging from arts and Indigenous grants to event and infrastructure grants.

Our top tips for how regional destination can take advantage of the current post-COVID lockdown surge ​in domestic tourism

What happens when you bring together a passionate advocate for regional and rural tourism and an out-of-the-box thinker who specialises in learning and development and creating innovative and energetic teams?

A collaboration that supports regional and rural councils to be brave, and think outside the box in paving the way for tourism success…

As travel resumes, regional destinations are poised to benefit if they can stand out in the crowded marketplace and meet the needs of visitors.

This COVID-recovery plan pulls together post COVID travel trends and traveller types, and recommended resources for destinations.

In 2011 a magnitude 6.2 earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch. 15,000 families lost their home in 25 seconds. When the dust settled, the community began to re-envision its world.

How rural Coolamon (pop 2,200) increased tourist visitation using a new anchor attraction and a seasonal events campaign, and all the flow on effects…