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.

How do we embrace these natural-born tour guides (I know, not all of them!) and support them to create authentic and transformational tourism experiences across regional Australia?

How can we break down barriers for them and create a viable pathway to diversify into tourism?

How do we enable them to show the REAL Australia?

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.

Tilma Group supported the rural township of Clifton in southern QLD with a tourism development plan, a marketing plan, and a plan for a new event.
Photo: @jellis_74

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.

What’s new for the 2021 Australian Tourism Awards plus links to information on your state’s tourism awards

We gathered the top tourism marketing tips from colleagues and tourism industry friends

A snapshot of Australian Regional Tourism Convention 2020

Queenslanders are getting out and about to support their state’s tourism industry now that they are free to travel. Some regions are seeing visitation and forward bookings that are remarkable for this time of year.

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…

Right now there is so much government investment via grant funding to revitalise domestic tourism, particularly for regions recovering from bushfire and drought, in addition to COVID-recovery. This is the time to prepare ‘shovel-ready’ projects for grant applications that will be announced in coming months.

Team Tilma are fortunate to travel to many regional and rural communities throughout Australia, and are ALWAYS amazed at how much these communities and destinations have to offer.

There are many practical actions regional and rural communities can take to attract more visitors and tempt visitors to stay longer and spend more money in local businesses.

So if you are a community or council that is interested in developing tourism we suggest you read on…

Last week Linda attended her seventh Australian Regional Tourism Convention.

Australian Regional Tourism is the peak body that represents regional tourism practitioners and acts as a hub for collaboration, cooperation, ideas generation, knowledge sharing, networking and more.

This year’s convention uncovered the big challenges for our regions, and explored what is required to compete in an increasingly competitive global market.