How was it to be an intern at the Australian Regional Tourism Network's annual convention? Dozens of the top guys in tourism in one place and I got to schmooze and ask lots of questions (Anyone who meets me, remembers this quality about me; I'm very curious).

The ARTN Convention in Roma was an amazing week of inspiring stories, statistics and ideas with the who's who of the Australian tourism industry, connecting tourism operators, industry associations and government to discuss the future of regional tourism in Australia, looking ahead to 2030. The future is looking bright, guys!

Deloitte has identified five “super-growth" sectors in Australia: agribusiness, gas, tourism, international education and wealth management. So what happens when you bring two ‘super-growth’ sectors together? Agribusiness + Tourism = an exciting Agritourism partnership!

Coolamon Shire is a rich agricultural and pastoral district, located in the Riverina region of NSW. In recent years, Coolamon Shire has focused on developing and marketing festivals and events as key drivers of visitation. Rural Australian agricultural and tourism businesses are working together to embrace agri-tourism and capitalize on its benefits. Coolamon Cheese is an example of this, with nineteen artisan cheeses crafted from local Riverina milk in a historic 1920s co-op building.

Writing a tourism award submission can be a very intense, time consuming yet rewarding process. Before you start writing your submission, it is important to spend some time planning and preparing to ensure your responses are clear, to the point, and can be backed up with evidence. 

Here are the top 5 things we recommend doing before you begin drafting your submission.

Ever felt like you’re stuck out in the sea when you’re in fact miles inland?  Event and destination marketing for regional Australian business means trying to stay afloat in a sea of aggressive competitors, all offering amazing experiences to your potential customers.  How do you compete online when gigantic pay-by-the-month directories dominate search results?  

Contribution by Dana Flannery, Creative Director at Talk About Creative in Brisbane. Talk About Creative have worked with regional businesses across Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania to improve their local SEO.

In early February I was invited to be a judge at the Vanuatu Tourism Awards, which saw me spend ten beautiful days in this stunning destination. 

On Thursday February 3 Tilma Group Director Lisa Cameron was officially introduced to her Business Mentor, thanks to the Women in Business Wagga Mentoring Program.

The Australian Regional Tourism Network (ARTN) is the peak national body that represents regional tourism practitioners, and supports its members by providing opportuni...