Outback SA Tourism Industry Forum

Outback South Australian Tourism Industry Forum.
Seeking Out Opportunities.

Following on from the success of the two Economic Development Forums that were held in Coober Pedy in 2005 and 2006, the RDAFN decided it was an opportune time to hold the inaugural Outback South Australian Tourism Industry Forum. Under the heading of "Seeking Out Opportunities", tourism operators from across the outback gained insight into initiatives of the South Australian Tourism Committee (SATC), Oxiana and Business SA.

25 people attended the forum including business owners that travelled from Marree, Oodnadatta, Kingoonya and Alice Springs. Alistair Feehan, CEO of Imparja Television, was one of those who travelled great distances. Mr. Feehan is very supportive of helping to develop tourism initiatives throughout the outback.
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Carol Wilson from the SATC presented two initiatives – the Australian Tourism Database Warehouse (ATDW) and ConnectSA. With 85% of travellers now booking online, the forum was told that it is imperative that businesses have an internet presence. The ATDW provides that opportunity by showcasing tourism businesses throughout a number of websites. ConnectSA is an online booking system that is able to be accessed throughout the world. Download

Paul Kamarudin from Oxiana gave a brief overview of the Prominent Hill mine site and the opportunities that will become available for tour operators to include in their packages a tour of the site. Gary Beelitz from the SATC then proceeded to tell the forum about opportunities arising out of the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive 2007. Download

Jasmine Pearce from Business SA outlined the benefits from taking on trainees within the tourism industry. Financial incentives are available to all employers. Download

The final speaker of the night was Mark Gill from the SATC. Mark conducted a workshop on Meeting Customer Expectations Through Product Development and Packaging. This workshop was well received. Some of the questions that Mark put to the audience where:

″ Who is your target market?

″ Where are they from?

″ What do they like?

″ How do they collect information?

″ How do they book?

″ How much do they spend?

Mark pointed out that understanding these questions means businesses understand their market and it will follow that prudent decisions will be made. Mark also offered information on creating packages. He stated that packages needed to offer value, must contain customer valued experiences, must be well worded to excite the reader and it must have a mechanism for promoting it. Mark also outlined the rules of thumb on commissions. Download

The Outback South Australian Tourism Industry Forum was held in the Desert Cave Convention Room which provided the ideal setting for the inaugural Forum. The following organizations assisted in the development of the forum: Download