Talking Tourism Episode 102 - Our Backyard Punches Above Its Weight with Luke Martin and Tom Wootton

You might recognise TICT’s Luke Martin and West by North West’s Tom Wootton as regular hosts of Talking Tourism, but today’s episode sees these two set up shop in the studio together to shoot the breeze just as they might in one of their regular phone calls.  First up, Luke and Tom discuss the findings of the recent Tourism Industry Business Sentiment Survey, which – while realistic about the ongoing challenges faced by many operators – tell an optimistic story about the future of our industry in Tasmania. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest issues falling out of the survey feedback was staffing and workforce skills, and Luke and Tom share their insights on how we might better attract great people into the industry by improving the employee value proposition.  They also take a deep-dive into what they see as the next frontier in the Tasmanian tourism industry’s growth: agritourism. As CEO of the north-west’s regional tourism organisation, Tom has seen first-hand how farm-based experiences create genuine connections between visitors and the Tasmanian story, and Luke believes this sector generates products that can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world.  Finally, Luke and Tom chat all things Federal Election, and its implications for tourism. Tom has his hopes pinned on funding for the Reimagining the Far North West project and the Don River Railway, while Luke’s wish list also includes the Hobart Airport international runway, Launceston business events infrastructure, and the Spirit of Tasmania equalisation scheme. 

You can find Tourism Tasmania's Tasmanian Visitor Survey (TVS) data referenced in today's episode at https://www.tourismtasmania.com.au/research/tvs Today’s episode is brought to you by our partner, Business Events Tasmania. Business Events Tasmania is a specialist bidding organization responsible for marketing Tasmania as a business event destination. For over 30 years, BET has taken a lead role in promoting Tasmania to national and international associations, corporate organisations and event planners. Thanks to Business Events Tasmania for their generous support of TICT and for helping to make this episode of Talking Tourism possible.