FRTOA will be selling the Flinders Ranges at the Adelaide Caravan & Camping Show in February 2012.

To secure a great deal for your business, subscribe by 31 January to receive the bonus of your (200) brochures being displayed at the Caravan & Camping Show.  Not only will your brochures be available for consumers but you will be uppermost in the minds of volunteers selling the region.

Don’t delay – join today!  Support the tourism association that supports your tourism industry!

Media release from the Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson, AM MP below.

(If you have any queries about the TQUAL trademark, please go to  www.ret.gov.au/tqual <http://www.ret.gov.au/tqual> or
email ntaf@ret.gov.au or call 02 6243 7024.)

6 December 2011

QUALITY TOURISM PRODUCTS GET THE T-QUAL TICK OF ASSURANCE

Travellers will be able to easily recognise quality Australian tourism experiences with a new national symbol – the T-QUAL Tick – launched today by the Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP.

“Australia is a world-class tourism destination and we want to build on our reputation by ensuring Australia’s 226 million domestic and international travellers have the best possible travel experience by knowing which accommodation, attractions and/or dining options have been through the rigorous, truly national accreditation process to receive the T-QUAL Tick,” Minister Ferguson said.

“The T-QUAL tick is a mark of quality which will become easily recognisable whether it is on a tourist park in Tasmania, a five-star hotel in Sydney, a restaurant in far north Queensland, a hostel in Broome or any number of other tourism products and services.

“Last year, almost half of Australia’s international visitors and a quarter of our domestic overnight visitors used the internet to book travel. That’s why we are incorporating the T-QUAL Tick into TripAdvisor.

“TripAdvisor is the world’s largest universal travel site, used by 44 million consumers globally to plan and book travel. The development of a T-QUAL micro site housed within TripAdvisor’s Australian site is the first of its kind between the travel site and a tourism quality assurance program.

“The T-QUAL Tick is about differentiating tourism products and services on the basis of quality. T-QUAL businesses have all the required licences and insurances and have committed to a number of standards including risk and environmental management and customer service.

“The T-QUAL Tick gives consumers the choice to book accredited over non-accredited products at every price point in the market. That can mean backpacker accommodation through to luxury cruising or a boutique tour.”

Currently, there are 12,500 Australian tourism products with T-QUAL Accreditation via seven Accreditation programs. More tourism accreditation programs are expected to receive the T-QUAL Tick by the Tourism Quality Council of Australia in the coming months.

More information on T-QUAL Accreditation is at www.ret.gov.au/tqual

Media contact:

Cathryn Tilmouth – 0401 222 941

At the National Landscapes Forum held on weekend of 12-13 November, the Flinders Ranges National Landscape won an award for Outstanding Achievement. The prize is a one page advertorial in Jan/Feb edition of Australian Geographic – a huge scoop!! Well done to the Project Management Committee and operators who keep the information and good news stories flowing.

FINAL CALL OUT
FOR 2012 TASTES OF THE OUTBACK PARTICIPANTS

PARTICIPANTS COST:

Cost: $340.00

Early Bird (By Nov. 20^th $300.00)

Dates: March 30^th –
April 2^nd 2012 (4 days only this year) Feedback last year was that  event was too long… so shortening the event to a “LONG WEEKEND” feel this  year.

I have not had much feedback/response from my previous  emails asking businesses/people to participate in the 2012 event.

However with the dates above now set, I am looking to  FINALISE buy ins and secure businesses/events wanting to participate.

It would be a shame with all the new TOTO branding that the  event will not continue for another year.

This is the last year with SATC funding dollars to try to  make this event work… so I am looking for buy in’s to drive the event. If  there are not enough participants then the event will unfortunately  not  go ahead.

Some ideas for events:

Markets (showcasing wine/food)

Progressive Picnic (different locations) BYO picnic rug?

Hook in with local businesses/Hotel to hold functions

Use regional gorges/landscapes as locations to showcase  food/wine

A tour involving food/wine

Art event Music/Exhibition featuring food/wine

Cooking Classes – get a guest chef to appear!

The quirkier the better… so get your thinking caps on! J

Can you please pass this email onto any businesses who may  want to participate in 2012.

Please let me know if you are going to be involved by 20^th  November 2011.

Cheers

Carly Archer

SHARP DESIGN

E: carlysharp@internode.on.net

T: 0411 480 541

The Flinders Ranges does it again at the South Australian Tourism Awards!

Congratulations to FRTOA’s:

• Rawnsley Park Station (winner in Ecotourism  for eco-villas)
• Gulf Getaways, (silver in Tour and/or Transport Operators)
• Heading Bush Outback Adventures (silver in Tour and/or Transport Operators)
• Flinders Ranges Water Cruises & Day Tours  (silver in Ecotourism)
• Heading Bush Outback Adventures (silver in Adventure Tourism)
• The Woolshed Restaurant at Rawnsley Park (silver in Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services)
• Glenrest Camper Trailers, SFTnT associate member  (winner in Unique Accommodation)
• Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre (DC Peterborough) (bronze in Excellence in Tourism by Local Government)
• Rawnsley Park Station Eco-Villas (bronze in Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism)

More than 550 people from the tourism industry attended the black tie event, which saw winners and medallists awarded during a gala dinner at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Overall, 28 awards were presented to businesses and individuals judged to be the most outstanding in each category.

Producer, writer and presenter, Ron Kandelaars, with Channel 9’s tourism and lifestyle program Postcards, was also honoured for his involvement in tourism, receiving the award for an Outstanding Contribution by an Individual.

In addition, another eight silver or bronze medals were awarded to Flinders Ranges & Outback SA tourism operators for their high standard of entries in their respective categories. (List attached.)

South Australian Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Ward Tilbrook says an impressive 150 entries were received this year, with 17 from the Flinders Ranges & Outback SA.

“South Australia’s tourism experiences are some of the best in this country and South Australians should consider holidaying at home and book an award-winning experience with confidence when planning their next escape,” Mr Tilbrook says.

“The Tourism Industry Council aims to present the South Australian tourism industry as professional and high quality, and as a result we have seen some of the State’s finest tourism businesses rewarded for excellence.”

The awards are judged in accordance with a strict set of rules and criteria, and winners will represent the State at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in March 2012, to be held in Cairns.

For further information contact Bianca Borrett, Communications & Business Development Manager, South Australian Tourism Industry Council on 0401 998 247.

Hi Everyone

There is an email address set up for any operators have any feedback to SATC on the new website. I have been assured all feedback will be
addressed and a response will be received.

This includes any information you feel that is incorrect in the content of the regional pages or search functionality etc.

feedback@southaustralia.com

Cheers

Tamara Modra

Industry Development Executive

Barossa, Clare Valley, Eyre Peninsula and Flinders Ranges & Outback

South Australian
Tourism Commission

Clarkes Lane, North Shields South Australia 5607

GPO Box 1972 Adelaide SA 5001

M 0419 617 365

Available Monday to Wednesday

Are you receiving OK? (Opportunity Knocks)

Excerpt:

SHARE YOUR STORIES

Don‟t forget that the PR team at the SATC can help get your region in the headlines but needs operators to keep them up to date with the latest and greatest news to come from your destination.

Be it a new product, a story idea, a quirky character or something unusual or different happening in the region, we‟d love to hear about it! Knowing the nitty gritty of each laneway, coastline, paddock and town better equips us to spread the word about what‟s great in your corner of South Australia.

Send your ideas, new products and local news to destinationnews@tourism.sa.com

Welcome to Tourism e-kit

The Tourism e-kit is designed to assist tourism operators to make the most of opportunities the internet provides. We understand that you are all busy individuals with limited time available. So we have developed a series of simple tutorials to quickly give you the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions on this important area of your business.

The highly successful Tourism e-kit has been downloaded over 150,000 times from our website and is also available from most State Tourism Organisations corporate websites. An initiative of the National Online Strategy Committee the Tourism e-kit is funded by all Australian State and Territory tourism offices.

Getting the most from the Tourism e-kit

With most tutorials now being available on video the time required for you to understand and absorb the information will be less. To get the most from the e-kit we recommend that you watch the video whilst reading the related tutorial. The written tutorials provide valuable complementary detailed information and useful checklists.

The e-kit covers a wide range of subjects from the basics of developing a good web site to advanced topics like search engine marketing and online product distribution.

You’ll also:

• Get step-by-step lessons on e-marketing
• Learn how to use social media to your advantage
• Find out what resources are available to you
• Gain a great understanding of the ATDW
• Find out what TXA is and its benefits

How to access the Tourism e-kit

The e-kit is completely free and can be downloaded in print or video format below. You can download each tutorial individually or the entire e-kit as a single file.

(For more information, and to link to this page:  http://www.atdw.com.au/tourism_e_kit.asp

GOOD NEWS  from SATC re ATDW.  FRTOA encourages all operators to be listed with the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse.

“Dear tourism operator,

You’re about to get more control and less paperwork. Your listing on the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) appears on some of the best travel websites in Australia. Now it’s about to get easier to manage.

SATC is pleased to announce myATDW – an exciting new tool that gives you control of your listing. With myATDW you can make your own updates whenever you want. The tool is in final testing and is set for an early November release.

This will happen in stages so that the Online Services team can give you the best possible support. It will take about 6-7 weeks, in the following order. 1. Barossa/Murraylands 2. Kangaroo Island/Riverland 3. Eyre Peninsula/Yorke Peninsula 4. Fleurieu Peninsula 5. Adelaide Hills/Clare Valley 6. Adelaide 7. Limestone Coast/Flinders Ranges.  The order is based on the number of operators and availability of SATC staff in each region.

In the days before my ATDW goes live in your region, you will receive an email from SATC containing
• Your user ID • Your password • Information about accessing training material myATDW makes it quick and easy to tell customers about your business, but operators who can’t access myATDW will still be able to submit updates in writing.

As always, if you have any questions you can contact the Online Services team on (08) 8463 4560 or at onlineSATC@tourism.sa.com.

Kind regards, Tracey Wellings Online Services Team Leader”