South Australia’s tourism industry set to navigate tourism’s future
Tourism industry leaders and operators from across the state are coming together to explore and navigate the future of their industry and the visitor experience at the 2024 South Australian Tourism Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday 4 & 5 June.
Delivered by the Tourism Industry Council South Australia (TiCSA) the South Australian Tourism Conference is the state’s leading annual professional development and networking event for the tourism industry and broader visitor economy.
This year’s focus, ‘Evolve, Engage, Excel: Navigating the Future of Tourism’, explores the changing dynamics of the customer journey and examines the intricacies of the new customer landscape, emphasising the need for continuous adaptation and innovation.
The two-day program features an impressive line-up of industry leaders, experts and change-makers who will provide thought leadership and inspire attendees to continue to evolve their businesses and visitor experiences to meet to the expectations of future travellers.
2024 South Australian of the Year, Tim Jarvis AM, and Dianne Dredge, Director and Regenerative Tourism Lead at The Tourism CoLab will spearhead an exploration of sustainable and regenerative tourism from environment and community perspectives. Patty Therrios, Head of Strategy and Sustainability at the Adelaide Airport Limited will provide insight into the role that the aviation industry is playing in contributing to a sustainable tourism industry.
Rhys Sandery, Chief Business Officer at Monkeystack will uncover the evolving world of storytelling and placemaking through the use of digital experiences across physical interpretive, spatial and ambient narratives in your visitor experiences. Steve Sammartino, Co-Founder of Macro3D will shed light on his learnings from his own tech ventures, as well as his AI expertise and its profound implications for business and society.
Other areas of tourism evolution and excellence that will be navigated across the two-days of plenary presentations, breakout sessions and practical workshops include marketing to Gen-Z, business resilience and adaptation, the importance of diversity in the tourism workforce, and engaging event experiences.
Shaun de Bruyn, CEO of TiCSA, emphasised the instrumental role of the conference in leading and empowering the development of the state’s tourism industry.
“The South Australian Tourism Conference is always a highly anticipated event on our industry’s calendar. The conference brings all elements of our industry together, and our program this year is especially robust, comprehensive and timely as we focus on the evolving landscape across the tourism industry as well as the need for continuous adaptation and innovation to drive future visitations to South Australia.”
“We have the opportunity to navigate and steer the future of tourism, not only for South Australia but also as a global example. What we explore at the conference will significantly contribute to creating a tourism industry that benefits everyone involved.”
Minister for Tourism, Hon Zoe Bettison MP highlighted the importance of the conference in the tourism industry’s calendar, bringing together operators and driving excellence and innovation.
“Tourism is an incredibly important sector for South Australia, employing more than 40,0000 South Australians and contributing $10.1 billion to our state’s economy in 2023,” she said.
“We have celebrated massive wins, including international visitor spend reaching an all-time high of $1.3 billion, accommodation across greater metropolitan Adelaide hitting the strongest number of room nights occupied for any month on record in March, and nine out of 11 regions having already passed their 2025 visitor expenditure targets.
“By investing in demand drivers such as Agritourism, product development and major events, we’re doing everything we can to continue this strong momentum and ensure South Australia is a must-visit destination.”
About the South Australian Tourism Conference:
The South Australian Tourism Conference is the state’s leading annual professional development and networking event designed specifically for the industry. Through plenary speakers, workshops and networking opportunities, the Conference aims to inspire, engage and connect the broader visitor economy.
The South Australian Tourism Commission is a principal partner of the South Australian Tourism Conference.
The conference is also supported by:
• Department for Environment and Water
• Austrade
• Office for Small & Family Business
• Big Red Group
• Purple Orange
• Morphettville Racecourse
• Joel Roosa Photography
• Touch Stay
• Frankie Films
• City of Holdfast
• Jetty Road Glenelg
• Scene Change Event Technology
• SA Life
• InDaily
Find the full list of speakers and biographies on the TiCSA website.