On Thursday 23 March, tourism, hospitality and events operators will gather for Townsville Enterprise’s annual Tourism Futures Forum held at The Ville Resort-Casino.
This pinnacle industry event is an opportunity for tourism and events operators and business owners to hear from experts in the industry to upskill and learn about future consumer trends and opportunities.
Townsville Enterprise Director of Visitor Economy and Marketing, Lisa Woolfe said this event is timed one month after the launch of the region’s new tourism brand – Up for Unexpected.
“This tourism development event is a prime opportunity to celebrate the launch of this new destination brand and the bright future of the region’s tourism and events sector,” Mrs Woolfe said.
“Industry will hear from experts who will assist them to take their tourism offering to the next level.”
“Guest speakers include Gallaghers who will discuss risk management and how to address insurance challenges within this sector, a key advocacy objective for Townsville Enterprise, and Kellie Stephenson will provide businesses with a social media masterclass which will help them raise their digital presence.”
Fellow tourism advocacy body, Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC), will also be presenting on dedicated resources created for the Townsville North Queensland industry aimed at upskilling businesses to retain staff and fill critical skill gaps.
QTIC CEO Brett Fraser said the global pandemic has exacerbated the need for tourism and hospitality businesses to continuously onboard, reskill and upskill new and existing employees.
“The micro-credentialing program should be a game changer for our industry. Staff can be trained with industry and region-specific skills in as little as 40 minutes, freeing up time-poor operators.
“We’re anticipating strong interest in the free program. 500 tourism and hospitality businesses will be able to quickly upskill the workforce they need, and they’ll be able to improve workforce retention,” Mr Fraser said.
The forum will also cover off important information relating to accessibility following Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declaring 2023 as the Year of Accessible Tourism and the State’s $12 million investment to ignite change and create opportunities for Queensland’s tourism operators.
Event speaker, Get About Able, will share insights into how operators can make sure they are making their businesses as accessible as possible and tapping into this lucrative market.
Patricia O’Callaghan, new CEO of Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and former CEO of Townsville Enterprise will also address the forum. Ms O’Callaghan will share information about the future direction and planning that TEQ have in place for tourism across the State and how Townsville North Queensland can leverage this investment and activity.
This event is proudly sponsored by Townsville Enterprise members and partners: Townsville Bulletin, The Ville Resort-Casino, Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Gallagher and James Cook University.
