Apologies folks, it appears we somehow dropped a very important section of our newsletter in the previous issue, so we're sending it again, with the inclusion of the Tourism Innovation Grant Program.
GRANTS & FUNDING
Tourism Innovation Grant Program
The Tasmanian Government is inviting tourism and hospitality operators to apply for grants of up to $1 million to develop contemporary, competitive and truly innovative offerings that will drive visitation to regional parts of Tasmania. A total of $8 million in funding has been allocated to the program.
To be eligible, the offerings must be consistent with the goals of the T21 Visitor Economy Action Plan to increase visitor spending, grow the value of regional tourism and support new employment opportunities.
There are two steps to the application process:
Step 1: Complete an eligibility form through Smarty Grants. This is a relatively simple form which ascertains your eligibility and asks for a brief project outline. UPDATE: previously there was a deadline of today (25 Feb) for this first step to be completed, however the Tourism and Hospitality Support Unit (THSU) remains at the ready to assess your eligibility. This process can take up to five working days to complete.
Step 2: Submit a project proposal. Please note that applicants can’t access the full project proposal application form until their eligibility is confirmed. Your Step 1 application will be reviewed by the THSU and confirmation supplied via email. The email will contain a link to the full project proposal application form. The deadline for the project proposal application form is 4pm, Friday 8 April, 2022.
Business Growth Loan Scheme - concessional loan funding to support businesses to recover, adapt, grow and develop enhanced business models that support employment retention and business growth, and new projects that contribute towards employment and growth of the Tasmanian economy. N.B. The minimum loan amount is $20 000.
Tourism Development Loan Scheme - concessional loan funding to support the improvement and development of tourism products and experiences that support Tasmania’s position as a sought-after and leading Australia destination as the economy re-builds from COVID-19 and travel returns to normal. N.B. The minimum loan amount is $50 000.
Event Ready Grant - to support event organisers to address the additional needs, demands and costs associated with planning and delivering safe events in a COVID-19 impacted environment.
As always, Business Tasmania is your go-to for the details of the support packages available.
Passport to Hobart
The City of Hobart is bringing back Passport to Hobart, a free marketing campaign encouraging people to explore Hobart’s incredible food scene and be rewarded for their culinary adventures. The campaign will roll out the same way as the first round, but with a reduction in the number of stamps needed for rewards.
If you have a café or restaurant in the Hobart municipality please take a close look at the FAQs and terms and conditions on the Hello Hobart website. Spots are limited.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Tips and Tipples
In case you missed yesterday's invitation to Tips and Tipples on March 8 at the Derwent Sailing Squadron, we'll be hearing from CSIRO research scientist Dr Qamar Schuyler about the impact of plastics on our environment, and how we can can all do a little bit better in this space. Qamar will be sharing her TEDx talk that she delivered in Hobart earlier this month. Details and registration can be found HERE.
TCCI Training Update
On Tuesday, March 15, the TCCI is hosting a webinar with Tasmanian Deloitte Partners, Damien Bones and Travis Anderson, as they discuss how COVID-19 is fundamentally changing the way small-to-medium businesses do business, now and in the future.
Cost:
TCCI Members (which includes DST financial members) - Free
Check out the TCCI training calendar to find upcoming workshops on a huge range of topics, including managing employee performance and workloads, dealing with difficult customers, communication and conflict, mental heath first aid, and many more.
CyberUP
AusIndustry has funded a program to support Tasmanian businesses to mitigate their cyber risk through:
Education resources and online learning
A customised Cyber Risk Management Report with risk factors and individual recommendations
Both face-to-face and online workshops
Inbound phone support and phone outreach, and
Part funding to help businesses implement their recommended cyber-risk solutions.
This program is being delivered by The Project Lab, and participation is free for Tasmanian businesses. For more information and to get started on your free cyber risk management plan, click HERE.
Off Season Webinar
If you've missed all the information about this year's Off Season campaign from Tourism Tasmania, it's not too late to jump on board! All the information you need to help inspire you and guide you along the journey of developing an Off Season offer is available from Tourism Tasmania.
Tourism Tasmania will be accepting offers until 10 March 2022. Once they receive your offer, they'll be in touch to discuss it with you, or approve it ready for loading onto the marketplace.
If you have any questions, or you would like assistance with creating or submitting your offer, please reach out to the team at Tourism Tasmania via trade@tourism.tas.gov.au.
The TICT has also released an excellent episode of Talking Tourism (podcast) with campaign mastermind Thomasine Burnap, which is bound to inspire you on your next dog walk/commute/gardening session.
Images: Big Willie at Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival, Natalie Mendham; and fun in the snow c/- Laura Halle and Tourism Tasmania.
MARKETING
Hobart & Beyond
Wanna know the best way to get shared on Hobart & Beyond's social channels?
We use a tool called Crowdriff to source all the user generated content (UGC) that we share on our Social Channels. You can connect your own Instagram business accounts to the Hobart & Beyond Crowdriff API, which will pull all of your posts and stories on Instagram into our library of content.
This is the BEST way for us to see what you're doing and sharing, and if your content fits the messaging we are working on, we can share it on Hobart & Beyond.
Don't worry, we always follow strict credit guidelines so if you're also sharing UGC and credit the original photographer, we'll do the same.
If you'd like to get connected, click the Connect button below and follow the instructions.
The TICT is once again on the hunt for Tasmania's Top Tourism Towns. Our towns and villages are where our visitors find the real Tasmania – the characters, the quirky personalities, the history and stories - that make exploring our state so rewarding. Money spent in regional towns supports local businesses and local jobs, and keeps our regional communities vibrant for everyone.
This year, there's a new category for tiny towns with a population of under 1500, and applications must come from Accredited Visitor Information Centres, Local Councils, 'DAP' Groups, Local Tourism Associations and Regional Tourism Organisations. Of course, entries really need to be a group effort rather than left to a single person, so if you are passionate about your town, get in touch with your local tourism body to find out how you can work together to create a fantastic entry.
There are prizes and promotional opportunities to be won. Nominations close on 28 March, 2022, and submissions are due by 15 May.
Top: Richmond, courtesy of Tourism Tasmania and Brian Dullaghan;
Bottom: PAHS, Alastair Bett.
DST STAFF UPDATE
Liz is relocating...
but not leaving DST
Despite their best efforts, Liz, Eddie and Finley had very poor luck entering the Tassie property market and were forced to look further afield to achieve that great Australian dream of becoming home owners.
And whilst we're sad we'll be seeing less of Liz in person, we will retain her as our Marketing Manager, as her professionalism and skill set is something that has delivered huge benefits to our members and organisation. In this brave new world of communications technology, we are fully confident that Liz will continue to deliver this strong value to you in the future, wherever she may be.
It'll be business as usual for Liz working from home, so don't hesitate to contact her the way you usually would. She also has regular trips planned for Hobart and the South both personally to visit family, and also to meet with and support you all with your DST marketing needs.
We wish them all the best with the move!
EVENTS
Southern Open Vineyards Weekend
The Southern Open Vineyards Weekend is back and coming to a region near you next weekend, March 4, 5 and 6. Over 30 vineyards throughout the Derwent, Huon and Coal River Valleys, and the Channel region will throw open their doors to wine lovers from around Australia, so they can meet the masterminds behind some of Tasmania’s most loved wine labels, some of whom don’t usually operate a cellar door. It's a special weekend with many vineyards offering live music and food options created especially for the event. More details HERE.
This project received grant funding from the Australian Government under the Recovery for Regional Tourism program, an initiative of the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund.
Image courtesy of Dearna Bond and Meadowbank
Destination Southern Tasmania, PO Box 184, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia, 6223 5650
