More than two years into the global COVID-19 pandemic and our state’s tourism industry is seeing the ‘green shoots’ of recovery emerge. Our forward thinking and innovative operators have worked hard to adapt their offerings for the COVID-normal environment which has been in a constant state of change.

With border closures and lockdowns a thing of the past, consumer confidence is increasing, and we are plotting our way back to our 2019 record-high $8.1 billion visitor economy. We’re rebuilding after our industry suffered the most severe contraction of tourism on record. At its lowest point, the visitor economy was just $4.4 billion in the year to March 2021. Through sheer hard work and determination, our state’s visitor economy has grown to $6.2 billion as of June 2022, ahead of our original impact forecast of $6.1 billion.

These results are on the back of South Australians continuing to holiday at home which saw intrastate overnight expenditure surpass pre-COVID levels by June 2021. Our state’s borders re-opening in November 2021 has seen strong growth in the interstate market, which has reached a post-pandemic record high of $1.9 billion – on its way to its pre-COVID value of $2.7 billion.

With Australia’s borders opening in February 2022, there’s been slower growth in the international market, but it is returning. International expenditure has almost doubled from $150 million at year end March 2022 to $272 million at year end June 2022. While it’s still well below its pre-COVID $1.2 billion, we’ve seen more international flights resume on the back of strong travel demand – a solid indication we’re on the right path.

Regional tourism has been the powerhouse through the pandemic, with performance at record-high levels for much of 2021. Data for the year end December 2021 showed South Australia’s regions were not only meeting – but beating – their visitor expenditure targets set for 2025. In fact, six out of our 11 tourism regions exceeded their 2025 visitor expenditure targets at the end of 2021, an impressive four years ahead of schedule. As of June 2022, total visitor expenditure in regional South Australia is $3.4 billion, just $600 million shy of its 2025 target of $4.0 billion.

In the Adelaide CBD, while recovery has been slower, we’ve also made some impressive inroads. We’ve celebrated the highest accommodation occupancy of major cities across Australia and New Zealand, and topped 2019 levels in some instances. Average occupancy for Adelaide accommodation in May 2022 was 79 per cent – the best result since the pandemic began, and higher than the equivalent period pre-COVID (May 2019). When you consider at the time of last year’s Annual Report, Adelaide hotels were yet to see occupancy levels on par with the pre-COVID period, this is a big step forward on the road to recovery.

Our focus is squarely on reclaiming our once record $8.1 billion visitor economy, on our way to $12.8 billion by 2030. We’ve delivered a range of key initiatives this past financial year to drive growth in our industry. These include the last four rounds of the Great State Voucher stimulus program, fully allocating the $20 million Tourism Industry Development Fund to 114 projects across the state and running four managed events in COVID-safe formats.

I’d like to acknowledge the work of our previous Chief Executive, Rodney Harrex who led the SATC for almost 10 years. His vision and passion for South Australia’s tourism industry took it to record heights and helped navigate our industry through the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic for well over two years. Rod was Chief Executive for all of 2021-22, leaving the SATC in July 2022.

In 2022, we are getting a sense of normality back. Borders are open, consumers are booking holidays with increased confidence, people are coming back into the city, and we are learning to live with COVID. The work we have done over the past two and a half years puts us in a good position to build on the momentum of positive results.

Looking ahead, international events are back with the return of the Santos Tour Down Under in January 2023, and for the first time in two years, cruise ships are coming back to our shores with 106 cruise visits scheduled for the 2022-23 season.

Thank you to the South Australian tourism industry and the State Government for continuing to work with us to recover and grow our state’s visitor economy. We look forward to the year ahead as we enter the next phase of this journey.

Stephanie Rozokos
Chief Executive
South Australian Tourism Commission

 

Our Purpose	Our role under the South Australian Tourism Commission Act 1993 is to assist in securing economic and social benefits for the people of South Australia through promoting the state as a tourism destination and further developing and improving the state’s tourism industry.
Our Vision	To grow the visitor economy in South Australia to $12.8 billion by December 2030, generating 16,000 additional jobs.
Our Values	Go Boldly - We thrive on taking risks and enjoy stepping outside our comfort zone. Dig Deeper - We never settle for simply scratching the surface. We’re hungry for knowledge, fresh ideas and innovations. Can Do - We believe there’s nothing we can’t do as a team. Share The Love - We have a passion for excellence and exceeding expectations.
Our functions, objectives and deliverables	To help us achieve our vision, our work is guided by six strategic priorities, outlined in the South Australian Visitor Economy Sector Plan 2030: Marketing Experience and supply development Collaboration Industry capability Leisure and business events Promote the value of tourism

Our organisational structure as of 30 June 2022.

Our Board structure as of 30 June 2022.

Name	Position	Initial Appointment	Appointment Expiry Date
Mr Andrew Bullock	Chair and Director	2 July 2019	2 July 2021 – 1 July 2024
Mr John Irving	Director	1 October 2011	8 October 2020 to 7 October 2022
Mr Grant Wilckens	Director	2 July 2019	2 July 2021 – 1 July 2023
Mr Ian Horne	Director	5 October 2006	2 July 2021 – 1 July 2023
Ms Donna Gauci	Director	2 July 2019	2 July 2021 – 1 July 2023
Ms Jayne Flaherty	Director	1 October 2019	1 October 2021 – 30 September 2023
Ms Helen Edwards	Director	19 March 2020	19 March 2022 – 18 September 2022
Mr Rodney Harrex	Ex-Officio	8 April 2013

In 2021-22 there were eight Board Meetings held. All Board Directors attended all eight Board Meetings except for Mr Grant Wilckens and Ms Donna Gauci who attended seven Board Meetings.

During 2021-22 there were no changes to the agency’s structure and objectives as a result of internal reviews or machinery of government changes.

The Hon Zoe Bettison MP is the Minister for Tourism.

Rodney Harrex is the Chief Executive, responsible for leading our agency to grow tourism in South Australia and increase the recognition of the value of tourism and its contribution to employment in our state.

Hitaf Rasheed is the Executive Director of Events South Australia, responsible for growing events in South Australia and attracting new events to the state to round out our events calendar. She also leads the management and delivery of the Santos Tour Down Under, Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel, National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant and Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

Erik de Roos is the Executive Director of Marketing, responsible for developing and delivering marketing activity that promotes all that South Australia has to offer. The current focus is on stimulating visitation in the COVID-normal environment and keeping South Australia top of mind as a compelling and accessible holiday destination.

Stephanie Rozokos is the Chief Financial Officer, responsible for driving the financial, business services and cultural direction of the agency, leading the finance, contracts, procurement, risk management, human resources and information communications technology functions.

Nick Jones is the Executive Director, Destination Development, responsible for increasing accessibility to South Australia, attracting new hotel and infrastructure development, and regional tourism development.

South Australian Tourism Commission Act 1993
South Australian Motor Sport Act 1984
Major Events Act 2013

While the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a major impact on the South Australian visitor economy, as restrictions lift and people learn to live with COVID, there is evidence that travel is growing back to pre-pandemic levels. Even with this positive sentiment, there are concerns about inflation, the cost of living, energy costs, the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the ever-present risk of new variants impacting the recovery of the South Australian visitor economy.

The latest results for the June 2022 year end saw expenditure recover to $6.2 billion, ahead of the SATC’s original impact forecast of $6.1 billion (see table below). The recovery was on the back of stronger than expected conditions at various times in 2021, and a resurgent recovery from Omicron in 2022. In fact, the SATC’s model is now anticipating a recovery of the visitor economy to $7.6 billion by June 2023.

In 2021-22, the area of strength has been the intrastate overnight market, surpassing its pre COVID expenditure by June 2021, then reaching a record high $2.7 billion in intrastate spend by September 2021. As interstate and international borders have reopened, the intrastate overnight market has seen a small decline back to $2.5 billion in the latest results, 1 per cent down on pre-COVID levels. In this same period, the interstate market has grown to reach a new post-COVID high of $1.9 billion, a good result but still down 28 per cent on the $2.7 billion pre-COVID performance. With the borders reopening in February, the international market has started to grow, reaching $272 million, but still down 77 per cent on pre-COVID levels.

The recovery has been led by strong growth in interstate expenditure over the last quarter and the record high intrastate expenditure in response to the easing of COVID related travel restrictions.

There is cause for optimism as recovery has continued strongly into the current quarter (April, May and June). South Australia’s tourism industry has seen solid recoveries from both the interstate and international markets, as demonstrated by robust metrics from the accommodation sector (in both Adelaide and regions) as well as the aviation sector (both domestic and international).

To support the state’s tourism industry during the pandemic, the SATC completed two significant initiatives during 2021-22.

Great State Vouchers
The SATC delivered the last four rounds of the Great State Voucher stimulus program from September 2021 until May 2022. Building on the success of the first four rounds, these vouchers proved popular with consumers, driving bookings with participating accommodation and tour/experience operators. Rounds five to eight injected $87.8 million into the state’s visitor economy. In total, the program achieved over 269,000 bookings, generating $148.7 million in expenditure and supporting 808 jobs, giving operators a much-needed boost. Originally launched in October 2020, the program provided consumers with a $100 voucher for participating CBD accommodation or $50 for regional and suburban accommodation. The program was then extended to include experience and tour vouchers which saw $100 vouchers available for single-day tours and experiences, and $200 vouchers for multi-day tours and experiences.

Tourism Industry Development Fund (TIDF)
The $20 million Tourism Industry Development Fund was fully allocated in February 2022. During 2021-22, 61 projects were funded. The TIDF was designed to support and stimulate private sector investment in new and improved regional accommodation, and the development of quality tourism product and experiences. It aimed to assist in the COVID recovery of regional tourism by encouraging regional operators to improve and diversify so they can attract more visitors and get a higher return on their offering. In total, there were 114 projects funded, worth a total of $82.7 million, creating 608 ongoing jobs and over 1,180 temporary construction jobs. Projects funded through the TIDF are projected to contribute $74.5 million to the economy each year. As of 30 June 2022, 59 of the 114 projects have been completed or nearly completed, providing visitors and locals alike with new accommodation and experiences to enjoy. The fund opened in September 2020 with funds allocated across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years.

The following table includes a brief summary of the agency’s high-level contributions to the Government’s objectives.

Key objective	Agency's contribution
More jobs	The SATC’s goal is to generate 16,000 additional jobs in the visitor economy by December 2030. The latest employment results are to the year end June 2021 and show that employment in the South Australian tourism industry dropped by 7 per cent to 37,300 people in the year to June 2021. Overall, the decrease since the pre-COVID comparison point is of 8 per cent from 40,400. This is better than expected due to the positive impacts of the JobKeeper initiative which was active until 28 March 2021.
Lower costs	The SATC provides services that benefit South Australian tourism operators through lowering costs associated with doing business. This includes: Tourism Industry Development Fund – to support and stimulate private sector investment in new and improved regional accommodation, and the development of quality tourism product and experiences with a focus on the recovery of regional tourism post COVID-19. Marketing of South Australia – funding to increase marketing with the aim of boosting international and domestic visitors to the state. The SATC delivered four rounds of the Great State Voucher stimulus program in 2021-22, supporting accommodation, experiences, and tour operators both in the Adelaide CBD and regional South Australia. The SATC covers the listing fees for South Australian tourism operators who list their products through the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse, a digital database and multi-channel distribution network for tourism data, industry products and destination information. In 2021-22, the SATC subsidised a portion of the registration fee for tourism operators registered under the South Australia section for the Australian Tourism Exchange in Sydney in May 2022. The SATC’s marketing campaigns provide promotion opportunities for a range of operators across the state. This includes making footage captured available for operators and tourism regions to use in their own marketing. Industry events and products are promoted through the SATC website and social media platforms, which are at a zero cost to the operator. Events South Australia provides sponsorship to leisure events throughout the year through its funding programs. The SATC continues to seek opportunities to secure new major leisure events for South Australia to build the state’s event calendar. Eleven Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) continued to receive funding from the SATC to support their role as the key contact between the SATC and regional stakeholders and industry. The SATC continued to provide each RTO with up to $20,000 for direct cooperative marketing activities under the Regional Cooperative Marketing Fund; this required RTOs to match the funding dollar for dollar. The SATC provided an additional $10,000 to RTOs, which was not required to be matched, to assist with the regions’ recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.
Better services	Since 2016, the SATC has provided funding to the Tourism Industry Council of South Australia (TiCSA), the state’s peak body for tourism, to assist its industry capability building programs and to provide service excellence training to tourism operators on a range of topics such as social media basics and online distribution and customer relationships. The SATC provides support to industry through the provision of accurate, relevant, and concise research insights to assist industry in making informed business decisions, especially in relation to changed consumer behaviours post-COVID-19. It also works across key government agencies to provide timely advice and support to the sector.

The SATC’S key 2030 ambition is to grow the visitor economy to $12.8 billion, generating 16,000 additional jobs. To reach this bold vision, The South Australian Visitor Economy Sector Plan 2030 sets out six priority areas for industry development. They are: Marketing, Experience and Supply Development, Collaboration, Industry capability, Leisure events, and Promote the value of tourism.

As of June 2022, the state’s visitor economy is worth $6.2 billion, ahead of the SATC’s original impact forecast of $6.1 billion. In terms of tourism employment, the latest figures for 2020-21 show there were 37,300 people employed in the sector. While down, these results are better than expected due to the positive impacts of the JobKeeper initiative which was active until 28 March 2021. The SATC will not see the full effect of COVID-19 on employment until the 2021-22 State Tourism Satellite Accounts are released in June 2023.

The below table outlines the SATC’s high level targets and progress towards achieving its 2030 goals. For detailed information on the SATC’s strategic priorities under The South Australian Visitor Economy Sector Plan 2030 and its progress against these, please see the Board Performance Agreement Report at Appendix C.

Agency objectives	Indicators	Performance
2030 Target – Total expenditure	Limit the decline in the value of our tourism sector to $6.1 billion per annum by June 2022 (on the way to our December 2030 target of $12.8 billion).	Target achieved: the value of South Australia’s tourism sector fell 23 per cent to $6.2 billion in the year to June 2022.
2030 Target – International expenditure	Limit the decline in international tourism expenditure in South Australia to $136 million by June 2022 with a milestone of $3.3 billion by December 2030.	Target achieved: the value of South Australia’s international tourism fell 77 per cent to $272 million in the year to June 2022.
2030 target – Domestic expenditure	Limit the decline in interstate overnight expenditure in South Australia to $1.5 billion by June 2022 and intrastate overnight expenditure to $2.6 billion.	Target not achieved: the value of South Australia’s interstate tourism sector reached $1.9 billion and intrastate reached $2.5 billion in the year to June 2022.
2030 Target - Employment	Limit the decline in tourism direct employment to 32,400 by June 2022 and 52,000 by 2030. June 2021 target was 26,200.	Target achieved: the latest data shows direct employment in the tourism industry dropped by 7 per cent to 37,300 people in the year to June 2021. NB: The full effect on employment has been softened through the JobKeeper initiative.
2030 Target - Leisure events	Increase the economic value of events to the full potential of $750 million by 2030 with a March 2022 waypoint of $288 million.	Target not achieved: the value of South Australia’s leisure events sector fell 36 per cent to $246 million in the year to March 2022 (latest figures available at time of publication compared to December 2019). COVID-19 had a significant impact on events and festivals with numerous cancellations and postponements.

The SATC continued to administer a range of processes and practices in delivering its responsibilities under the South Australian Tourism Act 1993 and in adherence to government financial, procurement, contracting, human resources, ICT, governance, risk management and auditing requirements.

The SATC maintains a high level of financial control over its destination development, events and marketing operations to ensure accountability for government resources. The SATC ended the 2021-22 financial year in line with budget and met all savings targets required. In 2021-22 an additional $9.8 million was provided to the SATC to deliver rounds 7 and 8 of the Great State Voucher program, building on the success of the earlier rounds.

The SATC developed its first “Reflect” Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), with final approval being granted by Reconciliation Australia in July 2021. In October 2021, the SATC launched the “Reflect” RAP. The Reflect RAP signifies the SATC’s commitment to reconciliation, with the launch celebrating the start of the agency’s reconciliation journey.

In 2021-22, the SATC continued to provide a safe working environment including a range of workplace measures to minimise the risk of COVID-19. The SATC provided staff with a range of initiatives aimed at promoting physical and mental wellbeing.

Staff took part in the SATC’s annual staff engagement survey in December 2021. This survey provided an objective mechanism for assessing the cultural environment. Results from the survey showed an improvement in staff engagement from 2020 and reported high levels of staff engagement, well above available industry benchmarks. Individual performance reviews were used to identify both organisational and individual learning and development needs and opportunities.

The SATC’s values are promoted within the organisation. The ‘Culture and Values’ working group aims to drive and influence the agency’s culture through staff engagement and implementation of initiatives which endorse the SATC values. In 2021-22, staff wellbeing has continued to be a major focus for the working group.

The SATC has increased organisational cyber security maturity in accordance with the South Australian Government cyber security requirements, namely South Australian Protective Security Framework and the South Australian Cyber Security Framework. This has been achieved through partnerships with external agencies to continuously assess and improve upon the requirements and guidelines contained within these frameworks.

Program name	Performance
SATC Student Placement Program	The SATC works with local higher education providers to offer placements to students currently enrolled in courses related to tourism, marketing and events. In 2021-22, six student placements were supported.
Aboriginal Employment Strategy	In line with the deliverables of the SATC’s first Reconciliation Action Plan, the SATC works across Government and with local higher education providers to promote employment opportunities to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates.
Skilling SA	The SATC supports two trainees through Pathway One and Pathway Two of the Skilling SA program in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment.

Performance management and development system	Performance
Employee Performance Management and Development Reviews (Compliance measured via a custom-made online recording tool)	All employees are required to have individual performance management and development plans reviewed as a minimum on a biannual basis. In 2021-22, 95 per cent of employees had a current performance review in place (the 5 per cent without plans include employees on periods of extended leave).
Employee Performance Management and Development Training	The SATC delivers in-house training to ensure employees have the knowledge required to complete biannual reviews. All employees, with the exception of 10 new starters that have commenced since 3 June 2022, have attended training relating to the SATC’s current performance management and development review process.
Training Needs Analysis (TNA)	A TNA is conducted using information captured within Employee Performance Management and Development Reviews. From this, individual, group learning and development activities are identified.

Program name	Performance
Work Health and Safety Briefings and Induction	All employees are required to attend a Work, Health and Safety briefing on joining the agency. Refreshers are delivered on a regular basis to ensure knowledge remains current. Contractors engaged by the SATC to undertake work on its sites are provided with site specific inductions and where required, provided with safety specific Work, Health and Safety documentation and briefings.
Work Health and Safety Policies and Procedures	The SATC has a suite of policies and procedures which address Work, Health and Safety matters and outline safe working practices. Polices are reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they remain current. Work, Health and Safety Management Plans are created for events and are reviewed yearly. All construction works conducted by the SATC are accompanied by the relevant Work, Health and Safety Management Plans as required by law, and regular inspections are conducted to ensure the requirements of the plans are carried out.
Work Health and Safety Training	The SATC has a specific Work, Health and Safety training needs analysis in place in order to identify required Work, Health and Safety training for individual roles. The SATC supports the appointment of three trained Bullying and Harassment Contact Officers.
Work Health and Safety Committee	The SATC’s Work, Health and Safety Committee meets four times annually. The Committee provides a forum for management and employees to discuss Work, Health and Safety matters and acts as the key Work, Health and Safety consultative mechanism.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)	The SATC provides a free and confidential EAP to employees. The SATC’s EAP provider also delivers wellbeing sessions to employees on a biannual basis.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Initiatives	People and Culture and Work, Health and Safety teams work to deliver a calendar of initiatives aimed at promoting physical and mental wellbeing. The SATC’s Culture and Values Working Group provides a forum to drive and influence the agency’s culture through staff engagement and implementation of initiatives which focus on staff health and wellbeing.

 

Workplace injury claims	2021-22	2020-21	% Change (+ / -)
Total new workplace injury claims	1	1	NA
Fatalities	0	0	NA
Seriously injured workers*	0	0	NA
Significant injuries (where lost time exceeds a working week, expressed as frequency rate per 1000 FTE)	0	0	NA

*number of claimants assessed during the reporting period as having a whole person impairment of 30% or more under the Return to Work Act 2014 (Part 2 Division 5)

Work health and safety regulations	2021-22	2020-21	% Change (+ / -)
Number of notifiable incidents (Work Health and Safety Act 2012, Part 3)	2	0	+200%
Number of provisional improvement, improvement and prohibition notices (Work Health and Safety Act 2012 Sections 90, 191 and 195)	0	0	NA

 

Return to work costs**	2021-22	2020-21	% Change (+ / -)
Total gross workers compensation expenditure ($)	$13,119	$20,641	- 36%
Income support payments – gross ($)	$646	$13,402	- 95%

**before third party recovery

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/work-health-and-safety-and-return-to-work-performance-reporting-south-australian-tourism-commission

Executive classification	Number of executives
Executive A	1
Executive B	3
Executive D	1

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/executive-employment-reporting-south-australian-tourism-commission

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment has a workforce information page that provides further information on the breakdown of executive gender, salary and tenure by agency.

The following is a brief summary of the overall financial performance and financial position of the agency. The information is unaudited. For further information refer to the audited 2021-22 financial statements, attached to this report.

Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year ended 30 June	2021-22 $’000	2020-21 $’000
Income	92 683	93 646
Expenses	103 217	87 594
Net result	(10 534)	6 052
Total comprehensive result	(10 534)	(620)

 

Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June	2021-22 $’000	2020-21 $’000
Current assets	31 844	34 379
Non-current assets	6 547	8 069
Total assets	38 391	42 448
Current liabilities	17 369	9 403
Non-current liabilities	5 996	7 485
Total liabilities	23 365	16 888
Equity (net assets)	15 026	25 560

Financial report audit opinion: unmodified.

The following graphs show the main items of income and expenses for 2021-22 and 2020-21.

The following is a summary of external consultants that have been engaged by the agency, the nature of work undertaken, and the actual payments made for the work undertaken during the financial year.

No external consultants were engaged by the agency in 2021-22.

Consultancies with a contract value below $10,000 each

Consultancies	Purpose	$ Actual payment
Nil	N/A	$ 0

Consultancies with a contract value above $10,000 each

Consultancies	Purpose	$ Actual payment
Nil	N/A	$ 0
	Total	$ 0

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/consultants-reporting-south-australian-tourism-commission

See also the Consolidated Financial Report of the Department of Treasury and Finance for total value of consultancy contracts across the South Australian Public Sector.

The following is a summary of external contractors that have been engaged by the agency and the nature of work undertaken, where the actual amount paid or payable for work undertaken during the financial year was AUD $10,000 (or equivalent) or greater.

Contractor	Purpose
17 Tours Pty Ltd	Event management services
1834 Hospitality Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
AAPC Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Adelaide Event Operations Pty Ltd	Event operations services
Adelaide Oval SMA Ltd	Event facilities and catering
Adobe Systems Software Ireland Ltd	Digital marketing services
Advanced Tent Technology Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Adventure Charters Investment Trust	Tourism services
Agile Group (Global) Pty Ltd	Security services
Air New Zealand Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Allfab Australia Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure
Alliance Airlines Pty Ltd	Transport services
Altus Traffic Pty Ltd	Traffic management services
Ambleside Distillers Pty Ltd	Event facilities and catering
Apollo Lighting Service Pty Ltd	Event production services
Artcraft Pty Ltd	Tourism and event infrastructure
ATF Services Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Atomix Design Pty Ltd	Creative/design services
Attorney General’s Department	Legal services
Auscycling Ltd	Event operations services
Australian Green Clean (Events) Pty Ltd	Cleaning and waste services
Australian Sports Medicine Federation SA Branch Inc	Event operations services
Australian Tourism Data Warehouse Pty Ltd	ICT services
Australian Trade and Investment Commission	Market research
Australian Venue Co Ltd	Event facilities
Awkar Pty Ltd	Catering services
B&H Australia Pty Ltd	ICT services
Belgravia Sports Apparel Pty Ltd	Event uniforms
BHGLS Pty Ltd	Entertainment services
Bianco Hiring Service Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Big Picture Marketing Strategy and Research Ltd	Market research
Big Screen Video Sales Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Big4 Holiday Parks of Australia Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Bikesportz Imports Pty Ltd	Event operations services
Bizar Mobile Pty Ltd	Digital services
Boltz Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Bornbred Talent Pty Ltd	Promotional services
Boyd Public Relations Ltd	Public relations services
Brian Gleeson Event Management Pty Ltd	Event management services
Budget Rent a Car Australia Pty Ltd	Transport services
Calicoan Pty Ltd	Event production services
Carat Australia Media Services Pty Ltd	Advertising services
Carat New Zealand Ltd	Advertising services
Chan Brothers Travel Pte Ltd	Cooperative Marketing
Channel 9 South Australia Pty Ltd	Advertising services
Chicken and Bees Pty Ltd	Promotional services
Christopher David Selwood	Event management services
Churchill Warehouse Pty Ltd	Storage, transport, equipment hire
Coates Hire Operations Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Cook SA Pty Ltd	Event management services
Corporate Aircraft Charter Pty Ltd	Transport services
Corporation of the City of Adelaide	Event infrastructure services
Crawford Containers Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
CSC Corporate Domains Inc	ICT services
CSE Crosscom Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
D77 Pty Ltd	Transport services
Data#3 Ltd	ICT services
Datacom Systems (AU) Pty Ltd	ICT services
David John Clarke	Creative/design services
Declan Christopher Hartley-Brown	Photography services
Dell Australia Pty Ltd	ICT services
Deloitte Access Economics Pty Ltd	Market research
Department for Infrastructure and Transport	Traffic management services
Department of the Premier and Cabinet	Media monitoring and ICT services
Discovery Holiday Parks Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing and accommodation services
Dotdigital Apac Pty Ltd	ICT services
Drogo & Co Pty Ltd	Production and broadcast services
Duy Phat Huynh	Photography services
DWP Australia Pty Ltd	Design services
DXC Enterprise Australia Pty Ltd	ICT services
Ellismgt Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Emma Humphreys Communications Ltd	Public relations services
Emma Jade McCaskill	Event management services
Encore Event Technologies Pty Ltd	Event production services
Envyus Design Pty Ltd	Creative/design services
Event Timing Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Experience Australia Group Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Expertise Events Pty Ltd	Event management services
First Care Medical Services Australia Pty Ltd	Event medical services
Flight Centre Travel Group Pty Ltd	Travel services and cooperative marketing
Formile Events Pty Ltd	Traffic management services
Frame Creative Pty Ltd	Creative/design services
Frankie Films Pty Ltd	Video production services
G.C Biddle & Others	Legal services
Gayler Family Trust	Event production services
Good Broadcast Ltd	Public relations services
Grace Records Management (Australia) Pty Ltd	Records management services
Gravity Media (Australia) Pty Ltd	Broadcast services
Green Edge Cycling Pty Ltd	Sporting services
GT Wine Group Pty Ltd	Advertising services
Harry Allen Vick	Photography services
Health Safety Environment Australia Pty Ltd	Training services
Helloworld Services Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Hoban Recruitment Pty Ltd	Temporary staff (labour)
Holidays of Australia Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
House of Travel Ltd	Cooperative marketing
HTS Group Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Hygge Studio Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Hyundai Motor Company Australia Pty Ltd	Event operations services
I am Helium Pty Ltd	ICT services
Ignite Holidays Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Indoor Pyrotechnics & SA Fireworks Pty Ltd	Event operations services
Institute of Public Administration Australia South Australian Division Inc	Training services
Integrated Event Delivery Management	Event management services
Interflora Australian Unit Ltd	Event operations services
International Management Group of America Pty Ltd	Promotional services
Isentia Pty Ltd	Media monitoring
Jeremy Edward Mackinnon	Video production services
Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
JLGP Pty Ltd	Photography services
Kangaroo Island Sealink Pty Ltd	Transport services
Kantar Public Australia Pty Ltd	Market research
Karen Mary Lindsay	Creative/design services
Karena Armstrong Food Pty Ltd	Event management services
Kelsian Group Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Kimberly Conte	Event management services
Kingsford the Barossa Pty Ltd	Accommodation and catering services
Koben Digital Pty Ltd	ICT services
Kojo Studios Pty Ltd	Video production services
Komodo Media Australia Pty Ltd	Promotional services
KWP Advertising Pty Ltd	Creative/design services
Lachlan Anthony Turner	Event production services
Lieb Management & Beteiligungs GmbH	Marketing representation services
Luxury Escapes Travel Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Maria Elisabetta Pappalardi	Event operations services
Mark Hamilton Hender	Recruitment services
Market Street Hotelier Pty Ltd	Accommodation services
Marshall Power Australia Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Mason Gray Strange Auction (SA) Pty Ltd	Auction services
Matt Peter Gilbertson	Promotional services
Matthew William Keenan	Commentary services
Max Events Pty Ltd	Event management services
Maxima Group Training (aust) Ltd	Temporary staff (trainees)
Mayfair Hotel Management Pty Ltd	Accommodation services
McGregor Tan Research Pty Ltd	Market research
McMahon Services Australia Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Meaghan Katherine Coles	Photography services
Melanie Selwood	Event management services
Metal Fabricators Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Naked Bookings Pty Ltd	Voucher agency service
Natrasha Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
NEC Australia Pty Ltd	ICT services
NEC IT Services Australia Pty Ltd	ICT services
New Age Marketing e.K.	Cooperative marketing
Newstyle Printing Co Pty Ltd	Printing services
Nexstage Staging & Rigging Technologies Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Nicholas William Bellotti	Video production services
Noortquip Rentals Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Novatech Creative Event Technology Pty Ltd	Event production services
NTT Australia Pty Ltd	ICT services
Nuago Pty Ltd	ICT services
O’Shea’s Organisation Pty Ltd	Cleaning services
Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment	Training services
Olympic Investments (SA) Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
OPS SA	Entertainment services
Peak Metrics Pty Ltd	Market research
Peter Fuller & Associates Pty Ltd	Video production services
Pineapple Media (SA) Pty Ltd	Production and broadcast services
Pivotal Business Technology Pty Ltd	ICT services
Platinum Aircraft Charter Pty Ltd	Transport services
Power On Solutions Pty Ltd	Event communications services
PPI Promotion & Apparel Pty Ltd	Promotional merchandise/uniforms
Precision Models Pty Ltd	Promotional services
Priya Sid Media Pty Ltd	Promotional services
Public Caffe (SA) Pty Ltd	Catering services
Publicis Communications Australia Pty Ltd	Public relations services
PWE Plus GmbH	Advertising services
Qantas Airways Ltd	Cooperative marketing and transport services
Qantas Group Accommodation Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
QBT Pty Ltd	Travel services
R McHenry & K.W Van Der Zwaag	Entertainment services
RAA Insurance Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Railroad Contractors of Australia Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Randstad Pty Ltd	Temporary staff (backfill)
Rawnsley Park Tourism Pty Ltd	Accommodation services
Recruitco Pty Ltd	Temporary staff (events)
Red Balloon Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Redbikini Pty Ltd	Video production
Regional Express Holdings Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Richard Porte	Sporting services
Ricoh Australia Pty Ltd	Printing services
Roadside Services and Solutions Pty Ltd	Tourism infrastructure services
Rohan Dennis	Sporting services
Royal Automobile Association of South Australia Inc	Cooperative marketing
SA Ambulance Service Inc	Event operations services
SA Lift and Loader Pty Ltd	Equipment rental
Satalyst Pty Ltd	ICT services
Select Music Agency Pty Ltd	Entertainment services
Seppeltsfield Road Distillers Pty Ltd	Event catering services
Seppeltsfield Wines Pty Ltd	Event catering services
Serenity Asset Sussex Hotel Management Pty Ltd	Accommodation services
Seven Network (Operations) Ltd	Advertising services
Shanghai Ctrip Commerce Co	Cooperative marketing
Shanghai Linzhi Information Technology Development Co Ltd	Marketing representation services
Shimano Australia Cycling Pty Ltd	Event operations services
Showpony Adelaide Pty Ltd	Creative/design services
Sign Event Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Signs Incorporated Pty Ltd	Tourism and event infrastructure
Simmons & Sons Enterprises Pty Ltd	Freight and distribution services
Singapore Airlines Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Sitehost Pty Ltd	Event facilities, catering and accommodation services
Sixteen-O-Two Advertising N Design	Creative/design services
Skycity Adelaide Pty Ltd	Accommodation services
Sloe Food Company Pty Ltd	Event catering services
Socialbakers A.S.	Digital marketing services
Society Marketing Communications Pty Ltd	Digital marketing services
South Aussie With Cosi Pty Ltd	Production and broadcast services
South Australian Contemporary Music Co Ltd	Event production services
Southern Cross Austereo Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Specialised Event Solutions Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Specialised Solutions Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Spotless Facility Services Pty Ltd	Cleaning services
SRS Security Pty Ltd	Event security services
St John Ambulance Australia South Australia Inc	Event operations services
Stewie's Rigging and Hire Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
STR Global Ltd	Market research
Strava Inc	Digital services
Sunstate Airlines (Qld) Pty Ltd	Transport services
Superloop Broadband Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Talent4 Media Ltd	Promotional services
TBWA Melbourne Pty Ltd	Creative/design services
TBWA New Zealand Ltd	Creative/design services
Telstra Corporation Ltd	Telecommunications services
The Creator’s Hand Pty Ltd	Training services
The Models Mgmt Pty Ltd	Promotional services
The One Picture Group Ltd	Market research
Titan Containers NZ Ltd	Event infrastructure services
Topline Promotions Pty Ltd	Promotional merchandise and uniforms
Tourism Australia	Administrative, marketing, promotional and training services and market research
Traffic Group Australia Pty Ltd	Traffic management services
Trailfinders Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Travelscape LLC	Cooperative marketing
Trustee for AB Edible Trust & DF Edible Trust & JD Edible Trust	Promotional services
Trustee for BDA Unit Trust	Market research
Trustee for Eckersley Development Trust	Accommodation services
Trustee for Forman Family Trust	Photography services
Trustee for Fowlers Bay Eco Park Trust	Tourism services
Trustee for Goin Off Safaris Trust	Tourism services
Trustee for McEwan Family Trust	Commentary services
Trustee for Mt Lofty Operations Unit Trust	Accommodation and catering services
Trustee for Murphy Holdings Unit Trust	Transport services
Trustee for Parsons Plumbing and Gas	Event infrastructure services
Trustee for Phil Hoffman Travel	Cooperative marketing
Trustee for Pink Fence Hire Trust	Event infrastructure services
Trustee for the A & AM Palumbo Family Trust No. 2	Accommodation services
Trustee for the Adelaide Event Group Unit Trust	Event infrastructure services
Trustee for the Dirty Food Family Trust	Event management services
Trustee for the JAG Trading Trust	Event operations services
Trustee for the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel Class Trust	Accommodation services
Trustee for the Nick Stock Family Trust	Event management services
Trustee for TIR Family Trust	Temporary staff (labour)
Trustee for WDM Advertising Unit Trust	Creative/design services
Trustee for Wendt Farms Trust	Accommodation services
University of Adelaide	Software development
Valsport Pty Ltd	Promotional services
Village Gate Pty Ltd	Signage and printing services
Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing and transport services
Virtuoso Australia Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Visualcom Pty Ltd	Event operations services
Voice Project Pty Ltd	Research services
Vok Beverages Pty Ltd	Event catering
Wagstaff Worldwide Inc	Marketing representation services
Wavemaker Australia Pty Ltd	Advertising services
Webjet Marketing Pty Ltd	Cooperative marketing
Wejugo Pty Ltd	Digital services
Wilson Parking Australia Pty Ltd	Parking services
Winc Australia Pty Limited	Storage and distribution services
Yaao Marketing Consulting Co Ltd	Marketing representation services
YouGov Singapore Pte Ltd	Digital services
Ziptrak Pty Ltd	Event infrastructure services

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/contractors-reporting-south-australian-tourism-commission

The details of South Australian Government-awarded contracts for goods, services, and works are displayed on the SA Tenders and Contracts website. View the agency list of contracts.

The website also provides details of across government contracts.

None to report.

Risk and audit at a glance

The Audit and Risk Committee assists the SATC Board in fulfilling its responsibilities relating to the annual financial statements as well as reviewing the adequacy of the SATC’s accounting and reporting systems, internal controls, risk management practices, and administrative policies and procedures. The Committee’s roles and responsibilities and scope are defined in its Terms of Reference.

The SATC is committed to ensuring that a risk management approach is applied to all business activities to ensure that the Agency maximises opportunities while not exposing the organisation to unacceptable levels of risk. The SATC aims to ensure that risk management is embedded in its decision-making, processes, and culture, and contributes to the achievement of its strategic objectives.

The SATC’s risk management practices are based on the International Risk Management Standard (ISO 31000:2018). In 2021-22 the SATC’s risk management framework was updated to reflect the changes to the South Australian Government’s procurement processes which came into effect on 1 July 2021. The Framework provides minimum requirements and practical guidance to all staff on how to implement risk management processes across a wide range of activities undertaken by the SATC.

The SATC continued to manage its risks throughout the year by undertaking regular reviews of the risk register, developing detailed risk management plans for SATC managed events, and completing risk assessments for new projects and procurements.

During 2021, the Audit and Risk Committee took on the responsibilities of the Agency Security Committee under the Government’s Protective Security Framework and the Committee will consider security as part of its regular meetings.

The annual Business Continuity Plan test was undertaken in February 2022 and key learnings from this exercise were actioned and business continuity processes and documentation updated accordingly.

Category/nature of fraud	Number of instances
Nil	Nil

NB: Fraud reported includes actual and reasonably suspected incidents of fraud.

Strategies implemented to control and prevent fraud

The SATC is committed to maintaining a work environment free of fraud and corrupt behaviour. The SATC has in place appropriate fraud prevention, detection, investigation, reporting and data collection procedures and policies, in line with its fraud risk assessment and Fraud and Corruption Policy. The SATC offers protection to genuine whistleblowers to enable disclosure of illegal activities or corruption to be made. These arrangements meet the specific needs of the SATC, and all reasonable measures to minimise the incidence of fraud, as well as to investigate and recover the proceeds of fraud, have been taken.

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/fraud-reporting-south-australian-tourism-commission 

Number of occasions on which public interest information has been disclosed to a responsible officer of the agency under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018:

Nil

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/whistle-blowers-reporting-south-australian-tourism-commission

Note: Disclosure of public interest information was previously reported under the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993 and repealed by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018 on 1/7/2019.

Act or Regulation

Requirement

South Australian Tourism Commission Act 1993

(1) The Commission must, on or before 30 September in every year, forward to the Minister a report on the Commission's operations for the preceding financial year. (2) The report must contain— (a) the audited statements of account of the Commission for the preceding financial year; and (b) a report on— (i) the state of tourism and the tourism industry in the State; and (ii) the Commission's plans and the extent to which they have been implemented; and (iii) the extent to which the Commission met the targets set in the performance agreement for the preceding financial year; and (c) any other information required by or under the provisions of this Act or any other Act.

(i) report on the state of tourism and the tourism industry in the state

After the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic caused the most severe contraction of tourism on record, there have been strong signs of recovery for South Australia’s visitor economy in 2021-22.

The latest results for the June 2022 year end have seen South Australia’s visitor economy grow to $6.2 billion, ahead of the SATC’s original impact forecast of $6.1 billion. This is a real achievement – having made serious inroads on reclaiming the state’s 2019 $8.1 billion record high, after dropping to just $4.4 billion at its lowest point during the pandemic (year end March 2021). 

Driving these results has been continued strength in the intrastate market as South Australians holidayed closer to home, as well as the end of lockdowns and border restrictions which saw consumer confidence surge and recovery in the interstate market.

With South Australia’s borders opening to interstate in late November 2021, pent-up demand and a greater sense of certainty saw this market surge. Latest data shows the interstate market grew to reach a post-COVID high of $1.9 billion in the year to June 2022 (worth $2.7 billion pre pandemic), and by June 2022, domestic aviation capacity was almost at pre-COVID levels.

With the nation’s borders opening in February 2022, international market expenditure has seen strong growth in that short space of time, reaching $272 million for the year to June 2022. While recovery is likely to be slower than interstate, indications – such as international aviation rebuilding and the cruise resumption in 2022-23 – show recovery to its pre-COVID $1.2 billion is on track.

Looking at tourism employment, the latest data for 2020-21 shows the sector employed 37,300 people, down from 40,400 in 2019-20. While it has decreased, these results are better than expected due to the positive impacts of the former Federal Government’s JobKeeper initiative which was active until 28 March 2021. The full effect of COVID-19 on tourism employment will not be clear until the 2021-22 State Tourism Satellite Accounts statistics are released in June 2023.

The SATC’s focus is squarely on reclaiming South Australia’s once record $8.1 billion visitor economy, on the way to $12.8 billion by 2030. A range of initiatives have been delivered which aim to promote the state as a tourism destination and support the tens of thousands of businesses across South Australia’s tourism industry.

Marketing

With South Australians holidaying at home like never before, marketing activity capitalised on this trend, with targeted campaigns and incentives that drove demand and bookings.

The SATC’s domestic advertising campaign ‘For Those Who Want A Little More’, had several phases of activity throughout the year. The campaign positions South Australia as an accessible holiday destination for locals and visitors alike and consists of television, outdoor and digital advertising.  Messaging also highlighted road trips to capitalise on this trend and encouraged locals to take an extended trip into the state’s tourism regions. The campaign was well received by both the intrastate and interstate markets with awareness/appeal, consideration and intention measures tracking above average when compared to similar SATC campaigns. A dedicated campaign ‘Have a Date with your State’, launched in February 2022, targeted young locals in the 18–34year-old age group to further entice this audience to take a trip within their state with friends and family. Exceeding objectives, the campaign reached 602,000 (79 per cent) of the target audience with a total of seven million advertising impressions served which attributed to over 32,000 leads to South Australia tourism operators.

The SATC’s consumer website, southaustralia.com, recorded 6.85 million website visits by South Australians, generating 1.25 million leads to tourism operators and travel partners.

‘For Those Who Want A Little More’ also ran in key interstate markets during 2021-22. During this time, southaustralia.com saw 3.39 million website visits from interstate, generating 512,000 leads to tourism operators and travel partners. Interstate expenditure also grew to $1.9 billion as of June 2022, a post-COVID high, but 28 per cent below its $2.7 billion pre-COVID performance.

A key stimulus initiative, the Great State Voucher program, wrapped up in 2021-22. The final four rounds ran from September 2021 to May 2022, injecting $87.8 million into the state’s visitor economy. Over the life of the scheme, the vouchers generated a total $148.7 million into the state’s visitor economy. Originally launched in October 2020 the vouchers provided incentives for consumers to book accommodation and experiences. It proved popular with both consumers and operators, achieving 269,000 bookings across South Australia and supporting 808 jobs in total.

International borders opened on 21 February 2022, paving the way for international travellers to return. In line with this, the SATC undertook marketing and PR activity in key global markets including the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Singapore and New Zealand. International expenditure reached $272 million for the year ending June 2022. In this short time, international expenditure in South Australia has seen strong growth, showing pent up demand for the state.

To encourage international visitation from the working holiday maker market, the SATC launched a £10 flight campaign in April 2022. Over 16,000 people in the UK and Ireland registered their interest in buying one of the 200 £10/€10 return tickets to Adelaide – with the flights selling out in under five minutes. The campaign was so popular that it was extended, offering a further round of return flights at £499 to working holiday makers who were unsuccessful in the first round.

Underpinning all campaigns is PR activity across the international and domestic markets. It achieved a total potential audience reach of over 60.1 billion as well as a total of 3,366 articles promoting South Australia and keeping it top of mind as a must-see travel destination. This was achieved through always-on press office pitching, media familiarisations, broadcast sponsorships, events, influencer programs, and brand partnerships.

Events South Australia

Events are an important driver of visitation, giving people a reason to visit the state ‘right now’. The SATC delivered four managed events in COVID-safe formats last financial year and supported a range of regional events and sponsored events which have helped drive visitation and expenditure in the CBD and regional South Australia.

Managed events

• 2021 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, October: Virtual activities including a telemetry challenge and virtual forum were hosted in order to stay connected and engaged with the event audience.
• 2021 National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant, 13 November: This much-loved event took place for the second year at Adelaide Oval due to COVID-19 restrictions. An audience with a capacity of 35,000 was permitted. The event was broadcast by Channel 9, achieving a peak audience of 159,678 viewers and ranking the number one program in Adelaide on the night.
• 2022 Santos Festival of Cycling, 21-29 January: For the second consecutive year, the festival was held in place of the Santos Tour Down Under due to the impacts of COVID-19 and international border restrictions. The Santos Festival of Cycling welcomed domestic teams and riders across a range of cycling disciplines to race in South Australia. This event was strategically important, helping keep the state’s connection with the sport of cycling, with sponsors, fans, and the community.
• 2022 Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel, 29 April-8 May: Due to border restrictions in the programming and planning phase, the event focused on Australian talent for the second year in a row. The program was well supported by industry with over 200 events held across 11 South Australian tourism regions. More than 60,000 people visited the festival hub, Town Square - up from 54,000 in 2021.

Sponsored events

The SATC continued to grow and expand the state’s event calendar, focusing on attracting new events and growing event ‘clusters’ during the traditionally quieter winter months.

A range of events were secured in 2021-22, including:

• Harvest Rock (2022-2024) a new two-day contemporary international music festival will be held annually in the city parklands from November 2022 to 2024. The destination music festival will be a unique proposition on the Australian music calendar featuring iconic international artists, leading Australian artists, the state’s best food and wine, culinary stages, pop-up cellar doors, art installations and VIP corporate experiences.
• Wallabies v South Africa (Springboks) and Wallaroos v New Zealand (Black Ferns) – Adelaide hosted a historic rugby double-header blockbuster at Adelaide Oval on 27 August 2022. These international test matches drew a crowd of over 36,000. The Wallabies last played in Adelaide in 2004 and this was the first time the Wallaroos played here.
• SkySong, the centrepiece of the 2022 Adelaide Fringe, featured hundreds of drones flying in majestic formation to a soundtrack of First Nations storytelling through poetry and song. More than 39,000 people attended the show held from 11 to 20 March 2022 at Leconfield and Richard Hamilton Wines in McLaren Vale.
• The Australian Age Swimming Championships were held from 11 to 18 April 2022 at the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre. The Australian National Swimming Championships were also held from 17 to 22 May 2022 which saw Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic elite vie for national team selection ahead of the 2022 World Swimming Championships and 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
• Counterpointe - the Australian Ballet brought a powerful and energetic performance exclusively to Adelaide at Her Majesty’s Theatre from 8 to 13 July 2022, with fantastic reviews and audiences.
• The 2022 AFL Masters National Carnival will be held from 25 September to 1 October 2022. The AFL Masters National Carnival is the largest mass participation football event in Australia, expected to attract in excess of 2,000 participants and generate an estimated $3 million in economic benefit.

The winter events calendar was expanded, with Australia’s newest major event, Illuminate Adelaide, making its debut in July-August 2021. Despite the impact of COVID-19 including a state-wide lockdown and restrictions on interstate borders, the event attracted an attendance of more than 500,000, generating over $30 million into the state’s visitor economy. Illuminate Adelaide 2021 also included a regional program with activations ‘Digital Garden’ in Mount Gambier from 9 June to 4 July 2021 which attracted more than 10,000 visitors over the four weeks and ‘Big Picture Series x Colour Tumby’ from 13 to 21 August 2021 in Tumby Bay. An installation planned for Renmark had to be postponed to June 2022 due to interstate travel restrictions preventing the artist from travelling to SA.

The Regional Event Fund sponsored 54 events in 2021-22, more than doubling the number of events supported in the previous financial year. This was in part due to an additional $1 million in regional event funding from the State Government. Events supported in 2021-22 included Fringe Mount Gambier (Limestone Coast), Clare Valley Gourmet Week, Oakbank Easter Carnival (Adelaide Hills), SALA Festival (state wide), and True Grit SA (Riverland). 

In 2021-22, the team continued to support the event industry in the COVID-normal environment, including working closely with SA Health and communicating updates or providing direct advice to event operators.

Destination Development

With tourism recovery on the right path, international cruise lines are set to return and international aviation has not only resumed but it is rebuilding in line with demand.

Cruise

The Federal Government lifted the ban on international cruise ships on 17 April 2022, allowing cruise ships to operate in Australia. During the 2022-23 season, 106 cruise ship visits are scheduled to arrive at South Australian ports and anchorages. This exceeds the 82 visits made in what was a blockbuster season in 2018-19, when the sector contributed $145 million to the state’s visitor economy.

Throughout the pandemic, the SATC has maintained contact with cruise lines to keep South Australia top of mind for the return of cruise visitors. The SATC has worked with Flinders Ports, Kangaroo Island Council and Port Lincoln Council to ensure that the infrastructure required to service these ships is in place and ready.

Aviation

The SATC continued to work with Adelaide Airport and the State Government to support the return of international flights. Pre-COVID, there were nine international airlines providing up to 52 flights per week to Adelaide. As international travel demand continues to grow, the number of airlines operating to Adelaide is also increasing.

As of 30 June 2022, international carriers flying direct into Adelaide were Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Air New Zealand, Jetstar International and Fiji Airways, providing 27 flights per week. The SATC is continuing to investigate opportunities for new airline routes (national and international) with Adelaide Airport.

Domestic aviation is also rebuilding in line with increased consumer confidence and a sense of certainty in restrictions. As of 30 June 2022, domestic seats were almost at pre-COVID levels, with approximately 68,000 seats per week supplied across four domestic carriers (Qantas Airlines, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex Airlines).  

Tourism Industry Development Fund

A key support measure to aid the recovery of South Australia’s tourism industry was the $20 million Tourism Industry Development Fund (TIDF). Fully allocated in 2021-22, the Fund encouraged private investment in regional tourism infrastructure, helping drive tourism demand and create jobs. During this period, 61 projects were funded. In total, grants were awarded to 114 projects across the state, worth a combined total of nearly $82.7 million. It is expected the 114 projects will create 608 ongoing jobs, over 1,180 temporary construction jobs and generate an estimated $74.5 million in visitor expenditure each year. As of 30 June 2022, 59 of the 114 projects are complete or nearly complete, providing visitors and locals alike with new and improved accommodation and experiences to enjoy.

Accommodation development

There continues to be strong private investment in accommodation in South Australia. In 2021-22, one hotel opened in the Adelaide CBD, the 251-room Sofitel Adelaide on Currie Street. Another four hotels are currently under construction, the Marriott Hotel, Vibe Hotel, TRYP Hotel and the Ramada Playford Hotel which will contribute 737 rooms when open. Overall, there were 453 new rooms and 416 refurbished rooms made available across our tourism regions. The TIDF was a key driver for private investment in accommodation in the regions, contributing 281 new rooms and 400 refurbished rooms.

(ii) the Commission's plans and the extent to which they have been implemented.

This information is outlined throughout the 2021-22 Annual Report.

(iii) the extent to which the Commission met the targets set in the performance agreement for the preceding financial year.

The SATC’s Board Performance Agreement and Board Performance Agreement Report can be found at Appendix B and Appendix C at the end of the 2021-22 Annual Report.

Not applicable to the agency.

Number of public complaints reported

Complaint categories	Sub-categories	Example	Number of complaints 2021-22
Professional behaviour	Staff attitude	Failure to demonstrate values such as empathy, respect, fairness, courtesy, extra mile; cultural competency	0
Professional behaviour	Staff competency	Failure to action service request; poorly informed decisions; incorrect or incomplete service provided	0
Professional behaviour	Staff knowledge	Lack of service specific knowledge; incomplete or out-of-date knowledge	0
Communication	Communication quality	Inadequate, delayed or absent communication with customer	1
Communication	Confidentiality	Customer’s confidentiality or privacy not respected; information shared incorrectly	0
Service delivery	Systems/technology	System offline; inaccessible to customer; incorrect result/information provided; poor system design	0
Service delivery	Access to services	Service difficult to find; location poor; facilities/ environment poor standard; not accessible to customers with disabilities	0
Service delivery	Process	Processing error; incorrect process used; delay in processing application; process not customer responsive	0
Policy	Policy application	Incorrect policy interpretation; incorrect policy applied; conflicting policy advice given	0
Policy	Policy content	Policy content difficult to understand; policy unreasonable or disadvantages customer	0
Service quality	Information	Incorrect, incomplete, out dated or inadequate information; not fit for purpose	0
Service quality	Access to information	Information difficult to understand, hard to find or difficult to use; not plain English	1
Service quality	Timeliness	Lack of staff punctuality; excessive waiting times (outside of service standard); timelines not met	0
Service quality	Safety	Maintenance; personal or family safety; duty of care not shown; poor security service/ premises; poor cleanliness	1
Service quality	Service responsiveness	Service design doesn’t meet customer needs; poor service fit with customer expectations	0
No case to answer	No case to answer	Third party; customer misunderstanding; redirected to another agency; insufficient information to investigate	37
		Total	40

 

Additional metrics	Total
Number of positive feedback comments	0
Number of negative feedback comments	4
Total number of feedback comments	4
% complaints resolved within policy timeframes	100%

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/public-complaints-reporting-south-australian-tourism-commission 

Service improvements

In line with PC039- Complaint Management in the South Australian Public Sector, in 2021-22, the SATC implemented a new Complaints and Feedback Policy and process, including the implementation of a new Complaint Management System which will allow for collecting, reporting and monitoring complaints and feedback to inform service improvement. The new Policy is designed to identify opportunities to improve customer experience and satisfaction within the delivery of services.

The new Policy conforms to the principles of the Australian/New Zealand Standard: Guidelines for Complaint Management in Organisations (AS/NZS10002:2014) (the Standard) and the Commonwealth Ombudsman Complaint Management Framework and Department of the Premier and Cabinet Circular PC039 Complaint Management in the South Australian Public Sector.

The complaints and feedback data will be reviewed and analysed regularly to identify systemic issues and trends and to determine resolution of outcomes and improvements to remedy issues.

Compliance statement

The SATC is compliant with Premier and Cabinet Circular 039 – complaint management in the South Australian public sector	Y
The SATC has communicated the content of PC 039 and the agency’s related complaints policies and procedures to employees.	Y