Regional Forums, record cruise season, major industry conference in Hills, & more…

This week, the SATC Executive team hit the road for the first of a series of regional industry forums, starting with our first session in Murray Bridge. At the forums, we are sharing and testing insights and strategies to ensure our state is positioned well for the future with a refresh of our 2030 Visitor Economy Sector plan. 

We appreciate all of you who are taking time out of your busy schedules to hear about the strategic direction of tourism in South Australia. Please register if you haven’t already here.

The Australian Cruise Association has revealed South Australia’s 2023-24 cruise season injected a record-breaking $227 million into our state’s economy, while supporting almost 740 jobs, surpassing the previous record of $215 million generated across the 2022-23 season.

The news follows a successful start to the current cruise season earlier this month, with 119 scheduled visits set to further inject valuable dollars into local communities across the state.

In a great win for our industry, the Adelaide Hills has been confirmed to host next year’s Australian Regional Tourism (ART) Convention. From 14-17 October, leading industry, practitioners and government representatives who work in regional tourism across Australia will converge in the region. The ART Convention is regarded as the most significant annual event for regional tourism and will help to showcase our state as a premium destination on the national stage to key decision makers.

South Australia has been recognised in a couple of prestigious international travel listings this week. The Murray River has made National Geographic’s 25 best places in the world to travel to in 2025, while Adelaide topped The Times (UK) best places for affordable winter sun. These endorsements from respected publications help put South Australia top of mind for engaged readers and help to cement South Australia’s reputation as a must-visit destination.

Emma Terry

Chief Executive Officer
South Australian Tourism Commission

Read full Industry Update - 25 October 2024