SA Tourism Summit success, regional win & more…
It was great to see more than 200 representatives of our industry come together at the SA Tourism Summit last week. Presented by the Tourism Industry Council of SA, it was wonderful to join industry leaders including our Chair David Koch for meaningful, future-thinking discussions. I hope all those in attendance also found the discussion valuable and insightful.
Congratulations to Murray Bridge for being listed in the 2025 Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Awards. Recognised for its unique nature and wildlife experiences, the listing will promote the Murray River, Lakes & Coorong and South Australia to people looking to book a trip soon.
The Let’s Go Carvan, Camping & Outdoor Show kicks off today with around 29,000 attendees expected to discover why South Australia is the ultimate self-drive destination. It is great to see many fantastic tourism operators on show, engaging with the caravan and camping industry, which is currently worth $773 million in annual visitor expenditure to our State’s economy.
To further grow awareness of our State in key international markets, recent activity includes a partnership with Emirates to host a range of top sellers from the UK, Italy, France, and Germany, as well as a roadshow in India - our third largest international market worth $88 million to our visitor economy annually. In our national market, travel trade partners including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Expedia, Tripadvisor and Flight Centre visited SA to deepen their understanding on what's on offer here.
The Let’s Go Carvan, Camping & Outdoor Show kicks off today with around 29,000 attendees expected to discover why South Australia is the ultimate self-drive destination. It is great to see many fantastic tourism operators on show, engaging with the caravan and camping industry, which is currently worth $773 million in annual visitor expenditure to our State’s economy.
To further grow awareness of our State in key international markets, recent activity includes a partnership with Emirates to host a range of top sellers from the UK, Italy, France, and Germany, as well as a roadshow in India - our third largest international market worth $88 million to our visitor economy annually. In our national market, travel trade partners including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Expedia, Tripadvisor and Flight Centre visited SA to deepen their understanding on what's on offer here.
As promised, LIV Golf Adelaide was back bigger and better, welcoming a record 102,483 attendees across the tournament. Excitement was at an all-time high on the final day, with the announcement that Adelaide will be the exclusive home of LIV Golf in Australia with an extension agreement through to 2031. The Friday and Saturday night drove the second and third highest number of room nights occupied across greater metropolitan Adelaide on record, with 93 per cent of rooms occupied each night.
It comes as the festival season takes over our State, with the Adelaide Fringe already drawing crowds after opening last weekend. A suite of international events including Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide, and Adelaide Writer’s Week will help fill our hotels, bars, and restaurants, as well as cement our position as a must-visit events destination.
Finally, a reminder that expressions of interest to participate in the third intake of our Experience Development Program close 5pm this Friday. This is a great opportunity to develop your business ideas into reality.
Emma Terry
Chief Executive Officer
South Australian Tourism Commission
Read full Industry Update - 26 February 2025
