Welcome to the November 2020 edition of Tourism News.
The past month has shown that a lot can happen in a month and in fact, a lot can happen in a week. One thing is also clear, South Australia has done a sensational job at managing COVID-19 and at rallying together in times of need. That is proven by the milestone we celebrate today, as our borders open to Victoria – marking not only our state’s largest domestic market but lifting our state’s final border restriction, SA is now ‘open’ to all Australian states and territories.
I recognise there are ongoing challenges for our sector, and the SATC is committed to supporting tourism businesses to overcome those. Today, we announced the second round of Great State vouchers to boost the summer holiday period, and the SATC has expanded the scheme to include interstate visitors and a greater range of accommodation providers.
We’re also soon to announce the first round of grant recipients for the $20 million Tourism Industry Development Fund, which will help our regions recover quicker and come out of this stronger. A reminder that this Fund runs over two years (or until funds are exhausted), so I encourage all regional businesses to familiarise themselves with the scheme and consider whether it applies to you.
The SATC continues to work with SA Health on supporting the event sector to navigate the challenges of COVID-19, and their roles and responsibilities in hosting events in this landscape. As part of this, our Events South Australia executive director Hitaf Rasheed hosted a webinar with SA Health Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr Chris Lease today to discuss the latest easing of restrictions and the introduction of the QR code system, COVID SAfe Check-In.
In positive news for our events sector, we get ready to release the 2021 Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel program next week. With over 100 associated events to be hosted across the state as part of the 2021 festival, the program is set to entice visitors and create a buzz of activity.
In the past month, the State Government also introduced the Events Advisory Group which will help drive new and innovative event opportunities for SA. The group, chaired by Business SA’s Nikki Govan, includes representatives from the events, tourism, industry, hospitality and business sectors. It met for the first time in November and we look forward to it providing independent advice to the SATC and bolstering engagement with industry.
In the coming fortnight, we can expect to see a further easing of restrictions in our state, which I know will be important for our sector, particularly for hospitality operators and as we head into the summer break. We are tracking well on this, and I remind you all to review the information about COVID SAfe Check-In and your obligations as an SA business.
Read on for a summary of SA’s tourism industry and achievements over the month of November.
Rodney Harrex
Chief Executive
See the full Tourism News - November here.