Speeches
Thursday, 21 March 2024
Tourism Industry Council South Australia Reception
Rod and I are delighted to welcome you to Government House to honour the winners of the State and recent national Tourism Awards.
It is a pleasure to be with you, as it was for the State awards ceremony in November last year.
Last Friday, ten state winners went on to receive national accolades in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, in the gold, silver and bronze categories.
Congratulations to all state and national winners present this evening.
The state awards are an important way to recognise excellence, innovation, passion, and commitment right across the tourism industry.
The awards process sets a high standard and recipients should all be justifiably proud of their achievement.
In South Australia we have much to offer visitors. Our stunning scenery, our rich experiences, the enthusiasm of people telling their stories and providing insights which enhance the visitor experience.
Alongside our formal roles, Rod and I have enjoyed immensely our own explorations as tourists, and I readily admit that the annual TICSA winner’s lists have helped guide us.
Several experiences, among many, continue to resonate with us.
Walking across the causeway at Granite Island with Mark Koolmatrie and hearing the creation story of Kondoli the whale, gave us a new perspective of the Ngarrindjeri connection with land, water, and cosmology.
Illuminate Adelaide made wonderful use of the Government House façade to tell the story of our inspiring women past and present who have been trailblazers in public life, science, social impact sport, arts, and culture.
In the Murray Mallee, Rod and I were captivated by the River Murray International Dark Sky experience, marvelled at the clear view of the stars, and learned how light pollution can affect our native wildlife. It is a special place.
And having just attended more 60-odd shows at the Fringe and Adelaide Festival, we can attest the Festival State has been buzzing!
On the wider front there is good news to tell.
Over the past 12 months, despite the challenges arising from the floods for our River Murray based operators, visitor expenditure has broken records.
We can all be proud that the industry’s resilience, your determination, and your hard work, is paying off.
As winners, you are creating wonderufl experiences that build our economy and our reputation as a must-visit destination.
I thank TiCSA for the vital role it plays as the industry’s peak body for advocating and supporting our tourism businesses. This is especially important as many are small and family operations.
I thank the judges for their work in identifying and rewarding excellence. I know it’s often a difficult decision to choose from many outstanding achievements.
To the award winners, congratulations.
When we think of South Australia, we often conjure up images of the mighty Murray, our beautiful vineyards stretching beyond the horizon, our sparkling coastline, our arid yet stunning outback, our heritage buildings telling stories of the past, our luxurious accommodation, our streets packed with revellers.
You, as tourism operators take these images and make them real for your guests.
Through your passion, commitment, and talent, visitors then build memorable experiences, and tell others!
Congratulations and thank you for helping to build our State as a premier destination and a vibrant destination.
Our tourism future is in expert hands.