Bushfire Safety Resource Kits
Please find below information from VTIC and Tourism Victoria regarding bushfire safety resource materials:
Informing travellers about bushfire safety
This summer, Tourism Victoria has a kit of free materials available to tourism businesses and accommodation booking agencies to inform visitors about bushfire safety.
These materials have been developed in conjunction with the CFA and can be ordered online at www.tourism.vic.gov.au/bushfiresafety.
Research conducted by Sweeney Research in October 2011 found that despite an increase in bushfire safety awareness since the 2009 bushfires, more visitor education is needed.
It also indicated that visitors appreciate and expect tourism businesses to have general bushfire safety information, an understanding of local conditions and action plans in case of an emergency.
The kit for tourism businesses and accommodation booking agencies includes a supply of brochures, fridge magnets, key tags, Township Protection Plans and a Fire Danger Rating display.
The materials explain where to go for local bushfire updates and provide advice on what to do on days with a Very High, Severe, Extreme, or Code Red Fire Danger Ratings.
To order a bushfire safety resource kit or find out more visit www.tourism.vic.gov.au/bushfiresafety
February 3, 2012 at 11:10 am | General | No comment
T-QUAL Accreditation Marketing
Now that the marketing campaign for T-QUAL Accreditation is in full swing, we would like to ensure that you’re experiencing the maximum benefit from it.
A key component of the campaign is the T-QUAL micro site on TripAdvisor which has already attracted over 8,500 unique visitors. If your product is not currently listed on this micro site it may be for one of the following reasons:
1. You do not have a TripAdvisor listing
Getting a listing on TripAdvisor is easy and free. All you need to do is click on the link below and follow the steps:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/getlisted.html
Trip Advisor offers two forms of listing:
- Free Listings, and
- Business Listings (which incur a charge).
To help you choose and obtain the listing that’s right for your business, follow the links below:
2. The business name provided to TripAdvisor by ATAP did not match with the name of your listing on TripAdvisor.
If you do currently have a listing on TripAdvisor, it means that your product name did not match up with your listing on TripAdvisor.
Tourism Australia will follow up this issue on your behalf. In order to do so, please contact ATAP at info@atapvic.net.au and provide the name of your listing on TripAdvisor.
January 20, 2012 at 2:22 pm | General | No comment
Help Needed – Mobility Study
Travellers Aid is calling for help to complete a mobilitiy study that is being undertaken by the City of Melbourne.
From the Travellers Aid Website:
The City of Melbourne is undertaking a study to identify what residents and visitors need, and what types of assistance are required to ensure ease of access around the city. The approach to this study has involved significant consultation with service providers, peak bodies, government agencies and people with mobility restrictions.
To ensure we have input from as many community members as possible, the City of Melbourne has developed a survey that has been designed to ensure all interested community members can participate in the study.
The study asks how easy or difficult it is to travel around the city, and seeks ideas about what would make this movement through the city easier.We would appreciate your assistance in promoting this survey either by emailing the link to people who may be interested in completing the survey or by adding a link on your website. The survey will remain open until 20th January 2012.
If you would like any further information on this study please Vicki Davidson on 9696 5303 or vicki@quest-consulting.com.au or Peter Whelan (after 10 January) on 9658 8679 or peter.whelan@melbourne.vic.gov.au
January 17, 2012 at 10:13 am | General | No comment
Seasons Greetings
ATAP would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Thank you for all of your support throughout 2011. We look forward to working with you again through 2012.
Our offices will be closed from 5.00pm Friday 23rd December and will reopen at 9.00am Tuesday 3rd January 2012.
December 23, 2011 at 3:26 pm | General | No comment
Temporary Visitor Booths – Visitor Information Centres
Visitor Information Centre Managers should have recently received an email from ATAP informing them of some changes to the V.I.C Guidelines.
The main change is the introduction of some criteria surrounding temporary visitor booths.
If a V.I.C wants to display the ‘i’ logo at a booth at an event, exhibition, display etc. then they must complete and submit the Temporary Visitor Booth Guidelines to the ATAP Panel. This can be done by emailing info@atapvic.net.au.
To clarify for those that are wishing to use submit the request form the V.I.Cs can either:
- Return the request form in a timely manner before each event (remember the Panel meet monthly)
- Return the request form with a list of events that you are intending to participate in for the year at either the start of the year, or when completing the annual renewal/review for sign off for the years events
Remember, the Panel will be seeking evidence of the criteria within the request form. This an either be submitted with the request form via email or via the post, or it can be competed within the relevant section on the online program.
If you are a V.I.C and have not received the updated guidelines you can contact Erin McLeod on erin.mcleod@atapvic.net.au.
December 23, 2011 at 3:25 pm | General | No comment
TQUAL Update – Consumer Campaign Launched
The consumer campaign to promote Australia’s new national accreditation framework, T-QUAL, was launched on Tuesday 6 December in Sydney by the Minister for Tourism, The Hon. Martin Fergusson AM MP. To read more click here
In brief the consumer campaign has two key areas of focus:
- A T-QUAL Tick micro site available on Tripadvisor. Consumers may use this micro site to view operators listed on Tripadvisor that are T-QUAL accredited
- Preferential listing through www.australia.com search engine to makes it easier for consumers to choose products displaying the T-QUAL Tick
Whilst ATAP beleive that these are great initiatives that are in place, it is still early days and there is still some work to be done to ensure accredited operators are well represented. ATAP will continue to work with Tourism Australia to ensure accurate representation of ATAP accredited products.
Don’t forget that if you want to use the T-QUAL mark and gain the benefits from the national promotion being undertaken you do not have to pay any additional fee to your annual ATAP accreditation fee, nor do you have to complete any additional work. You simply need to agree to the sub licence to ATAP. This can be done via time of your renewal or review, or otherwise contact ATAP for a copy of the licence for you to complete and return to our offices.
December 23, 2011 at 3:24 pm | General | No comment
Dianne Smith to lead Victoria’s tourism and events industries
From the VECCI website:
VECCI has announced Dianne Smith as its new General Manager Tourism and Events Services. In this role Dianne will be fulfilling the multiple roles of Chief Executive of the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) and the Victoria Events Industry Council (VEIC) as the peak organisations representing the state’s tourism industry.
ATAP would like to wish Dianne all the best in her new role and look forward to working with her in this new capacity into 2012 and beyond. To read more on this story visit www.vecci.org.au.
December 23, 2011 at 2:06 pm | General | No comment
Melbourne Airport Expansion
From the Age Website:
MELBOURNE Airport is set to expand, with plans to build a $300 million passenger terminal and improve freeway access.
Just days after Sydney Airport announced plans to shuffle airlines between existing terminals by 2019, Melbourne is gearing up to have a new interconnected domestic terminal running by mid-2014.
Melbourne’s new Terminal Four building will be built to the south of the existing T3 building used by Virgin Australia.
Read more: www.theage.com.au
December 23, 2011 at 2:05 pm | General | No comment
$1.5 million funding supports expansion of ‘Villages of Victoria’ marketing campaign
From Tourism Victoria:
More than a dozen new towns and villages are set to become part of the popular Villages of Victoria marketing campaign – a move that has already received strong industry support.
Tourism Victoria, in conjunction with regional tourism boards, will implement a multimedia marketing campaign consisting of television and radio promotions and advertising on Yahoo7 and Total Travel. Over the next 12 months, the Villages of Victoria campaign will also feature in RoyalAuto magazine and on RoyalAuto and RACV travel websites.
Click here to read the full article and other news items on the Tourism Victoria website.
December 23, 2011 at 2:05 pm | General | No comment
New online resource kit for licensed tour operators
A CD resource kit has been launched to help licensed tour operators (LTO) manage and grow their business, including information on licensing, compliance, marketing and professional development.
The Victorian Licensed Tour Operator Online Resource Kit comprises online information sources in a single collection of links that are relevant to you as an LTO. The kit is a portal to useful Victorian and national websites that provide information on topics including licences and accreditation, marketing, training and development, research resources and industry organisations. It will be a vital tool for anyone starting an LTO business and a valuable resource for LTOs who are already operating.
The kit was commissioned by Parks Victoria, Tourism Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment as part of the Victorian Nature-based Tourism Strategy, and was developed by Tourism Alliance Victoria.
Current licensed tour operators will automatically receive a copy of the kit with their renewed licence. Kits can also be obtained from Kristina Burke at VTIC by emailing kburke@vecci.org.au.
