With summer just around the corner and the tour operator licensing application period coming to a close, the Tourism Unit would like to reflect on the 2013-14 year in review. From major tourism investment and product development, to our tour operators achieving industry excellence, it has been a thriving year for the tourism industry.

The Tourism Unit would like to remind operators who have not done so to please finalise their 2014/15 licence application to ensure you are licensed for the upcoming season. Parks Victoria will cancel all expired licences if a 2014/15 licence application is not received by close of business Tuesday, 30 September 2014. Once cancelled your business will not be licensed to conduct activities on Parks Victoria or Department of Environment and Primary Industries estate and penalties will apply.

If you no longer need a tour operator licence please notify Parks Victoria by return email immediately. Click here to access the 2014/15 Tour Operator application.

As of 30 June 2014, 372 licensed operators were active on the Tour Operator Management System (TOMS). Of these, 81 per cent held a one year licence, 16 per cent held a three year licence and three per cent held a ten year licence. Of the 372 licensed operators, 55 were new operators.

Bushwalking remains the most common activity, with 42 per cent of operators licensed for the activity. Other key activities include bus and coach tours (offered by 30 per cent), birdwatching (20 per cent) and coastal walking (17 per cent).

The Tourism Unit conducted several on-ground and soft compliance activities throughout the year. On-ground compliance activities were conducted in conjunction with regional staff and external agencies including Transport Safety Victoria and Victoria Police, at the Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre. Soft compliance activities included following up on reports from the field, desktop research and licensed tour operator complaints. These activities resulted in 13 new operators becoming licensed.

The Tourism Unit maintains relationships with the following agencies to assist with compliance of operators:

• Department of Environment and Primary Industries
• Tourism Victoria
• Victoria Tourism Industry Council
• Outdoors Victoria
• Transport Safety Victoria
• Ecotourism Australia
• Australian Tourism Accreditation Program
• Local Councils
• Tourism Australia

Parks Victoria has several compliance activities scheduled in the near future. These compliance activities will occur on both land and water and will be held in conjunction with other agencies.

Parks Victoria is committed to developing programs that increase the quality and standard of the LTO product and the visitor experience. The Value Add Program promotes Licensed Tour Operators and the value and service they provide to parks and the visitor experience.

The multifaceted program delivers the following benefits to licensed tour operators:

• Delivery of email blasts regarding changed conditions, closures, announcements, licensing and emergency information.

• Facilitating product development, presentations, attending the Australian Tourism Exchange and Australian Tourism Export Council symposium.

• Advertisements placed in the autumn 2013 and spring 2014 editions of the Melbourne Official Visitor Guides.

• Sponsorship of the Health and Wellbeing category of the Victorian Tourism Awards.

• Website listing.

• Familiarisation Tours involving industry.

• LTO Forums and Workshops.

The activities and value LTOs add to the visitor experience are also promoted at tourism industry events such as Destination Gippsland, Outdoor Victoria, Victoria Tourism Industry Council and Australian Tourism Export Council.

ATE is Australia’s premier tourism trade event and provides an important opportunity for Australian experiences to showcase their products to over 700 international buyers and media.

Alysia Brandenburg, Tourism Manager and Prue Daley, Program Coordinator Communication and Tourism conducted appointments with over 70 wholesalers, Tourism Australia in-market managers and key international media outlets. They also held briefings with all Tourism Victoria in-market desk managers.

Demand for information on national park experiences particularly Wilsons Promontory, Grampians, Port Campbell, Otways, Alpine national parks continues to be high. The Parks Victoria ATE product manual highlighting 55 internationally ready licensed tour operators was well received and to reduce costs was uploaded onto cloud-based portals.

Chief Executive Bill Jackson also attended for two days and met with senior government and industry stakeholders.

Alysia Brandenburg and Ranger Roo met with over 30 domestic and international travel media at the inaugural ATE International Media Mart, held recently in Queensland. In a "speed dating" format there was great interest in Parks Victoria's trail rider and beach access chairs, NatureWise program, walks and wildlife.

It has been announced ATE 2015 will be hosted in Melbourne.

The RACV Victorian Tourism Awards 2013 were held on 11 November at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

LTOs and commercial tourism partners were well represented within the 90 entrants across 32 categories for this year’s awards. Parks Victoria sponsored the Health and Wellbeing Tourism Award, presented by Chief Executive Dr Bill Jackson to Shizuka Ryokan Japanese Country Spa and Wellness Retreat.

This year's RACV Victorian Tourism Awards is sheduled for 27 October 2014. Good luck to all the entrants we can't wait to see who will receive this year's awards.

For a full list of the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards 2013 winners and finalists visit here. To find out who won the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Sydney in February this year click here.

After a varied and successful 20 years working in Tourism, Hospitality and Travel, Adrian Byrt has joined the team at Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC). From washing dishes as a teen to managing gueridon service restaurants in 5 star resorts, pulling pints at the local to buying into a nightclub, calling events at Crown Palladium to building events in the Daintree Rainforest, Adrian understands many of the challenges that businesses of all sizes in industry face on a day to day basis. His passion for industry sees him now occupy the Membership Executive seat at VTIC and he is excited about the future and the role that VTIC will play.

“Our members are the industry and we need to remember that. Whether sole operators or larger companies, they need the support and backing of a pro-active industry body to champion all the issues that come up. That’s what we’re here for and VTIC has the personnel, resources, experience and passion to get it done – we just need as many operators on board as possible to validate the message and raise the volume.”

Adrian is working closely with Parks Victoria to bring some focus back to our tour operators and build the representation of this profession. Keep an eye out for Adrian as he heads out on the road and expect his call.

If you have any questions about VTIC membership feel free to contact Adrian direct on abyrt@vtic.com.au.

The Victorian Disability Sector Awards (VDSA) was held on 4 June 2014. The VDSA recognises the achievements and contribution made by individuals, businesses and organisations to the lives of people with a disability in the tourism industry.

Global Ballooning was recognised for its oustanding achievement in supporting people with a disability, winning the Business and Commuinity Supporting Disability category at the awards.

"In the presence of unsung, selfless heroes the message becomes clearer and louder. Accessibility is about basic human rights. Accessibility is about inclusion. Accessibility is all of our business. Outside of no tourism representation in the room there was very little private business presence. We can changed this.”, said Kiff Saunders - Global Ballooning's Director/Chief Pilot

In May 2012 Global Ballooning, became Australia's first commercial hot air balloon company to put into service an accessible basket. To find out more about the Global Ballooning experience click here. 

Over the past year, the provision of all-terrain wheelchairs in Victoria’s parks has expanded to many new parks, including some of our iconic national parks such as Grampians, Wilsons Promontory and Cape Conran. These chairs are available for visitors with mobility limitations and enable visitors to explore the many spectacular park trails and natural park attractions. The wheelchairs consist of three chair types suited for different park terrain and visitor requirements.

One of the most popular chairs is called a TrailRider and is commonly described ‘as a cross between a rickshaw and a wheelbarrow’. Its unique design enables visitors, with the help of chair operators to explore many park trails where conventional wheelchairs could not go. One of the many users of the TrailRider chairs stated: “The chair gives me a better quality of life. My wellbeing in terms of getting out there has been profoundly affected!”

The all-terrain wheelchairs in parks are available for both children and adults and all models can fit in the back of a station wagon. Children’s beach wheelchairs are now available in selected park locations and enable children with disabilities to access many of the park beaches, making it possible for them to water play with other children.  

All terrain wheelchairs are now available in the Grampians, Wilsons Promontory, Cape Conran, Lysterfield, Coolart Wetlands and Homestead and Point Nepean National Park.

For further information on the all-terrain wheelchairs click here to visit our Accessibility and Inclusion webpage or call 13 1963.

In February 2014, Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) launched eight new tour products - Naturewise Eco Escapes - developed in partnership with Parks Victoria.

These tourism experiences embrace the principles of sustainability and demonstrate how tourism can deliver conservation outcomes, while also supporting regional economic growth. The new Naturewise Eco Escapes in Victoria are all-inclusive tour experiences that combine guided touring with meaningful conservation activities in partnership with Parks Victoria.

They range from day trips to four-day adventures and include a spotlight tour in search of Melbourne’s nocturnal wildlife, a day trip to Woodlands to help save the endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot, and a two-day ‘Kinglake Conservation’ trip to work on fauna recovery efforts in Kinglake National Park, following the devastating bushfires in 2009. There are also exciting four-day experiences in the Grampians, Glenelg, Baw Baw and Little Desert national parks, offering amazing walks amongst spectacular scenery, rich cultural assets, and hands-on conservation work.

To find out more about Naturewise Eco Escapes click here.

Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith announced $1 million in Victorian Coalition Government funding will be invested to improve visitor facilities along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road coast, including at the iconic Twelve Apostles.

Mr Smith said the Napthine Government is committed to providing better tourism opportunities and environmental outcomes at the Twelve Apostles, a site that receives 2.6 million visitors each year, making it the most visited natural site in Victoria.

“The draft plan features new and improved walking or riding trails, new touring routes that draw people into the hinterland, refined car parking facilities, expanded tours, bike shares and information and visitation pods."

For further information about the Shipwreck Coast Master Plan click here.

The Walk Victoria’s Icons portfolio plays a key role in delivering one of Parks Victoria’s key goals: Providing Benefits Beyond Park Boundaries.

The portfolio comprises the Great Ocean Walk, Grampians Peaks Trail, Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing and the Coastal Wilderness Walk and all span iconic and nationally significant landscapes. It is a significant catalyst in facilitating economic growth in regional Victorian communities by enhancing visitor dispersal, increasing length of stay, spend and providing employment opportunities.

Key portfolio achievements for the 2013/14 financial year include:

• Opening of the Great Ocean Walk underpass extending the walk to finish at the Twelve Apostles.

• Ongoing delivery of infrastructure, signage and interpretation works as part of the $4.1 million Great Ocean Walk Experience project.

• Opening of the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing camping platforms.

• Commencement of the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Master Plan.

• Delivery of works for Stage One of the Grampians Peaks Trail; a three day/two night loop walk from Halls Gap to Borough Huts return.

• Completion of the draft Grampians Peaks Trail Master Plan.

To experinece Walk Victoria's Icons Great Ocean Walk for yourself click here.

Production of the 4th edition of the Great Ocean Walk information guide and map has commenced. It is expected to be finalised mid to late October this year.

Parks Victoria will advise when the map is available to order. Operators have been asked to hold off on ordering the 3rd edition of the map unless urgent.

Please email sasha.sarago@parks.vic.gov.au if you require copies.

For more information visit Parks Victoria's website - www.parks.vic.gov.au

Parks Victoria's Infocentre - 13 1963