SOUTH AUSTRALIA
preparedness has paid off as he shoots back answers and
positive examples to my questions with startling precision.
As the Minister responsible for Trade, Tourism &
Investment, I suspected Mr Ridgway would have plenty to
say about South Australia’s event offerings. I wanted to get
an update on the state’s growth as a destination since he
spoke with us last year, and his detailed answers confirmed
my suspicion: he truly knows his stuff.
“It’s great to reflect on some of the things we have done
since March 2018,” Mr Ridgway begins. He continues by
listing a number of key events that have selected South
Australia as their destination. The Minister says the 19th
Australian Space Research Conference, World Congress on
Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, and others will
bring 5800 visitors to the state.
It’s clear, judging by the names of these events and
conferences alone, that Mr Ridgway is reading from the
same page as Premier Steven Marshall. These future industry
organisations bringing their events to South Australia
confirms just how successful the efforts of this government
have been in transitioning the state into a world-class tech
and development destination.
I wanted to know how the Minister has managed to bring,
and will continue to attract, events like these to the state.
Aside from the infrastructure boom that Premier Marshall is
laying out, surely there has to be a strategy to sealing the deal
on these major events. The answer? A growing bid fund, says
Mr Ridgway. A bid fund is money allocated by the government
to help convention bureaux entice event organisers and EAs to
host their event in their state or region. This money is used to
offer state of the art facilities, superior technology, food, wine
and diverse cultural and recreational activities.
“Following a key election commitment, starting in our
first State Budget, the State Government committed an
additional $21.5 million over four years to increase event bid
funding to enable South Australia to secure more lucrative
major events and conventions to increase visitation, create
employment and drive economic growth.”
David Ridgway, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment
Rodney Harrex, CEO of the South Australian Tourism Commission
Getting business events knocking on South Australia’s
door is an ideal scenario says Mr Ridgway, as “Business
travellers are high spending by nature, spending three times
more than the standard visitor—which provides a strong
economic benefit for accommodation, retailers, bars and
restaurants.”
The Minister plans to keep the momentum going, with
the release of the South Australian Tourism Plan 2030 close
on the horizon. “Leisure and Business Events will be a key
focus to drive visitation,” Mr Ridgway said. “The Plan also
recognises that business events also support other growing
sectors of the South Australian economy such as advanced
manufacturing, the space industry and biomedical science.”
There’s no doubt that both Mr Ridgway and the Premier
have their sights set on the same goals. With their combined
effort, South Australia’s future—as both a place to host a
business event, and to run a business from—is bright.
The tourism expert’s take
Tourism has a huge part to play in South Australia’s success,
and it would be remiss not to get back in touch with Rodney
Harrex, CEO of the South Australian Tourism Commission
(SATC) so he can share his side of the story. The SATC,
set up by the State Government in 1993, is responsible for
marketing South Australia as a destination for tourists from
across the country and the globe.
Mr Harrex was happy to inform me that South Australia’s
tourism industry has grown since he last spoke with Chief of
Staff. “South Australia’s tourism industry is currently worth
$6.8 billion, up three percent on the previous year,” Mr
Harrex said.
Last year, the SATC was working closely with the new
Marshall Government to grow visitor numbers to the state.
Now, the organisation is gearing up to release their South
Australian Tourism Plan 2030—and is pushing their targets
sky high. A draft summary of the new report indicates they
want to boost the value of South Australia’s tourism industry
to $12.8 billion by 2030.
I ask Mr Harrex why South Australia and Adelaide have
been so successful in attracting events and leisure travellers, j
Issue 3 2019 | Chief of Staff 31