The PRIME Mentoring Program is a tailored approach to tourism industry training, initiated by VTIC to support Victorian tourism businesses to thrive as they rebound from a period of extreme business disruption.

The bespoke program aims to guide businesses to develop refreshed visitor experiences, aligned to their destination tourism and marketing strategy. Participants will receive mentoring to enhance tourism operations and marketing skills which will establish strong foundations to encourage entrepreneurship and grow reach through new partnerships in the wider tourism sector. 

The PRIME Mentoring Program has been developed by DTM Tourism in partnership with VTIC. The program will deliver upskilling in the following areas:

P    Product operations for practicality, efficiency and profit
R Relevance to target audiences, market demand drivers, competitiveness and readiness
I Innovation to stand out from the crowd, find a gap in the market
M Marketability to be authentic to the region and their own brand
E Engagement with partnerships and distribution

 

Benefits

1. Business Health Check
The program starts with a thorough business audit to determine gaps in operations. The results of this process and an on-site visit to each business, helps to guide our mentors to design a bespoke learning program, ensuring outcomes are achieved in the areas of most need.

2. One-on-one mentoring support
A mentor will be assigned to each participating business – the mentors are skilled across a broad range of tourism operations, product development and marketing. Each business works with a mentor in a one-on-one capacity through the program, delivering personalised support and efficiency in understanding individual needs.

3. Tailored learning modules
PRIME is a structured program of learning modules designed to take a mentee business through a learning pathway from start-up to international tourism distribution partnerships. Mentees can join the program at any point in their development journey. This point will be determined by the Mentor after the Business Health Check.

4. Take home resources
DTM Tourism has developed simple and effective training resources to support each stage of learning. Mentees retain use of the resources to refer to at all times during the life of their tourism business, ensuring sustainability in learning outcomes.

5. Recognised as Quality Tourism Accredited
As part of the PRIME Mentoring Program, businesses that are not yet accredited will need to complete their QTF Accreditation. Accreditation provides a competitive marketing advantage and increased consumer confidence, as well as many other benefits that come with being accredited - see some here.


Who should apply:

Applications are open to:

  • Accommodation, attractions, tour and experience operators (offering services/tours in Greater Melbourne), food and beverage (with a focus on tourism) and car rental businesses.

  • Businesses in Greater Melbourne. 

  • The program is best suited for small and medium-sized businesses 

  • Applicants should be the business owner or in a decision-making position

  • Businesses looking to develop or diversify their product and service, marketing plan and efforts, to expand and grow

  • Businesses willing to collaborate with other tourism operators in the destination.

*If you are not sure whether this program would be suitable for your business, please contact our Industry Development team: programs@vtic.com.au.  


Cost

The PRIME program is free of charge to successful applicants (valued at $5,000). 

This project is part of a wider industry development program that has been funded and supported by the Victorian Government to help in the recovery of the tourism industry.


What can you expect to achieve from this program?

  • Priority actions for your business for the next 12 months 
  • A defined and strong brand and origin story to guide your product, content and operational decisions 
  • Understanding of how you align a new product or experience to the target audience and destination demand drivers in your tourism cluster
  • Review of your pricing to include distribution and profit margins 
  • Business efficiency through reservations systems 
  • Priority distribution partnerships 
  • All businesses who successfully complete the program will receive a personalised local marketing plan
  • A clear understanding of how to implement a local marketing plan, and more.


What do we expect from you?

  • That you are committed and comfortable working with a mentor one-on-one, for a total of 10 to 15 hours. The sessions will be scheduled at a time that suits you and your mentor.
  • That you are committed to dedicating your time to make changes to your business and shift your attention from ‘response’ to ‘recovery’.
  • That you are willing to pursue changes to your business as recommended, and as possible.
  • That you will complete the Quality Tourism Framework Accreditation for your business if you are not yet accredited. Please see further details below.
  • That you will continue to engage with VTIC, your Local Council and other tourism operators in the area to grow and develop the destination. 


What does the program involve?

  • 10-15 hours of one-on-one mentoring with DTM Tourism, across approx 4 months
  • Online group sessions with your tourism cluster
  • Time spent working on the tasks agreed with your mentor
  • Your mentor also working independently of you on your business.


How to apply
 

Applications are now closed.
 

Participants so far:

Alex Read Theatre Performances Inc Melbourne Cable Park
Animal Land Melbourne Elite Tours Pty Ltd
Australian Bus Charters & Tailormade Touring Melbourne Runabout Speed Boat Club
Ayus Holdings P/L (Botanic Editions) Melbourne Seaplanes
Bayside Beer Belt Memo Music Hall
Bursaria Fine Foods  Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
Buses For HIre Melbourne Naught Distilling
Chocoholic Tours Otao Kitchen
College Road Cottages Overnewton Castle 
Cruden Farm PNL4WDriving
Dorset Gardens Hotel Quest St Kilda Road
Eynesbury Quarter Hospitality  Quest Werribee
Fit City Tours Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Foodie Trails Seaworks Williamstown 
Footscray Community Arts  Starward Whisky
Gasworks Arts Park Tabcorp Park 
Great Private Tours That Spirited Lot Distillers
iFLY Melbourne The Private Tour Guide
Incinerator Gallery (MVCC)  Tour Local
Landing Pads Accommodation Urban Camp Melbourne Cooperative Ltd
LG Ferries Pty Ltd t/as Port Phillip Ferries Waterbikes Australia
Liberty Balloon Flights Pty Ltd Waterside Metal Art Studio
Lightning Hill Estate West Beach Pavilion
Luna Park Melbourne Wyndham Harbour
Melbourne Boat Hire  


Testimonials

“The PRIME Mentoring Program has helped us hone in on areas in our business that can be expanded upon, with fresh perspectives on ideas to improve visitor experiences. ”

- Montsalvat, 2020 participant

"The PRIME Mentoring Program will challenge your business and will focus you on adding value and depth to your offering in the market. The program will expose you to concepts and ideas from across industries that would not necessarily be obvious until you were exposed to the concepts." 

- 2020 participant

 

About DTM Tourism

VTIC is excited to work with DTM Tourism to deliver the PRIME Mentoring Program for Melbourne tourism businesses.

DTM Tourism is a bespoke team of experts with exceptional tourism industry knowledge and recognised experience in tourism product assessment, visitor experience design, tourism marketing strategy and capability building within the tourism sector. Read more about DTM and meet their team here.

 

 

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