VTIC 2025 VISION SUMMIT PROGRAM

Steve Dimopoulos- Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events

Minister's Address

Scott Chapman AM- Chair, VTIC 

Welcome

Nisha Rawal- Director, Urbis

What investments are required in preparing to respond to the changing preferences of our customers

Nisha will share how to grow visitor dispersal across the state, strengthen connections between regional experiences, and secure the essential infrastructure and investment needed to support and sustain these growth opportunities.

Brendan McClements- CEO, and Shae Keenan- Chief Marketing Officer, Visit Victoria

Stimulating the Victorian visitor economy – Visit Victoria’s priorities for the year ahead

Brendan will provide an overview of Victoria’s visitor economy performance and outlook, as well as its priorities across the organisation for the year ahead. Shae will share Visit Victoria’s strategic marketing approach for the year ahead, including market and audience priorities, and information on upcoming programs relevant for industry.

Rick Aylett- General Manager, Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre

Welcome to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Dominic Mehling- General Manager, Industry Relations and Kristy Malapa- Industry Relations Manager – SA, TAS, VIC & Youth, Tourism Australia 

The Future of Distribution Report and Industry Update

Dominic will speak on the Future of Distribution Report, which provides high-level insights to support tourism operators and the Australian tourism industry in responding to the rapidly evolving consumer dynamics and the global travel distribution landscape. Kristy will give an industry update, outlining the industry's recovery post-COVID and the resources available to operators from Tourism Australia.

Joanne Whitby-Lee- Area Manager Hotels, Booking.com

Trends and insights into experiences consumers are seeking in travelling across Australia

Joanne will unpack the latest trends and future planning strategies for Victoria’s tourism and accommodation sector including what’s shaping demand and supply in Melbourne’s accommodation market, how Gen AI is changing the game for local operators and key insights and future trends you won’t want to miss.

Madeleine Sawyer- Winner, 2023 Lynette Bergin Tourism Excellence Award

Community Centric Tourism Development- creating connections between residents and visitors

Connections between residents and visitors can enhance the sustainable development of a destination. As the winner of the 2023 Lynette Bergin Tourism Excellence Award, Madeleine explored best practice tourism planning, how it translates to authentic and transformative experiences and how a healthy visitor economy can generate a positive impact for locals.

Bode Ten Buuren- Manager, National Surveys and Data Science, Tourism Research Australia

Tourism Research Australia’s new Digital Mobility Data Dashboard can inform your decision-making

Bode will be exploring Austrade's new Digital Mobility Data Dashboard, which leverages aggregated and anonymised mobile phone data to offer timely insights into domestic travel. Bode will cover how to navigate the dashboard, the types of insights it provides, and how this valuable data can enhance your operations and planning strategies. 

Adele Labine-Romain- Head of Travel & Tourism, Roy Morgan

Turn data into critical insights to better attract visitors to your business and destination

Adele will talk to the future of domestic tourism data collection, modelling and insights, and how the new Domestic Tourism Statistics will place domestic tourism data within a powerful consumer insights ecosystem linking travel behaviour to media consumption and consumer attitudes. She’ll reveal who is (still) travelling, what they’re seeking and how destinations and businesses can better attract them.  

Bronwyn White- Founder, Travel Marketing Machine

Rising Potential of the Mature-Age Travellers  

Discover how to tap into the Baby Boomer market, learn what they really want from travel, how they research, plan and book trips and the key to capturing more Boomer bookings.

Jim Parashos- Chief of Aviation, Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport - connecting Victoria to the world

Jim will share how Melbourne Airport is keeping Victoria connected to the world with key projects that include the third runway, expansion of the international terminal, an improved road network and a $10 billion investment.

Simon Westaway- CEO, Australian Airports Association and Jim Parashos- Head of Aviation, Melbourne Airport

Panel Session

Sponsored by Victoria University

Felicia Mariani- CEO, Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC)

Framework to Drive the Future of Victoria’s Visitor Economy – Informing an Industry Blueprint for Growth.

Developed through insights from over 200 industry operators, this framework has been designed to change the conversation with Government as we head toward the 2026 state election. It presents a new narrative that connects more effectively with Government’s priorities for stabilising the state’s economic future and clearly articulates why #TourismMatters.