The inaugural Mid North Regional Tourism Exchange brought together 40 tourism operators and industry representatives at Clare Town Hall on Tuesday June 17, for an afternoon of professional development, connection, and collaboration.
Hosted by RDA Yorke and Mid North with support from Tourism Australia, the South Australian Tourism Commission, Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council, and Clare Valley Wine and Grape Association, the event aimed to strengthen the regional tourism industry through shared knowledge, relationship-building, and practical takeaways.
The program featured two panel sessions. The first, focused on Small Business Marketing, explored the importance of strategy, brand differentiation, and using simple social media tools and AI to stand out in a competitive tourism landscape.
Panellists encouraged businesses to focus on people, product, and place in their storytelling, remembering what others say about your business is just as important as what you say about your business, using user-generated content and reviews to tell this, and make the most of platforms like ATDW and the SA Tourism Awards.
The second panel session, ‘Working with Partners’, highlighted the power of collaboration, offering insights into how to create win-win partnerships, structure packages based on customer needs, and navigate trade relationships and commission structures to fill off-peak periods.
A dynamic speed networking session then gave attendees the chance to connect with others from different industries and regions in three structured rounds. Many participants rated this as a highlight of the day.
Updates from Tourism Australia covered key travel trends, the Future of Distribution report, and opportunities to connect into national marketing and trade activity. The SATC presentation focused on new campaigns like Simple Pleasures, experience development, and how operators can become distribution-ready. The Regional Tourism Manager also gave an update on tourism governance locally.
The event concluded with networking drinks, with the value of working together becoming a strong theme emerging throughout the day, whether through local partnerships, marketing alignment, or simply starting a conversation with someone new.
Panel speaker and local business operator Tim Davies from Clare Media said the ability to get a range of tourism providers in the room together and understand what others provide was invaluable.
“It allowed people to develop understanding of what we can contribute to each other in a more organic way than it may feel if you are trying to reach out as part of your own business operations,” he said.
“Normally that sort of thing is forced, but I think the region has an appetite and is ready because so little of it exists in this region, specifically encouraging tourism collaboration.”
Mr Davies comes from a background of operating in the tourism industry in Victoria, where he noted this collaborative approach was well developed.
“All ships rise in a high tide, and I remember interviewing Andrew Pike, who said it really well- it’s not about growing your slice of the pie, it’s about growing the entire pie,” he said.
“That’s what collaboration does, and that is intrinsically known in Victoria, but here because of the decentralised nature of tourism and business, it’s only pursued by the movers and shakers.
“They get it in their gut, but having an organisation starting to inject that into the industry is a real positive.”
Mr Davies said Clare Valley was ripe for collaborations and discovery.
“For small businesses, they can make a massive difference in their industry,” he said.
“Marketing dollars when well spent behind good collaborative ideas can completely renew a region, and you have to be optimistic about the opportunities here in the Clare Valley if the right voices are pushing that cause.”
Noting the Clare Valley had a brand known both across the country and internationally, Mr Davies said when he first visited the region, he only had a vague idea of the wine industry.
“We knew nothing else about the region, but were enamoured enough we stayed for a week, then when we were looking for a change it drew us back,” he said.
Mr Davies said the personal connection local business owners provided set the region apart.
“If we are personal, and it is about personal connections, then collaboration is all the more important,” he said.
“Can you imagine if everybody agreed and said we are going to be delivering a personal experience, what does that mean for my business, what does it mean for a collaborative approach, and what does it mean for the person walking down the street on a Sunday and seeing a visitor who asks what there is to do?
“There is tons to do, this comes down to everyone understanding identity and going at it together. People would be raving about it.”
