TOURISM NT NORTHERN TERRITORY AUSTRALIA

Northern Terrntory

Government

Chief Executive 3 MAR 2008 Darwin Office

Level 4. 43 Mitchell Street GPO Box 11 55

D a M n NT 0801 Australla

Telephone 4 1 8 8999 3900 Facsmle t61889993888

31 March 2008 Email maree.tetlow@nt.gov.au

By Hand Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Level 8, National Mutual Centre 9-1 1 Cavenagh Street DARWIN NT 0800 (email: adiudication@accc.qov.au)

Dear Sir I Madam

Exclusive Dealing Notification

Tourism NT wishes to lodge an exclusive dealing notification for potential third line forcing conduct under Section 93(1) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Commonwealth of Australia).

Please find enclosed the Notification of Exclusive Dealing (Form G).

The Lodgement fee of $100 has been provided through electronic bank transfer today.

Please contact Claire George. Policy Development Manager, on tel08 8999 3836 or email Claire.~eorqe@nt.qov.au, if you have any queries regarding this application.

Yours sincerely

MAREE TETLOW CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Global ReprerentatIan Australia Asia Europe Japan New Zealand United fingdom United States of America ABN 17 435 764 236

Form G

Commonwealth of Australia Trade Practices Act 1974 - subsection 93 (1) NOTIFICATION OF EXCLUSIVE DEALING

To the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission:

Notice is hereby given, in accordance with subsection 93 (1) of the Trade Practices Act 1974, of particulars of conduct or of proposed conduct of a kind referred to subsections 47 (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8) or (9) of that Act in which the person giving notice engages or proposes to engage.

1. Applicant (a) Name of person giving notice:

r\)9 335G Tourism NT

(b) Short description of business carried on by that person:

Tourism NT is a body corporate constituted under the Tourism NT Act (NT) by the Northern Territory Government.

Tourism NT' s charter is (pursuant to S 6B of the Tourism NT Act) to:

encourage and foster inside and outside the Territory, the development of tourism in the Territory

assist in the achievement of efficient tourism service delivery in the Territory; and

encourage tourism investment in the Territory.

This includes, impliedly, to market and influence the development of the Northern Territory as a competitive, quality tourism destination for the continuing benefit of Territorians.

Tourism NT's operations include the business known as Territory Discoveries and referred to as a 'Government Business Division' of Tourism NT. Territory Discoveries operates as a travel wholesaler providing a distribution mechanism for Northern Territory tourism product.

Tourism NT's operations also include the division known as Northern Territory convention Bureau, which is responsible for promoting the Northern Territory, both nationally and internationally, as a conference

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and incentive destination and for generating increased business tourism traffic to the Northern Territory.

Tourism is a significant contributor to the Northern Territory economy and has a broad impact upon many other industry sectors. The Northern Territory economy is much more reliant on the tourism industry than the national average, with tourism contributing 6.7% of Gross Value ~dded ' compared to 3.8% nationally. Tourism employs 11,135 Territorians (11.7% of the Territory workforce)', so is a major contributor to local employment.

Tourism NT's charter (referred to above) requires it to foster and develop tourism in the Northern Territory and to assist in the achievement of efficient tourism service delivery. The conduct covered by this notification is intended to support the Northern Territory tourism industry self- regulate by participating in the development and enhancement of business practices of tourism product/service providers and to encourage continuous improvement.

(c) Address in Australia for service of documents on that person:

Tourism NT GPO Box 1 155 DARWIN NT 0801

2. Notified arrangement (a) Description of the goods or services in relation to the supply or

acquisition of which this notice relates:

Tourism NT provides marketing and distribution services for tourism products and service providers. The programs which relate to this notification (to be collectively referred to as 'Particular Services') provided by Tourism NT include:

promotion via advertisements or public relations activities, including television, radio, newspaper, magazine, outdoor and online advertising, website listings, direct mail, trade and consumer publications (eg directories, guides, maps), displays and exhibitions;

inclusion in the Northern Territory and Australian Tourism Data Warehouses;

' Industry gross value added measures the value of production exclusive of product taxes such as the GST. li is the preferred national accounts measure of the production of industries because it is free from distortions in prices caused by changes in tax rates or the introduction of new taxes.

Source: NT Tourism Satellite Account 2003-04 (Revised August 2007)

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inclusion in Territory Discoveries' wholesale programs;

sale by Territory Discoveries;

participation in the Brolga Awards for Tourism Excellence;

inclusion in trade or media familiarisation programs; and involvement in trade or consumer shows sponsored or coordinated by Tourism NT.

(b) Description of the conduct or proposed conduct:

For the purposes of this part 2(a), 3 and 4:

'Tourism Product and Service Providers' means tourism product and service providers operating in the following tourism sectors:

Short term accommodation (accommodation for customers with a less than three (3) month duration);

attractions (where a fee is charged);

tour; and

vessel and vehicle hire sectors of the tourism industry.

Tourism NT wishes to implement the following policy from 1 July 2010:

Particular Services will exclusively be supplied to Tourism Product and Service Providers who are accredited with a Tourism Accreditation Australia Limited (TAAL) licensed program.

Tourism NT will not supply Particular Services unless Tourism Product and Service Providers acquire accreditation with a Tourism Accreditation Australia Limited (TAAL) licensed program.

Tourism Product and Service Providers demonstrating a certification standards equivalent (or higher) to the minimum standards set by the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard will be exempt from this policy.

The Particular Services are now generally provided to tourism product and service providers with the use of government funds and operates as a subsidy to those providers. Tourism NT believes that only tourism operators who meet minimum standards of customer service, safety and

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consumer standards, quality assurance and best business practices should continue to receive government subsidy.

The proposed conduct will ensure that public monies are spent responsibly by Tourism NT and, at the same time, assist the Northern Territory tourism industry to lift its standards by increasing the take up of accreditation.

Without the notification Tourism NT must continue (if it is to subsidies the tourism industry at all) to subsidies some tourism product and service providers who fail to meet basic regulatory compliances including occupational health and safety, and public liability responsibilities.

TAAL is a company limited by guarantee established for the purpose of developing a national consistent system of accreditation for the tourism industry in Australia. TAAL has adopted cross-sectoral minimum requirements for accreditation in the tourism industry which are called the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard (the Standard). To ensure uniformity of approach across statelterritory and national programs, as well as adherence to the Standard, a Framework has been established. The Framework addresses the issue of statelterritorv administration of Accreditation Programs together with monitoring of the Standard. The Australian Government provided funds to initiate the implementation of the Standard and the ~ramework, which became the ~ustralian Tourism Accreditation System.

TAAL does not operate an accreditation program, but licenses accreditation programs which meet the Standards. The providers of TAAL licensed program are those listed in Annexure 1.

Applications from Tourism Product and Service Providers wishing to demonstrate a certification standards equivalent (or higher) to the minimum standards set by the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard, in order to seek exemption from this policy, will be independently assessed by members of the ATAP NT Assessment Panel, as they have an excellent working knowledge of the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard yet are autonomous from Tourism NT. The appeals process for these applications will be identical to that implemented by ATAP NT, as documented in Annexure 1.

3. Persons, or classes of persons, affected or likely to be affected by the notified conduct (a) Class or classes of persons to which the conduct relates

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Persons or classes of persons to which the conduct relates are Tourism Product and Service Providers (reference 2b)

(b) Number of those persons i) At present time

Estimated to be around 875 tourism product1 service providers (based on the Northern Territory operators listed on Australian Tourism Data Warehouse). However, it is estimated that about 450 tourism businesses operate in the sectors which would be impacted by the proposed policy, of which approximately 110 are already accredited.

ii) Estimated within the next year

The estimated number of Tourism Product and Service Providers is expected to remain unchanged in the next year (with some newcomers and some turnover). It is anticipated that 50 additional Tourism Product and Service Providers will become accredited over this period.

(c) Where number of persons stated in item 3 (b) (i) is less than 50, their names and addresses

4. Public benefit claims (a) Arguments in support of notification:

i) Tourism Accreditation History

Tourism accreditation is a business development practice designed to establish and continually improve industry standards. It equips operators to help meet domestic and international visitors' expectations of receiving professional products and services, leading to a positive experience.

Accreditation provides consumers and the industry with an assurance that a tourism operator is committed to quality business practice and professionalism.

To gain accreditation, tourism businesses must demonstrate their commitment to and use of specific practices. These business practices are the essential elements of the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard.

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The Standard requires that the business must document and implement:

compliance with both business and industry-specific regulations (including prescribed levels of public liability insurance cover); adherence to industry sector standards and codes of practice; risk management procedures and training; corporate, strategic, business and marketing plans; human resources management policy and procedures; customer service policy and procedures; environmental management policies and procedures; and general maintenance schedules and procedures.

There are currently twelve (12) programs holding a TAAL approved License, which thereby comply with the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard. Six (6) of these programs are the Australia Tourism Accreditation Programs (ATAP), which are generic, statelterritory-based, tourism business accreditation systems, namely:

ATAP (Northern Territory); ATAP (Australian Capital Territory); ATAP (South Australia); ATAP (Victoria), also known as Better Business Tourism Accreditation Program ATAP (Tasmania); and ATAP (Western Australia).

The remaining programs are sectoral programs licensed by TAAL, consisting of:

Camping with Confidence; Events Industry Association (WA) Accreditation Program; Museum Accreditation Program; Respect Our Culture; National Accreditation Program for Caravan Parks; and Eco Certification.

An overview of each of these programs, pricing and formats are provided at Annexure 1 .

In addition, any program subsequently approved by TAAL will be recognised by the proposed policy a Tourism Accreditation Australia Limited (TAAL) licensed program.

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The Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard is based on ISO- 9002. IS0 is well known as a generic quality management system standard. Attaining IS0 9000 certification involves extensive time and costs but is internationally recognised and respected.

Tourism NT considers that businesses accredited with IS0 9000 equivalent and above meet the requisite minimum standards of quality assurance needed to achieve the objectives of the relevant conduct, and hence will be eligible for the Particular Services.

Tourism NT also recognises that some large tourism operations participate in business-specific quality assurance programs which exceed the minimum standards set by the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard. Accordingly, Tourism Product and Service Providers' who can adequately demonstrate a certification standard equivalent to or higher than the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standards will be eligible for the Particular Services.

ii) Support Available to Northern Territory Tourism Businesses

Tourism NT will allocate the resources of eight (8) Industry Development Officers to assist Tourism Product and Service Providers identify the most suitable accreditation program for their business and encourage them to achieve and maintain accreditation with that program.

Tourism NT's Industry Development team is currently actively encouraging all new Tourism Product and Service Providers in the industry to participate in a sector appropriate accreditation program.

Tourism NT's Industry Development team has also established formal systems of communication with all TAAL licensed programs (by assigning an industry development officer as a "program buddy" for each program) to ensure that information about these programs is current and free-flowing throughout Tourism NT and the NT tourism industry.

iii) Benefits of Accreditation

Accreditation is seen by the tourism industry as a vital quality assurance and self regulation tool for achieving sustainable growth through:

ensuring customer confidence; repeat visitation; stronger yield;

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building the capacity of the enterprise; and recognising the contribution to the triple bottom line. via economic, environmental and social aspects.

Accreditation benefits operators, the industry and consumers. It confirms to consumers and industry that tourism business operators are committed to professionalism and continuous improvement in their conduct and delivery of service.

iv) Benefits for participating Tourism Product and Service Providers

A CRC for Sustainable Tourism study into the costs and benefits of tourism accreditation found there were a number of key benefits being delivered to busine~ses.~ These and other benefits are:

improved business processes and practices - documentation of formal operational and management procedures that can add value and direction to a tourism business. This will improve business knowledge, competence, management and predictability; the ability to assure customers of the continued quality of services provided by that business, leading to improved customer relationships and reputation - resulting in repeat business; improved training, communications and staff morale; a competitive advantage over non-accredited operators, which could lead to increased market share; greater customer confidence and satisfaction, leading to increased repeat business; improved risk management procedures and training which in turn create the opportunity to reduce public liability insurance costs; enhanced reputation amongst other businesses including credibility within the tourism distribution network improving opportunity for referral business; access to information, eg templates, case studies, which will assist business comply with regulatory requirements and enhance operational procedures; a means of regularly reviewing business and risk management practices for continual improvement. being able to enjoy a marketing and promotion campaign which highlights the Northern Territory's higher product quality.

' Source: CRC for Sustainable Tourism, 2000. The Effect of Accreditation on Tourism Business Performance: An Evaluation

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v) Benefits for consumers

Accreditation provides consumers with an assurance that a tourism operator is committed to sound business practices and professionalism in all aspects of their enterprise. It provides consumers with better information and allows them to make more informed choices about the tourism businesses they deal with.

While this does not necessarily guarantee a high quality product, it better ensures consumers receive what is promoted to them from businesses that are professional and ethical (for example, 'truth in advertising' is a major part of the TAAL standard) and will reduce disputations with consumers.

This will reduce transaction costs and risks for consumers and encourage more efficient purchasing decisions and greater customer satisfaction.

Accreditation also satisfies safety and security needs. Consumers are exposed to less risk by way of inadequate public liability cover and by being more certain that products and services will meet industry accepted standards and government regulations (for example, meeting government regulations is a requirement of the TAAL standard)

vi) Benefits for Northern Territory Tourism Industry

The tourism industry gains from having a more sustainable and competitive sector through accreditation. Improved business practices and consequential improvements in product quality and reliability will likely lead to an increased reputation for the Territories and Australia's tourism industry. Specific benefits for the proposed conduct include:

enhanced sustainability of businesses; making the Northern Territory a more competitive tourism destination; increasing employment and training opportunities (as a result of growth in and improved professionalism of the sector); and raising the survival rate of new tourism businesses. saving on the costs of tourism operators and Tourism NT assessing the bona fides of businesses they promote.

The existence of an industry based accreditation program (ie industry self-regulation), in itself, also reduces the likelihood of

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imposed regulations (a more costly alternative for both industry and government) and allows industry to have a much greater say in how such self-regulation should be structured and implemented.

(b) Facts and evidence relied upon in support of these claims

For over 20 years industries worldwide have recognised that implementing quality assurance programs can deliver a competitive advantage. This fact has prompted the growth of a range of related programs, notably the internationally recognised IS0 series (International Organisation for Standardisation). Many industry sectors and individual businesses now invest considerable resources in demonstrating best practice and continuous improvement.

The tourism industry has low barriers to entry and involves a high proportion of small business. As a result, Northern Territory tourism businesses display a range of levels of experience, skills, business acumen and professionalism. Inconsistent product and service delivery has a clear negative impact on a destination and the delivery of inadequate tourism products to Northern Territory visitors will tarnish the Northern Territory's brand and profile throughout Australia and internationally.

In recent years, the tourism industry has had an increasing focus on aualitv assurance. Accreditation is seen bv the tourism industrv as a tool ior achieving sustainable growth by &ining customer cbnfidence, building business capacity and contributing to the triple bottom line of the tourism industry.

There is widespread acknowledgment that the TAAL approved ATAP can be seen as a business develo~ment tool that seeks to assist oDerators in meeting the rising service expectations of both domestic and international visitors (Cowen 2002 in Carlsen et al 2006). Further, 'as consumers and investors begin to determine the link between business standard and quality of service, it is suggested that they begin to demand guarantees of performance. Compliance with voluntary standards can be translated into competitive advantage for businesses, and as such can be supported by governments' (Carlsen et al2006). The full report is at Annexure 2.

5. Market Definition Provide a description of the market(s) in which the goods or services described at 2 (a) are supplied or acquired and other affected markets including: significant suppliers and acquirers; substitutes available for the relevant goods or services; any restriction on the supply or acquisition of the relevant goods or services (for example geographic or legal restrictions).

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The relevant market likely to be affected by the proposed conduct are Tourism Product and Service Providers including those operating in the following sectors:

accommodation with a short term focus (ie less than three months), including hotels1 pubs, motels, apartments, self-catering accommodation providers, resorts, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, tourist caravan parks, backpacker hostels and houseboats; attractions, where an entry fee is charged, including natural, cultural, heritage, man-made, contemporary and theme park attractions; tours, including land content providers (for example - half day, day and extended tours), tours packaged with transport and tours packaged with accommodation; and vehicle and vessel hire, including motor home, campervan, caravan, car and boat hire.

i. Substitutes available for the relevant goods or services

Tourism NT is a major player in marketing the Northern Territory, in both international and Australian markets, but it is not the only player.

Tourism Product and Service Providers may also acquire marketing services from retailers, wholesalers or inbound tour operators such as those listed below

Major tourism distributors and distribution channels ('Other Major Distribution Channels) include:

Wholesalers 6% Qantas Holidays, www.qantas.com.aulholidays;Northern Gateway Holidays (a wholesaler) www.northaustraliaholidays.com; Regional Tourism Associations 0% www.tourismto~end.com.au~: , . Visitor lnformaiion Centres (eg www.visitkatherine.com.au); Tour desks in transDort hubs and accommodation houses: In Bound Tour ope;ators - (eg ATS Pacific); Automobile Associations (eg NRMA and AAA); Websites, On-line distributors (eg Expedia.com); Other membership based organisations; and Print media and other advertising mediums.

Tourism Product and Service Providers may also bypass the traditional tourism distribution network and promote their products directly to consumers (by newspaper, via the Internet).

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Consumer access via the internet to Tourism Product and Service Providers is demonstrated by the following Google search date of Australian page results:

Northern Territory Tourism 360,000 hits Northern Territory Tourism Operators I, 040,000 hits Northern Territory Tourism Providers 121,000 hits Northern Territory Tourism Marketing Agents 83,000 hits Northern Territory Tourism Product Suppliers 87,600 hits Northern Territory Tourism Service Suppliers 122,000 hits

These results establish that consumers have significant access to Tourism Product and Service Providers irrespective of individual accreditation.

ii. Restriction on the Supply or Acquisition of Relevant Good or Services

The proposed conduct will not restrict supply of Tourism Product and Service Providers' products.

On the contrary:

Tourism Product and Service Providers who do not wish to be accredited will continue to trade in the fashion previously that they did. Other tourism product promoters exist (see 'Other Major Distribution Channels' referred to above) that will fill the void. It is unlikely in the extreme that Tourism Product and Service Providers who do not wish to be accredited will cease to provide goods and services as they now do.

Tourism Product and Service Providers who do wish to seek accreditation or approval will be able to do so without significantly or detrimentally impacting either financially or managerially their business as a result of the mechanisms created by Tourism NT to assist Tourism Product and Service Providers with the process.

6. Public Detriments

(a) Detriments to the public resulting or likely to result from the notification, in particular the likely effect of the notified conduct on the prices of the goods or services described at 2 (a) above and the prices of goods or services in other affected markets

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Tourism NT contends that the proposed action will have no impact on pricing of goods and services that are not provided with the particular services.

Tourism NT considers there will a net return to the community from the proposed conduct. The benefits to the public include:

greater business efficiency among participating businesses and increased national and international competitiveness for the Territory and Australia; participation in establishing a strong marketing brand for the Northern Territory and thereby Australian tourism focussed on high quality, reliable product; driving improvement in the quality and safety of goods and services (encouraging the take up of accreditation will promote compliance with safety regulations); and delivering better information to consumers and businesses to permit informed choices in their dealings.

Public detriment from the proposed conduct is considered to be, at worst, minimal. Where it does exist it may take the form of some tourism businesses choosing not to become accredited and, as a result, not having access to Tourism NT's particular services. The outcome may be a minor reduction in viability, although this is unlikely.

The proposed conduct will provide a net public benefit in all circumstances and should therefore be allowed.

(b) Facts and evidence relevant to these detriments

Other State Tourism Authorities and regional tourism organisations have notified the ACCC of exclusive dealings for accreditation tourism - operators, including:

Tourism Victoria (N40553); Tourism Western Australia (N93215); and Geelong and Otway Tourism (N40670).

Overseas research indicates that consumers are not willing to pay a premium for accredited products, rather it is a cost that suppliers have had to absorb (making it necessary for them to be more efficient). In the best of cases accreditation has allowed market access but the cost has not been passed to the c~nsumer.~ It is therefore not anticipated that increased prices will result from this policy.

' Source: Proposal for a Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council. December 2001, P1aneta.com

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7. Further Information a. Name, postal address and contact telephone details of the person

authorised to provide additional information in relation to this notification

Claire George Policy Development Manager Destination Development Tourism NT GPO Box 11 55 DARWIN NT 0801

Dated 20 March 2008

Signed by/ on behalf of the applicant

Maree Tetlow Chief Executive Tourism NT

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Annexure

1. Approved Programs -Additional Information

2. Carlsen, J., Jago, L., Harris, R., de Silva, R. (2006) Australian Tourism Businesses Accreditation - factors impacting the uptake of the ATAA standard in Australia, CRC for Sustainable Tourism Pty Ltd, Australia

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Annexure 1 - Approved Accreditation Programs

1. Australian Tourism Accreditation Program

The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program (ATAP) is a generic, state- based accreditation program based on the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard.

ATAP is designed to be affordable, accessible and applicable to the whole tourism industry.

ATAP programs currently operate in the Northern Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. These programs are operated respectively by Tourism NT; Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria, Tourism lndustry Council of Western Australia, Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, Tourism Accreditation Board of South Australia and the Tourism Industry Council, ACT. Many of these programs have been established with the assistance from the Australian, State and Territory Governments.

Given the generic nature of ATAP, it is anticipated that a significant number of NT tourism operators (without a special interest relevant to other accreditation programs) will select to apply to ATAP Northern Territory, to comply with the policy proposed in 2b. ATAP Northern Territory ('ATAP (NT)') is administered by Tourism NT. ATAP NT has a rigorous, three-stage assessment process, as outlined below.

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Ga~n access to online application system, CD or receive paper-based manual

Online. CD w paper version

External party

I Onsite VwMcatlon Audlt

Tourism NT w consultant

Logos and certificate Appeal Board - CE of Tourism NT and CE of DBERD

Submit renewal form, provide updated documents and pay annual

Note - onsite veriiiutm &it% are underlaken on a cydic basls (of no more man 3 years) or as a result of a cwnp(~ance

The fees for ATAP (NT) are calculated based on the applicant's number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) employees, as detailed below:

Number of FTE employees 0-5

Annual fee $209

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2. Sectoral programs endorsed by TAAL

Six (6) sector specific programs are also licensed by TAAL. These programs meet the requirements of the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standards but also incorporate standards specific to their particular sector of operation. This allows for considerable diversity within the national framework.

Three (3) of these programs are relevant to some tourism operations in the Northern Territory; namely:

i) Caravan lndustry Australia Accreditation Program

Formed in 1992, Caravan Industry Australia (CIA) is the peak national organisational body for the Caravan, Motor Home and Camping industries. Caravan Industry Australia's Accreditation Program is about developing professionalism within the caravan park sector of the industry. It is a three year voluntary program and includes a code of conduct, compliance with regulations and assessable standards in risk, safety and environmental management, customer service, human resources, marketing and business planning. More information about the program is available in the "industry only" section of www.welovethiscountn/.com.au. The program costs $250 per year.

ii) Respecting our Culture (ROC) Indigenous Accreditation Program

Developed by Aboriginal Tourism Australia, ROC is a national program designed for all businesses with an indigenous component. It particularly assists indigenous communi~es in protecting and strenathenina their cultural. environmental. social and business susta~nabiliti In addition to'the business management requirements of the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard, the ROC Program addresses cultural protocols and caring for country (sustainable environmental practices). For more information, refer to w.rocproaram.com. The cost of the ROC program is based on the number of fulltime equivalent staff. Initial costs to register and apply range from $330-$900, with annual fees ranging from $165-$385.

iii) Eco Certification Program

An initiative of Ecotourism Australia (EA), the Eco Certification Program was originally launched in 1996 as the Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Program (NEAP). This program was developed by industry for industry to address the need to identify genuine ecotourism and nature tourism operators in Australia. Accredited Eco Certification Program products are backed by a

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commitment to best practice ecological sustainability, natural area management and the provision of quality ecotourism experiences. An important distinction with the Eco Certification Program is that it accredits product rather than business practices or individuals. Three types of nature tourism or ecotourism product may be accredited under the Eco Certification Program:

accommodation, tours; and attractions.

The Eco Certification Program incorporates Business and Operational Planning criteria which meet the TAAL requirements. The program is self-funding and operates on a not for profit basis. The cost of program is based on the applicant's annual turnover. In addition to an $85 charge for the application document, the fees structure is:

The remaining three (3) sector-specific programs do not currently actively operate in the Northern Territory and hence are unlikely to be of interest to Northern Territory tourism operators.

i) Museums Australia Accreditation Program

The Museum Accreditation Program (MAP) was launched in August 1993. This Victoria-wide program was established as a framework for reviewing museum and gallery operations against industry standards. MAP provides a framework to help Victorian museums build sustainability and innovation in management, governance and operations and to foster and promote professional standards across the sector. Over 34 Victorian museums are accredited. This program does not have any current plans to expand its operations to other regions in Australia.

ii) Events Industry Association P A )

The Events Industry Association Accreditation Program has been developed by Events Industry Association (WA) in response to an identified need to develop a system of accreditation for its members that aligns standards in the events industry with the demands of

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business today. The accreditation program is currently in operation in Western Australia but would consider delivering the program in the Northern Territory, in the future.

iii) Camping Association of Victoria - Camping with Confidence

The camping Association of Victoria's (CAV) "Camping with Confidence Program" was developed to accredit group accommodation campsites. This voluntary program for campsite accreditation was developed by the Camping Association in conjunction with the Department of Education and is endorsed by the Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria and TAAL. Accredited campsites have demonstrated to independent consultants that they meet the a r e standards for the safe and reasonable operation of the campsite. 11 1 Victorian campsites are accredited under the program. It is not anticipated that this program will be expanded to other jurisdictions in the future.

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SLISTAIN - - - . . .. . TOURISM

E' CRC

Factors impacting the uptake of the ATAA standard in Australia

TECHNICAL REPORTS The technical report series present data and its analysis, meta-studies and conceptual studies and are considered to be of value to industry, government and researchers. Unlike the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre's Monograph series, these reports have not been subjected to an external peer review process. As such. the scientific accuracy and merit of the research reported here is the responsibility of the authors, who should be contacted for clarifications of any content. Author contact details are at the back of this report.

EDITORS Prof Chris Cooper University of Queensland Editor-in-Chief Prof Terry De Lacy Sustainable Tourism CRC Chief Executive Prof Leo Jago Sustainable Tourism CRC Director of Research

National Library of Australia Cataloguing in Publication Data Australian tourism businesses accreditation : factors impacting the uptake of the ATAA standard in Australia.

Bibliography. ISBN 1 920965 06 8.

I . Tourism - Accreditation - Australia. I. Carlsen, Jack. 11. Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism.

Copyright O CRC for Sustainable Tourism Pty Ltd 2006 All rights resewed. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the publisher. Any enquiries should be directed to Brad Cox, Communications Manager (b1.;1iifiicrctourisn1.~01n~al1), or Trish O'Connor, Publishing Manager (trisbifl crctooris~n.com.no).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre, an Australian government initiative, h d e d this research.

On behalf of the Sustainable Tourism CRC, the research team would like to thank all the participants in the study for their willingness to cooperate and participate in the investigation of issues on tourism business accreditation, and for their honesty in portraying their respective views and experience. These include people involved in the national accreditation structure, such as program managers, and board members. A range of representatives from government agencies, tourism industry association non-ATAA endorsed business accreditation schemes, individual certification and accreditation programs were also involved. The resources, time and energy placed at the disposal of the research team by these organisationslindividuals greatly enhanced the quality of the results that were obtained.

A USTRALIAIV TOURISSM BUSINESSES ACCREDITATI0:V

CONTENTS

SUMMARY IV

CHAPTER I OBJECTIVES O F THE STUDY 1

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2 ACCREDITATION IN TOURISM 2 PERFORMANCE OF THE NATIONAL SYSTEM FOR TOURISM BUSINESS ACCREDITATION 3 BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCREDITATION 3 PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCREDITATION 4 THE WAY FORWARD 4

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY- 5

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS 6 MEANING AND PURPOSE OF ACCREDITATION 6 ACCREDITA~ON ISSUES 6 NATIONAL FRAMEWORK 6 OPERATOR BENEFITS 7 CONSUMER DEMAND 8 T HIRD LINE ENFORCING AND THE ACCC 8 AVOIDING DUPLICATION 8 AUDIT AND STANDARDS 9 FUNDING 9 STRUCTURAL ISSUES 10

CHAPTER 5 RECOMMENDATIONS 11 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE I 1 FUNDING I I INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING ACCRED~~ATION SCHEM 11 AUDITING I I PROMOTION TO INDUSTRY AND CONSUMERS 12 QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS 12 FUTURE RESEARCH I 2

APPENDIX A: ISTER\'IEW SCHEDULE 13 APPESDIX B: TOL1RIS.\1 ACCREDITATION PROGRA.\IS REPORT 14 APPESDIX C: AT,\,\ ENDORSED ACCREDITED 'I'OURIShl BUSINESSES SEPTEMBER 2003 - 15

REFERENCES 16

GLOSSARY 17

AUTHORS 18

Factors impacting the uptake of the A TAA standard in Australia

SUMMARY

In the interests of ensuring that high qualily tourism products and sewices are delivered throughout Australia. there is an urgent need to identify the reasons why the national tourism business accreditation standard has not been fully embraced by the tourism industry. It was intended that this report examine the background of accreditation and identify the issues impacting the uptake ofthe Accreditation Standard at a national level. The study should provide a base upon which further work in tourism accreditation can be undertaken.

The key objectives ofthis study were: To identify what key informants understand the meaning and purpose of 'accreditation' to be; To identify factors serving to facilitate the uptake of a national tourism business accreditation standard; and To identify factors sewing to inhibit the uptake ofthe standard.

With regard to the issues identified in the report and the related research, the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre suggests that:

The existing national accreditation structure is used as the platform for developing a truly national, representative and impartial organisation to administer tourism business accreditation; Although the setting of an acceptable minimum standard is still a core objective, any new accreditation structure needs to allow for the wide range of standards within the tourism indushy to be acknowledged and recognised; After a period of seed funding, the national organisation for accreditation should devise appropriate mechanisms that allow for it to be funded on a cost-recovery or self-funding basis; The national accreditation standard criteria should be used as the core basis for all subsequent sectoral accreditation programs that are developed; More economical and feasible procedures should be put in place for auditing accredited tourism businesses. Care should be taken not to duplicate the efforts of existing government and private agencies which administer forms of awards, permits or licenses to tourism business operators. Where possible, efforts should be made to seize opportunities for linking the extensive resources of such organisations; In terms of promotional activity, partnerships need to be identified and strategies adopted in order to 'facilitate the recognition and acceptance ofthe standard and its benefits within the tourism industry and by consumer groups; and Further efforts are needed to investigate and quantify the benefits achieved by tourism businesses as a result ofaccreditation. Building on previous work, this can provide tangible evidence to assist the future credibility of the tourism accreditation standard and the increased prospect of the involvement of tourism businesses.

Several areas for future research have been identified as a result ofthis project. These are: A quantification ofthe benefits of accreditation to operators by such means as case studies that seek to be representative of businesses in different industry sectors and on different scales. Such case studies would be identified in association with appropriate tourism industly bodies; An assessment ofthe role that accreditation plays in consumer purchase decisions and what can be done to enhance this. This is an area of limited research to date, and its exploration would likely involve substantial primary research; and An exploration of the approaches used by a range of industty-based accreditation systems to undertake the task of auditing individual program participants.

AUSTRALIAN TOURISM BUSI.YESSES ACCREDITATION

Chapter I

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This scoping study was undertaken by the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) with the support of the Australian Tourism Accreditation Association (ATAA). During the STCRC's consultation process, accreditation was identified as an issue requiring further examination. Whilst there was strong support for the principle of accreditation, the uptake of accreditation by operators within the tourism industty has been quite low. As a consequence, the STCRC undertook to examine the factors impacting upon the acceptance by the industry of the ATAA Standard. This study provides a basis upon which further research in tourism accreditation can be developed. The key objectives of this study were to identify:

Key informants understanding of the meaning and purpose of accreditation; Factors that facilitate the uptake of the national accreditation standard; and Factors that inhibit the uptake of the national accreditation standard.

Factors impacting the uptake of the A TAA standard in Ausbalia

Chapter 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

An extensive literature review was undertaken to background the development of accreditation in general, and tourism accreditation in particular. This review included academic literature as well as industry submissions and government policy documents. The review was conducted with the specific purpose of mapping the problems and successes encountered in developing and implementing accreditation programs. It helped reveal gaps in knowledge with regards to the structure and process related to tourism business accreditation.

Accreditation in Tourism As the tourism industry is very diverse, continuous improvement and best business practices are critical to the ongoing success of this multi-faceted industry if it is to meet the demands of a constantly changing marketplace. One significani means of meeting this challenge is the establishment, maintenance and enforcement of agreed industry standards via an accreditation program (Langer 1997). It is noteworthy in this regard that tourism industry managers themselves are increasingly viewing accreditation as a means of achieving this goal (McKercher 1998). It is not surprising therefore that various voluntary accreditation programs have emerged in the tourism industry in recent years, including a National Tourism Accreditation Program.

The term accreditation has wide currency across a broad range of disciplines and their respective definitions are used interchangeably across the literature because of their shared history and assumptions (Langer 1997; Issaverdis 1998a). The Dictionaty of Professional Management defines accreditation as 'the ojjicial recognition and certification of a desired, required or acceptable level of qualip, value, abiliy and competence through the review and evaluation of the education. training, experience and perJonnance ofprofessional educators and practitioners'(Banki 1997). It is this definition that will be employed in this discussion.

Tourism business accreditation is a voluntary procedure that assesses, monitors, and gives written assurance . . - that a business, product, process, service, or management system conforms to specific requirements. It awards a marketable logo or seal to those that meet or exceed the baseline standards, i.e. those that, at a minimum, comply w~th nattonal and rcg~onal rcgulat~ons, and typually fulfil othcr declared or negot~ated standards preccrtbed by the Droeram in wh~ch thev are ~nvolved ~Sansbnn. Font & S~llows 20011. In the case of the Nattonal Tounsm ~c&edzation Program operated by the ATAA, a'standard qualification'pmcess has been developed with the intent of allowing those member businesses to establish and continually improve their business practices. This program aims to assist every tourism business to improve the way it operates, and as such can be seen as a business development tool that seeks to assist operators in meeting the rising service expectations of both domestic and international visitors (Cowan 2002).

Accreditation programs, in performing their aforementioned function, provide a means of establishing the extent to which a business offering tourism experiences meets industry nominated standards. In effect they serve as a 'mirror' for businesses in which they can see their practices in a given context and by so doing serve to encourage the delivery of consistently high quality products and promote continuous improvement (Issaverdis 1998a). By completing the accreditation process, operators are therefore being prompted to review their business activities and processes, identify any strengths or deficiencies in these, and determine any actions they may need to take, e.g. staff training (ATAA 2001). The National Tourism Accreditation Scheme and its incorporated sector-specific prog'rams also provide operators with detailed recommendations and expected training requirements. For instance, as part of the accreditation process operators must provide evidence of a training program for staff, including documented procedures for staff induction, customer service, training and professional development. Accreditation can therefore also be seen as setting benchmarks and streamlining the process of identifying operators' key training needs which may have been overlooked or under-estimated.

It is to be noted that at present the accreditation of tourism businesses in Australia is not solely through the National Tourism Accreditation Scheme operated by ATAA. Indeed, such programs have proliferated in Australia in recent years, with over 100 programs now in existence. These programs may be limited in scope to a specific state, or they may be national in their coverage. Some are also international in nature. The operation of so many different programs globally, along with the various logos and labels associated with them, has undoubtedly created confusion in the minds of consumers, which in turn has led to a lack of consumer demand for accredited tourism services. Furthermore, only about one per cent of businesses have joined these schemes (ATAA 2002). This failure to establish awareness and recognition, it could be argued, might seriously undermine the potential of accreditation to bring about sustainable tourism (WWF 2000; Byers 2002).

AUSTRALIAN TOURISM BUSINESSES ACCREDITA TION

Performance of the National System for Tourism Business Accreditation Of the 50.000 plus recognised tourism characteristic businesses in Australia (BTR 2003), there are currently less than 3,000 operators accredited with the ATAA (ATAA 2002a). The genesis of the National System was established by the Victorian Tour Operators Association (VTOA). A program developed by the Westem Australian Tourism Commission (WATC) was then operated in several other states by individual branches of Tourism Council Australia (TCA). Its requirements were used to formulate the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard. When TCA went into administration in December 2000, steps were taken to establish an independent body to continue the task of implementing and maintaining the Australian Tourism Accreditation System. The ATAA was subsequently registered in January 2001. The ATAA then secured the intellectual property rights for the Australian Tourism Accreditation System (ATAS), and federal funds were provided to ensure the ongoing viability of the program. As at September 2003, six states and territories - Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory -are operating ATAA- endorsed state-based accreditation programs. The state-based programs are generic and applicable to all industry sectors. The programs have been designed so that if a sector wishes to add any elements to the program for its members, this can be included as a simple 'bolt on' component, without the sector having to introduce a whole new program (ATAA 2001).

Tourism industry sectors that do have their own programs and wish to be pan of ATAS must ensure their programs include all elements of the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard and comply with the national requirements. To date, there are six ATAA-endorsed industry sector programs which are operated by Caravan Industry Australia, Museums Australia, Camping Association of Victoria, Events Industry Association (Westem Australia), Aboriginal Tourism Australia and the Outdoor Recreation Industry Council of New South Wales.

As at 30 November 2003, 2.71 1 accredited tourism businesses throughout Australia, ranging from bed and breakfasts to regional airlines. have met the Australian Tourism Accreditation Standard and are proudly displaying the Australian Tourism Accreditation logo, providing customers, retailers, wholesalers and the industry with an assurance of quality products and services (National Tourism Accreditation Program [NTAP] 2004).

Benefits Associated with Accreditation According to a recent submission from ATAA to the then Federal Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Joe Hockey (ATAA 2002), accreditation benefits individual operators as well as the whole industry. It confirms that tourism business operators are committed to professionalism in their conduct and delivery of service. The Tourism White Paper (Commonwealth of Australia 2003), stresses the need for a standard which delivers tangible business benefits that exceed the costs of compliance. Such a standard would also bring with it a range of operator benefits, as Issaverdis (1998b) notes:

The major benefits for operators who subject themselves to the processes of benchmarking, accreditation, best practices and auditing are often not the outcome itself but rather the value of closely scmtinising the operation. The process can assist in identifying areas in need of improvement and the implementation of measures which will enhance the value of the experience for consumers, improve environmentally sustainable practices and increase yield for the business. Accreditation also provides federal, state, and local government agencies with a tool for managing

relationships with the tourism indushy and individual enterprises (Cowan 2002). It does so firstly by allowing standards to be developed more quickly than if they were required to pass through the legislative process. This means they can respond more efficiently to socio-economic and environmental changes as they occur. Font and Bendell (2002) also raise the issue of cost savings associated with the standard monitoring process becoming the responsibility of the accrediting authority, rather than requiring government to fund an inspection regime. Another area of benefit relates to competition. As consumers and investors begin to determine the link between business standard and quality of senrice, it is suggested that they begin to demand guarantees of performance. Compliance with voluntary standards can be translated into competitive advantage for businesses, and as such can be supported by governments.

As the widespread development and uptake of voluntary standards has been a relatively recent phenomenon, and because this has oAen happened without the involvement of govemments, so the question of how governments relate to voluntary standards is not well studied (Font & Bendell 2002). The available research suggests that governments will need to consider how industry self-regulation with voluntary standards affects domestic regulatory capacity, because it can compete with or complement national regulatory norms. For example, in regulatory enforcement actions undertaken by government, the existence of a credible voluntary standard can assist in obtaining convictions or avoiding penal liability. There is evidence that governments are being more proactive in their support of voluntary accreditation programs, through regulatory relaxation schemes, tax breaks, government participation in standards development and the incorporation of standards into

Factors impacting the uptake of the A TAA standard in Australia

regulations, amongst other activities. Some public authorities have sought to lead by example, by aligning the practices of state-owned enterprises with international standards. One recent example has been governmental references to international voluntary standards when inquiring about foreign operations of corporations based in their country.

Problems Associated with Accreditation A range of potential problems and limitations also exist with accreditation programs of a voluntary nature. Some of these arise because of the reliance on civil society and the market in creating the incentives for the voluntary uptake and implementation of standards. Others are directly linked to questions of the efficiency of monitoring regimes. As regards this latter issue, it can be assumed that a lack of appropriate monitoring resources (human and technical) will result in problems ranging from the inability to manage vast geographical areas, to a deficiency in actual skills for monitoring the variety of elements which the standards consist of (Font & Bendell 2002).

Given the range of accreditation programs now operating in Australia, it may well be the case that individual tourism enterprises are suffering from 'code overload', and that consumers, investors and other stakeholders are becomine increasinelv confused as to what different standards mean (Font & Bendell 2002). The issue of market - -, confusion may be arising because many accreditation schemes have undergone significant changes in recent times and because there is no widely accepted framework against which to measure these programs. Tbis situation has arisen because tourism accreditation programs have, for the most part, been developed by the industry itself. These include monitoring or review procedures that range widely from self-evaluation to fully accredited third party audits. It is also the case with accreditation programs associated with environmental standards that the proliferation of logos, labels and terms advertising environmental or sustainability credentials that have emerged over the last few years have made it difficult, if not impossible, for consumers to distinguish between accreditation schemes. Tourism businesses that have responded to the environmental, social or economic agenda have therefore been left scrambling to prove their legitimacy (Elper Wood 2002).

Another understandable issue from an operator perspective is bow the criteria of voluntary standards, and the papework involved in demonstrating compliance, can marginalise smaller as well as non-westem producers (Bass & Danielson 2001).

The Way Forward There is a clear need for an analysis of the range of existing certification programs as a first step to improving both credibility and comparability. Inspections are important to ensure that products or service standards are maintained. Furthermore, a series of tools and methods need to be designed or adapted for managers and employees to strengthen organisational systems, prevent problems and improve quality. The ethics of accreditation will also have to be considered. Many small companies do not have the economies of scale to consider certification due to costs, and if accreditation increases the need to be certified, this will need to be done with capacity building and other incentives in mind. These in turn are often perceived as the responsibility of governments. Businesses will need to clearly see how efficiency-related savings, increased business or added value can offset any extra costs flowing from the need to be accredited. In this regard it will likely be easier to convince large companies than small ones, and the latter are likely to only be able to enter through the accreditation of whole chains of supply (Sanabria, Font & Sallows 2001).

An organisational structure for accreditation administration with an autonomous financing model will be important to the successful expansion of tourism enterprise accreditation as one of the major problems with tourism certification programs to date has been the fact they have often been established with the assistance of grant money. Participatiodmembership fees have, on the whole, been low and often subsidised by the certification body themselves in a bid to increase the number of businesses involved.

A USTRALIAIV TOURISM BUSI"VESSES ACCREDITA TION

Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

In April 2003, the research team met with the ATAA Board in Adelaide to discuss the basis for the project. Since this project was intended to consolidate knowledge that already existed and provide a platform for future research efforts, the approach adopted was to undertake in-depth interviews with key informants. The ATAA Board assisted greatly with the selection of these individuals. The key criteria used in determining the list of interviewees was their knowledge of, or involvement in, tourism indnshy accreditation, rather than their attitude towards it. Key informants were program managers, board members, government agencies and tourism industry association representatives. These ranged from state and federal tourism departments, endorsed and non- endorsed business accreditation programs and schemes, and individual certification and accreditation programs.

The interviews were semi-structured and conducted either face-to-face or via telephone. The duration of each interview was approximately one hour, with the issues covered centring upon the three previously stated research objectives. It should be noted that the original list of interviewees was expanded to encompass others who were identified during the first round of interviews as having knowledge on accreditation. In total, 30 in-depth interviews were conducted.

The interview round was followed up by a validation stage whereby a summary of responses was circulated to all the key informants m allow for modification and comment. All feedback from the validation stage has been factored into this report.

Factors impacting the uptake of the A TAA standard in Australia

Chapter 4

FINDINGS

The response to requests for interviews was excellent. Indeed, everyone who was contacted agreed to be interviewed for this study. Irrespective of whether intewiewees were in favour of tourism business accreditation in principle or in practice, all were quite passionate in their responses and it was often quite dificult to conclude the interview at the end of the allocated hour. To quote one interviewee, there is a vigorous acknowledgement of the benefits of accreditation and a shared commitment towards improving the quality ofthe tourism product.

There was widespread agreement that accreditation schemes can play an important role in bringing about a more sustainable tourism industry. One intewiewee noted that ageneric accreditation system is the key driver to elevate tourism business standards to an acceptable level in the progression to a minimum standard o/ best practices and processes, while another stated that business accreditation offers the tourism industry a unique opportunity to prove its credibility and commitment to best 'back of house 'practices, quality in the processes behind the delivery of the tourism product and long-tenn business sustainabilip. On the other hand, there is a need for clarity within the industry, and the failure to establish a clear standard and underlying framework could seriously undermine the potential of such schemes to bring about sustainable tourism practices in Australia.

Meaning and Purpose of Accreditation Although a majority of the interviewees in this study had been actively involved with accreditation for an extended period, there was substantial confusion about what the national tourism business accreditation standard is hying to achieve in practice. Much of this uncertainty related to whether accreditation is a business development tool, a marketing tool, or a combination of both. Many interviewees had difficulty in articulating the purpose of accreditation, indeed, one asked what is it supposed to deliver? One interviewee, who was not overly disposed towards accreditation, felt that accreditation did not offer any benefits for business or protect standards in a way that was not covered by other bodies, believing that Licensing laws pick up the shon!iy operators anyway.

There also appeared to be substantial confusion about the relationship between the individual sectoral and geographical schemes included in the existing accreditation standard and structure. Few intewiewees seemed conversant with the key objectives of its board, which suggested a break-down in communication even amongst those with direct involvement with the organisation. There was also a perception that accreditation has multiple purposes, but the extent to which it can deliver benefits to businesses, government and customers depends on the level of support and recognition it receives from industry, government and the community.

The misconception that accreditation is just another licensing requirement constrains uptake within the industry, particularly amongst small businesses which predominate in tourism. There is a conflict between perceptions of what a national accreditation standard is supposed to deliver and what it actually does deliver. At the end of the day the standard can deliver confidence but not necessarily pmflabilily. sustainability or qualily ofthe tourist experience. On a more positive note, however, accreditation is seen as instrumental in the early identification of problems in processes and procedures related to tourism operations and areas where Governments expose themselves unnecessarily.

Accreditation Issues It was interesting that many of the intewiewees could see a symbiotic relationship between factors facilitating or inhibiting the expansion of accreditation, in that many of the issues were basically opposite sides of the same coin. This being the case, the task of separating facilitators and inhibitors for the purposes of this report proved both difficult and somewhat artificial. For this reason it was decided to use the more generic heading of issues.

National Framework There was general consensus amongst interviewees that having an accreditation framework with national focus was a substantial benefit. It was seen by many as the only mechanism that would give accreditation in the tourism industry any chance of gaining the prominence that it had in other industries. One example given was the nationally recognised 'tick' given to selected foods by the National Heart Foundation.

AUSTRALIAN TOURISSM Bb'SIiVESSES ACCREDITATION

Having a national framework was also seen as the only way that an accreditation program would obtain both federal and state funding in order to ensure its long term sustainability. A nationwide climate that is more accommodating of the accreditation drive was cited as being crucial to the acceleration of its uptake across the tourism industry. At present, it would appear that many tourism businesses do not realise that they have access to the national accreditation standard. These vary from stale to state: general&, larger states are more complex and less accepting of initiatives. which are in direct competition with their existing structures.

The existence of a national framework was identified as a requisite for obtaining any form of significant corporate sponsorship that would provide much-needed funding to underpin growth. This sponsorship was recognised as leverage for the purpose of gaining stronger backing of national accreditation efforts by major industry associations.

Whilst the benefits of a national hmework were generally well-recognised, the fact that the existing ATAA standard does not have the endorsement of all states was seen to be one of the biggest weaknesses of the program. Many intewiewees suggested that since Queensland and New South Wales account for at least half of Australia's tourism product, non-adherence of the two biggest stale ployers in the tourism industry is perhaps the single most debilitating external obstacle in the path of the a nation-wide objective. The lack of support and endorsement at this level erodes the credibiliy of the standard both within those states andat the national level. There was a strongly held view amongst many of the intewiewees that the endorsement of Queensland and New South Wales will very much determine the uptake of the a national standard and indeed its future survival. Many intewiewees also suggested that access to federal funding for accreditation was highly dependent on the program being truly national.

Some intewiewees suggested that the present structure carries the stigma of the now non-operational Tourism Council Australia (TCA) and is associated with the failures of TCA, which is regardedas a disincentive by some operators.

Operator Benefits There was a general consensus amongst intewiewees that demonstrating the tangible benefits that can be derived from accreditation to operators was an essential ingredient in expediting the uptake of accreditation. Intewiewees felt strongly that accreditation and the present structure have not been well enough promoted and the positive attributes are certainly not communicated well enough to the potential beneficiaries. Indeed, most operators were seen as being largely oblivious to what business accreditation means, let alone its supposed benefits in areas such as enhanced efficiency.

A number of intewiewees suggested that little had been done to quantify the benefits of accreditation in order to enhance its saleability. One intewiewee suggested that mostly bene-s are seen by the organisation in hindsight, afrer the accreditation program has been undertaken. Another suggested that no real business case had been made as regards accreditation, and what was needed was a series of case studies that clearly showed the outcomes of accreditation for different types of businesses. Additionally, several intewiewees suggested that benefits would likely differ with the size of a business, with larger businesses already operating at or above any standards that might be associated with an accreditation scheme. This raises the issue of where the focus (in terms of business size) should lie in an accreditation scheme.

Most intewiewees were able to list quite a few of the potential benefits from accreditation that they believed helped entice operators to consider becoming accredited. However, there was a reiteration of their views that few of these benefits had been quantified and promoted adequately to operators. The potential benefits that were most frequently mentioned by intewiewees included access to extended leases in protected areas, access to state and temto~y marketing campaigns, right to use the ATAA logo, enhanced sewice quality and improved business operations. A number of intewiewees suggested that some operators that go down the accreditation path become increasingly aware of the benefits of good business practice and proceed to enter business award programs. Some of these operators become champions of better business practice, improving the performance of their own business as well as seeking to help others. Whilst the financial benefits of obtaining access to licences to operate in some national parks or of having the right to an extended lease because of being an accredited operator are easy to demonstrate and quantify, many of the other benefits are not so easily measured.

Intewiewees suggested that many operators had become accredited because of state govemment rhetoric on the fact that operators would have to be accredited if they were to be given the right to participate in state govemment sponsored marketing programs. As a result of concerns regarding third line enforcing and the stance that the Australian Competition and Consumer Association (ACCC) was likely to take, few states and territories proceeded to enforce the need to be accredited to participate in government programs. According to intewiewees, the fact that this benefit was not realised created angst for many operators who had become accredited and acted as a deterrent for others that were wavering on whether to join the program. It was nonetheless felt by a number of intewiewees that if issues surrounding this matter could be worked through, benefits surrounding marketing of tourism product could be become signiticant drivers of accreditation.

Indeed, this raises the issue of the need to ground accreditation in 'real' (e.g. concessional access to

Factors impacting the uptake of the A TAA standard in Australia

insurance, licenses andlor permits in natural areas, access to government programs etc) as opposed to potential benefits. This would go a long way towards converting the accreditation sceptics. As there is a cost, in time and money, in becoming accredited, failure to adequately quantify the value of the benefits of accreditation acts as a major inhibitor to operators becoming involved. Small businesses make up the vast majority of tourism businesses and the costs of accreditation can seem substantial to these operators. Day-to-day survival for small businesses makes the prospect of accreditation standard compliance seem daunting, and even intimidating. However, a number of informants identified areas where accreditation had contributed directly to improvements in business practices as well as providing discounts for insurance and co-operative marketing campaigns.

Consumer Demand Many intewiewees suggested that the best way to enhance the uptake of accreditation by operators was to have consumers express a preference for accredited product. Once this happens, operators would have little choice but to jump on the accreditation bandwagon. According to intewiewees, many operators believe (or did believe) that accreditation would provide them with a competitive edge in the market. However, without a substantial marketing program designed to raise consumer awareness of accreditation, this expectation remains unfulfilled, resulting in disillusionment amongst many operators. ATAA is not seen as a market differentiation factor as consumers are unaware of the standard, let alone its guarantees.

The ATAA logo was suggested as the key mechanism via which consumers would be able to identify an accredited product; indeed, some intewiewees indicated their belief that this logo was introduced specifically for this purpose. However, the fact that there has been no substantial marketing to alert consumers to the significance of the logo is a disadvantage. Intewiewees agreed unanimously that undertaking a promotion campaign to consumers about accreditation and its benefits would be costly and would take years to achieve a level of substantial awareness. However, many of the intewiewees felt that some expenditure in this direction would be well placed.

There was also a view that accreditation had to achieve a critical mass of accredited businesses before consumen would begin to recognise the logo and choose accredited businesses. This has been seen in other accreditation programs that initially struggled to gain consumer recognition but eventually became widely recognised.

Third Line Enforcing and the ACCC Few states and territories have hitherto proceeded to enforce the need to be accredited to participate in government programs. This was largely due to concern that such a requirement bore the risk of falling foul of the provisions of the Trade Practices Act (1974) and the stance of the Australian Competition and Consumer Association (ACCC) relating to third line forcing. A court ling based on notifications lodged by Tourism Victoria came into effect in March 2003, granting legal immunity from the TPA. Essentially the notifications detail a proposed policy whereby incentives offered to accredited businesses were not regarded as third line enforcing as prohibited by the P A . It is also possible to obtain immunity from action by the ACCC by notifying the ACCC of the conduct or even obtaining an authorisation of the conduct from the ACCC. This has given a boost to the ATAA Accreditation business program and created a favourable precedent for the immunity to be granted nationally.

Avoiding Duplication Linked to the earlier issue of a national framework is the issue of avoiding duplication amongst competing accreditation programs. Many intewiewees expressed concern with the proliferation of accreditation programs and suggested that the existing national standard had the potential to pull together the various accreditation schemes under one umbrella organisation. This, they indicated, was a major facilitator for operators as it would potentially simplify the choices that they had in this area. That said, however, recent experience indicates that the proliferation of competing accreditation programs, symbols and definitions continues and has the potential to completely undermine the effectiveness of the ATAA Standard. One issue of particular note here is the existence of both product and business accreditation programs, and the extent to which both can be accommodated within the ATAA framework.

ATAA has engaged with at least seven sectoral programs and three accreditation programs; however some intewiewees still felt that the injexibility of the present standard in the accommodation o/ potentially complementaryprograms has created the perception o/an exclusive organisation. The fact that many of the key stakeholders in tourism business accreditation are involved or aligned with the operation of alternative or rival programs has undermined the effectiveness of the existing standard. To some extent, this has led to a lack of

AUSTRALIAN TOURISiN BUSIiVESSES ACCREDITATION

willingness on behalf of some state governments and industry groups to embrace the existing national standard. According to some intewiewees, support for the tourism business standard has been undermined by the additional confusion created when some state governments endorse or even fund accreditation programs developed by other non-participating tourism industry associations.

Failure to address the widespread proliferation of accreditation standards both within the industry and across the country impedes guarantees of business standard conformity and does not inspire either consumer or operator confidence in accreditation per se. Interviewees suggested that this lack of commitment at the national and state levels to the existing tourism business accreditation standard is very much to the detriment of the accreditation agenda, which is in danger of losing credibilip.

The lack of well-defined terms of federal support for the immediate and long-term future of the national accreditation program is also viewed as constraints to the ability to contain the proliferation of accreditation programs. Intewiewees were concerned about the prolferation of tourism cerriJicarion processes - especially those bared on paid membership in the certrbing organisations andse~evaluations.

Although a number of accreditation schemes are recognised under the current standard framework, a number of interviewees felt that more should be done to recognise other schemes that are not currently part of the framework, especially those that are clearly well above the standards set by ATAA. Some interviewees suggested that the approach adopted by ATAA in this area was somewhat inflexible and antiquated.

Audit and Standards Interviewees suggested that setting standards and processes that need to be met were an important attraction for many operators in seeking to be accredited. However, most interviewees expressed substantial concem with the fact that there was so little audit of the scheme. Some exceptions aside, there was too much reliance on self- assessment rather than at least an annual inspection by a trained inspector. It was seen to be of vital importance for the credibility of the whole accreditation scheme that a group of auditors be trained to cany out inspections of operations to ensure that they met the standards required of the accreditation program.

A number of interviewees felt that some higher-performing operators considered that the standards set under the current accreditation system are much lower than the level at which they are operating and displaying their accreditation logo would tend to devalue their operations. Interviewees felt that this issue was more of a problem in Queensland where there tended to be a greater number of larger properties

The one sizefits all approach was questioned by many interviewees, with a number suggesting that a tiered approach to accreditation is necessary in order to attract a broader range of operators, especially those currently offering a higher quality of product. The star system that is used to rate accommodation was given as an example, as was the ABC system used in the Green Globe program.

Funding A national accreditation framework, such as that proposed under the present standard, provides an opportunity to obtain funding From national and state governments as well as via corporate sponsors. The reality at this stage, however, is that funding is sorely lacking and the existing national accreditation framework operates on a "hand to mouth" existence, relying heavily on the goodwill of a few key people, especially in Western Australia. The non-permanent nature of its present secretariat and the absence of mechanisms to ensure consistency in implementation across the country were cited as other key obstacles to progress in building Australia's national tourism accreditation scheme.

Funding was also considered essential to generating a national consumer awareness campaign to promote the benefits of accreditation. An ATAA submission to the federal government highlights the need for federal funding for this purpose.

The issues of the cost of running a national accreditation scheme and whether such a scheme could be self- funding were raised by intewiewees from all areas. Interviewees from Queensland and New South Wales, for example, were particularly concerned with the cost of funding a national accreditation scheme, and this concern is likely to be a key factor in these two states lack of active engagement with ATAA. Indeed, unless it is clear that a national accreditation scheme had a real chance of becoming self-sustaining, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to gain the support of these states. In the case of New South Wales, while support in principal for a national accreditation scheme might be present, the experience of this state's tourism commission in accrediting visitor centres has caused it to be particularly sensitive to the possibility of having to prop up accreditation schemes with public h d s over extended periods.

This issue was also seen as significant by some Queensland interviewees, along with the absence, as yet, of a clear business case for accreditation. The lack of any major 'push' from industry for accreditation was also identified as an issue inhibiting government involvement in the area in these states. There was a general concem

Factors impacting the uptake of the A TAA standard in Australia

expressed by many interviewees that if government agencies became involved in the funding of an accreditation scheme that the money will come oart of marketing, which will adversely impact our key constituents.

Structural Issues Most interviewees had great respect for what key individuals had contributed to the operation of the national standard and what the organisation had achieved as a consequence. There is general agreement, however, that the existing structure needs to be reconstituted, with a clear and mutually acceptable agenda being established for this purpose. The lack of a comprehensive and contemporary model of compliance, and the need for a centralised, objective and clear leadership structure were blamed by some interviewees for a range of operational problems. The cost. time and effort implied in its administration, lack of expertise in macro-skills. and the lack of an independent verflcation s t m u r e prove to be problems for accreditation. The fact that the present framework lacks indusny association status is blamed for its inability to lay claim to large-scale corporate endorsement, which is an important pre-requisite for it to be perceived as 'industry-driven'. It was further suggested that organisational weaknesses are preventing the national accreditation shucture t?om serving its purpose.

A concern was also expressed by a number of interviewees that the present framework was more interested in looking ajier schemes within its portfolio than it was in accreditation itselj: The fact that the existing standard does not recognise some other schemes or organisations that employ higher operational standards was given as evidence for this. Some large hotel chains, for example, have standards and processes that are substantially more onerous than that required under the national tourism business accreditation standard, and yet businesses that have been 'accredited' under these schemes still have to go through the latter process. This, according to one interviewee, makes a mockery of accreditation. Whilst the existing national standard has a process in place to assess and recognise other accreditation schemes, a number of interviewees felt that a truly national structure needs to be more flexible or accommodating.

AUSTRALIAN TOURISM BUSINESSES ACCREDITA TION

Chapter 5

RECOMMENDATIONS

Listed below is a series of recommendations that were put forward during interviews or were interpreted to be the logical extension of comments made during interviews. At the end of each thematic subheading is a recommendation that is made by the STCRC researchers.

Organisational Structure The present stmchue is not conducive to delivering the objective of a nationally adopted and recognised business standard for tourism. Such a standard needs to exist, however, and its importance must not he understated. A national accreditation framework must be truly national, involving all states and territories. It is essential for the success of accreditation that New South Wales and Queensland become partners in the program. Additionally, the executive needs to be re-structured into an impartial board. At this point in time, ATAA is perceived by many as being representative of competing sectoral interests rather than as an independent body responsible for a national standard. A large percentage of independent directors would greatly enhance the credibility and operation of the organisation. While not proposing that state board models are accepted (for example South Australia and Victoria), they can serve as useful starting points for discussions regarding a revised organisational structure for tourism. Existing tourism business accreditation structure could he used as the platform for developing a truly national, representative and impartial organisation to administer tourism business accreditation in Australia.

Funding A model must be put forward that demonstrates clearly how accreditation under a national framework can be sustainable financially. If additional funds are required to launch or sustain the program, it must be clear what the source of such funds will be. There must be sufficient funds to finance an appropriate executive and secretariat for the organisation. While it is conceivable that federal and state governments may be willing to play an initial role in funding the further development of the program, managers of the program will need to develop a business plan that clearly shows how it will progress to the point of being self-funding within a reasonable timeframe. Without such a plan, states with higher stakes in tourism will remain uncommitted to the rollout of a national program. After a period of seed funding, the national tourism accreditation body could devise appropriate mechanisms which allow for it be funded on a cost-recovely or self-funding basis.

Integration with Existing Accreditation Schemes There needs to be a more flexible system in place to recognise other accreditation schemes such that businesses do not need to hy to satisfy multiple schemes. Capturing other tourism-related accreditation schemes within the national accreditation 'orbit' will likely require a clear quantification of the benefits such an association will bring. Any amendments to the existing structure of tourism business accreditation would have to give consideration to existing programs of accreditation and allow more flexibility in terms of mutual recognition.

Auditing A national audit system must be introduced that involves an inspection of every business that has been accredited on, at minimum, a biannual basis. Self-assessment is not seen as credible and the mechanisms for in- field testing and assessment are viewed as inadequate and as such have done little to enhance the reputation of the program within the tourism industry. More economical and feasible procedures should be put in place for auditing accredited tourism operations. Care should be taken not to duplicate the services of indushy associations and other agencies which presently administer awards, permits and licenses to tourism business operators. Where possible, efforts should be made to seize opportunities for linking the extensive resources of such organisations in coordination with the audit leading to the award of the tourism business standard.

Factors impacting the uptake of the ATAA standard in Australia

Promotion to Industry and Consumers There needs to be an expanded promotional effort to establish the national accreditation logo as a strong aspect of the brand of those businesses that become accredited. The consumer element of this would be a long term process. There needs to be an expanded effort at communicating the nature and benefits of the national accreditation program to industry. which many members have little understanding of. Before such a program is commenced, however, issues associated with the clear articulation of program benefits must be resolved. Appropriate targets need to be set, partnerships identified and strategies adopted in order to facilitate the recognition and acceptance of the tourism business accreditation standard and its benefits within the tourism industry. Over time, effort should be made to enhance consumers' understanding of the value of accreditation.

Quantification of Benefits It is important that the benefits of accreditation to operators are identified and quantified so that the accreditation message can be sold more strongly. In order to achieve this, the business case for accreditation needs to be made much clearer through such means as case studies that clearly identify and quantify benefits for various types and scales of business. Further research efforts are needed to investigate and quantify the benefits achieved by tourism businesses as a result of accreditation. Building on previous work, this can provide tangible evidence to assist the future credibility of the tourism accreditation standard and the increased prospect of the involvement of tourism businesses.

Future Research Several areas of future research have been identified as a result of undertaking this project. Specifically these are:

A quantification of the benefits of accreditation to operaton by such means as case studies that seek to be representative of businesses in different industry sectors and of different scales. Such case studies would be identified in association with appropriate tourism industry bodies. An assessment of the role that accreditation plays in consumer purchasing decisions and what can be done to enhance this. This is an area of limited research to date, and its exploration would likely involve substantial primary research. An exploration of approaches used by a range of industry-based accreditation systems to undertake the task of auditing individual program participants.

AUSTRALIAN TOURISM BUSIYESSES ACCREDITATION

APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

Listed below is an overview of the questions that underpinned the semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted in this study.

1. Basic Information: Name: Organisation: Type: Position: Relevance to ATAA process:

2. Definitional Questions: What is the primary focus of the accreditation process from your organisation's perspective? How would you classify your level of knowledge /understanding of the ATAA standard? What do you see as the key elements of the ATAA standard? Other than the ATAA standard, what other accreditatiodcertification schemes are you aware of that are presently operating in the tourism industry? In your opinion, how does the ATAA standard differ from the accreditatiodschemes you have identified above?

3. Approaches to Accreditation What do yodyour organisation see as the present and potential facilitating factors to the acceleration of Australian tourism business accreditation uptake? What do you/your organisation see as the present and potential barriers and constraints to the acceleration of Australian Tourism business accreditation uptake? What can your organisation do to assist in accelerating the uptake of accreditation in Australia?

4. Structural Questions: Do yodyour organisation have any suggestions as to how such the ATAA organisational structure could be improved? Do yodyour organisation have any suggestions as to how such a revised organisational structure might be funded? Do yodyour organisation have any suggestions as to how such a revised organisational structure might operate?

5. Delimitation of the ATAA's jurisdiction, scope and enforceability: Do yodyour organisation foresee a conflict between the implementation of the ATAA standard and the existing legal and policy framework? What can be done to alleviate the conflict, or potential for conflict, if any exists? Are there any national or international schemesiexamples which yodyour organisation know of that can assist with the management and development of the ATAA standard? How realistic would it be to forecast the accreditation of say 50% of the businesses in your sector within the next three years? If not, what level of accreditation in percentage terms do you think would be realistic? Who else should be included in this study on identifying problems with the uptake of accreditation in the Tourism Industry in Australia?

Factors impacting the uptake of the ATAA Mndardin Australia

APPENDIX B: TOUFUSM ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS REPORT

N.B. There are a number of accredited operators in New South Wales and Queensland that have been accredited by other states or industry groups Source: ATAA (2003)

ACCREDITED TOURISM BUSINESSES

As at 15" September 2003

PROGRAM ACCREDITED

J Better Business Tourism Accreditation Program (Victoria) 495

J National Accreditation Program for Caravan Parks (CIA) 56

.' Camping with Confidence Accreditation Program (CAV) 117

J Events Industry Association (WA) Accreditation Program 0

.' Museum Accreditation Program 33

J National Tourism Accreditation Program (ACT) 10

.' National Tourism Accreditation Program (SA) 329

J National Tourism Accreditation Program (TAS) 910

J National Tourism Accreditation Program (WA) 594

J Northern Territory Tourism Accreditation Program 73

.' ORIC Organisational Accreditation Program 6

J Respecting Our Cnlhlre Tourism Development Program (ATA) 0

TOTAL 2,623

AUSTRALIAN TOURISM BUSI!YESSES ACCREDITA TION

APPENDIX C: ATAA ENDORSED ACCREDITED TOURISM BUSINESSES SEPTEMBER 2003

WA

I I I I I I I I Events lndusm Association I I I

SECTOR SPECIFIC PROGRAMS

SA

Camping with Confidence (CAV) I

I I I I I I I 1 - 1

ROC Tourism Development Program (ATA)

GENERIC PROGRAMS

117

(WA) Accreditation Program Museum Accreditation Program

National Accreditation Program for Caravan Parks (CIA) ORIC Organisational Program

TAS

,

Better Business Program VIC

NTAP (ACT)

I I I I I I I I I

NTAP (WA) 592 2

NT

NTAP (SA)

NTAP (TAS)

Source: ATAA 2003

3

494

VIC

328

33

24

8

ACT

2

910

I I

1

QLD

9

h

NSW

33

56 -

TOTAL

Factors impacting the uptake of the ATAA standard in Australia

REFERENCES

ATAA (2001) National Tourism Accreditation Program (WA). Australian Tourism Accreditation Association. Tourism Council of Western Australia, Australia.

ATAA (2002a) Australian Tourism Accreditation Overview, Australian Tourism Accreditation Association. ATAA (2002b) Proposal to the Hon Joe Hockey M.P seeking federal support to significantly increase the

number of small businesses participating in the ATAA, Australian Tourism Accreditation Association, ACT.

Banki. I.S. (1997) Dictionary of professional management: authoritative, comprehensive, Systems Research, Los Angeles, USA.

Bass, S. and Danielson, L. (2001) 'Standards and certification: a leap forward or a step back for sustainable development?' The future is now: Equity for a Small Planet, IlED (Ed), International Institute for Environment and Development, London, 2: 21-3 1.

Bolin, R. and Greenwood, T. (2003) Tourism Businesses in Australia, Occasional Paper No. 34, Bureau of Tourism Research, Canberra, Australia.

Commonwealth of Australia (2003) Tourism m i t e Paper, Australian Government, Canberra, Australia. Cowan, G. (2002) Strategic Directions 2002-2005, Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria, Victoria, Australia. Elper Wood, M. (2002) Ecotourism: principles, practices & policies for sustainability, United Nations

Environment Programme, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Paris, France. Font, X. and Bendell, J. (2002) Standards for Suslainable Tourism for the Purpose of Multilateral Trade

Negotiations, University of Leedsl UN Institute for Social Development, LeedsiGeneva.

Issaverdis, J. (1998a) Diferentiating Accreditation, CerliJication, Licensing and Other Issues, Bureau of Tourism Research, Margaret River, Western Australia.

Issaverdis, J. (1998b) 'The Pursuit of Excellence: Benchmarking, Accreditation, Best Practices and Auditing', in D. Weaver (Ed), Encyclopaedia of Ecolourism, CABI, New York, USA.

Issaverdis, J. (2001) The Pursuit of Excellence: Benchmarking, Accreditation. Best Practice and Auditing, CABI, Oxon, UK.

Langer, M. (1997) Service Quality in Tourism: measurement methods and empirical analysis, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main.

McKercher, R. (1998) The Business 4 Nature-based Tourism, Melbourne Hospitality Press, Melbourne, Australia.

National Tourism Accreditation Program (NTAP) (2004) Update on tourism business accreditation figures, ATAA, Perth, Australia.

Sanabria, R., Font, X. and Sallows, M. (2001) Feasibility Study, Organizational Blueprint and Implementation Plan for a Global Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council, Rainforest Alliance I Leeds Metropolitan University /University of Greenwich, Costa RicaLeedsKent.

WWF (2000) 'Tourism Certification An analysis of Green Globe 21 and other tourism certification programmes', Synergy for World Wildlife Fund, United Kingdom.

AUSTRALIAN TOURISM BUSINESSES ACCREDITATION

GLOSSARY

Accreditation: the official recognition and certification of a desired, required or acceptable level of quality, value, ability and competence through the review and evaluation of education, training, experience and performance.

Accreditation Body: private, public or third sector body responsible for issuing credentials or certificates in accordance with the policy (and) or legal requirements established (I) by the local, state or government authority (2) the constitutional or legislative principles and provisions of state government (Banki 1997).

Certifieofe of compliance (c.J Conformance): document issued by a contractor, vendor or a supplier certifying that a contracted material, product or service meets certain specified, local state, national or international quality control criteria, standards and requirements (Banki 1997).

Cerfificafion (professional): process and result of confemng recognition of professional, technical or experiential competence to individuals who have met specified qualification standards or criteria by an independent organization association, institution or body (Banki 1997).

Tourism Business Accreditation: in the Australian context, tourism business accreditation is described as 'a process designed to establish and continually improve industry standards for conducting tourism business. It aims to assist every tourism business to improve the way it operates' (ATAA 2001).

Factors impacting the uproke of the ATAA stondord in Australia

AUTHORS

Professor Jack Carlsen Prnf Carlsen is currently the Chair in Tourism and Hospitality Studies within the Curtin Business School, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia. Jack facilitates the tourism research program at Curtin. which includes tourism development, planning and management. Since his appointment to CBS, lack has been successful in establishing the Cunin Sustainable Tourism Centre, which will support teaching, research, consulting, policy formulation and student placement programs for sustainable tourism. He also plays a major role in the STCRC involving universities, government agencies and tourism corporations around Australia in collaborative research programs. Email: Jnc~.C'arlsenr~~~chs.c~~nin.e~i~~.au

Professor Leo Jago Prof Jago is Deputy CEO and Director of Research for the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre and Professor in Tourism at Victoria University. Leo's research interests are eclectic and include event evaluation, tourism planning and marketing, small business management, and volunteer management. He was the Chair of the Council of Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Educators (CAUTHE), and is a Board Member for a wide range of tourism and research organisations. Over the past 18 years, Leo has owned and operated a range of small tourism enterprises. Email: Leo.Jacoki vu.cdu.au

Dr Rob Harris Dr Harris 15 presently employed as 3 scntor lecnlrcr and D~rector of the Austral~an Centrc for Event Management in the School of Lcisure and Tourism Studies at the Ln~verstrv of Technolow. Svdnzv. Rob has aualificat~ons in -,. , , . ~ ~

human geography, tourism management, marketing and education and teaching areas include tourism services marketing, event management, tourism's environmental interactions, tourism indusay and the supervision of undergraduate and graduate research projects. Email: Robert.Harrisf21 ots.edu.au

Ray de Silva Ray is a researcher and PhD candidate of the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre. He has qualifications in social sciences, education and international resource development and is currently underraking postgraduate studies in sustainable tourism systems. Email: Rnvmond.dcsilva(r~!.curfin.cdu.nu

, , ~ . ~~ ~

Tourlsm is a dynam~c ~ndustly compris~ng many sectors from accommodat~on to hospitality, transportation to retail and many more

STCRC's research program addresses the challenges faced by small and large operators, tourism destinations and natural resource managers.

Areas o f Research Expertise: Research teams in five discipline areas - modelling, environmental science, engineering &

architecture, information &communication technology and tourism management. focus on three research programs:

Sustainable Resources: Natural and cultural heritage sites serve as a foundation for tourism in Australia. These sites exist in

rural and remote Australia and are environmentally sensitive requiring specialist infrastructure, technologies and management.

Sustainable Enterprises: Enterpnses that adhere to best practices. Innovate, and harness the latest technologies will be

more likely to prosper.

Sustainable Destinations: Infrastructural, economic, social and environmental aspects of tourism development are examined simultaneously.

Postgraduate Students: STCRC's Education Program recruits high quality postgraduate students and provides scholarships.

capacity building, research training and professional development opportunities.

THE-ICE: Promotes excellence in Australian Tourism and Hospitality Education and facilitates its export to international markets.

STCRC uses its research network, spin-off companies and partnersh~ps to extend knowledge and deliver innovation to the tourism industv. STCRC endeavours to secure investment in the development of its research into new services, technologies and

commercial operations.

- - 4 9 CRC

The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program brings together researchen and research usen. The program maximiser the benefits of research through an enhanced process of utiliration, cmmemalisation and technology transfer It also has a strong education component producing graduates \Mth stills relevant to industry needs.

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CRC for sustainable Toutism Pty Ltd LgN 53 077 407 286 PMB 50 Gold Coast MC Queensland 9726 Australia Telephone: +61 7 5552 8172 Wmi le : +6 l 7 5552 8171 Chairman: Slr Frank Moore Aa Chlet ElBCYths: Rof Terry De Lacy Dl,*. 01 R-arch: Prof Leo lago

website: wmrcrctoutinm.com.au Bwbhoo: w.crctaurlsm.com.a~/WOk5h0o Email: infmcrctourlsm.com.au

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