Listen to our story:
Who is Destination Southern Tasmania?
With over 230 members across 11 municipalities, DST is focused on supporting tourism businesses, new product development, increasing yield, and driving regional dispersal within Southern Tasmania.
Destination Southern Tasmania (DST) is a not-for-profit organisation funded by membership fees and support from our state government and local councils.
We are an industry-led organisation with a strong voice for tourism in the southern region. We work with local businesses, councils and other stakeholders to promote the destination’s diversity to domestic and international visitors, the tourism trade and the media.
The DST team reports to a Board of Directors, which consists of representatives from our membership, industry and councils, carrying out the Southern Tasmania Destination Management Plan 2022-2025 objectives.
Our Vision: To have an engaged, connected and sustainable visitor economy offering a truly compelling visitor experience.
Our Mission: We connect and support the visitor economy businesses to develop and promote southern Tasmania’s advantages.
Our Purpose: To develop and support a collaborative southern Tasmanian tourism industry that creates, delivers and promotes exceptional visitor experiences.
What Destination Southern Tasmania Provides:
Industry Development:
We help our members to build their businesses, connections and skills through networking functions, training workshops and mentoring sessions. As a DST member:
You’ll be able to tap into our industry development program which includes free or discounted training, networking events and mentorship which will enable you to access advice, support, resources and knowledge whilst also connecting with other industry operators with whom you can share and collaborate.
As a DST member, you will receive a subsidiary membership of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (equivalent to their Basics Membership valued at $440).
We’ll help connect you to the right people in government and industry, and keep you informed of news and opportunities.
Marketing
We work with our members and partners to improve awareness of the breadth of experiences across our region, to inspire visitation, and to encourage visitors to explore further, stay longer and spend more throughout southern Tasmania. We do this through our owned digital channels, strategic partnerships and advocacy.
You’ll have a presence on the Hobart and Beyond website, with over 753,400 page views and 294,352 unique visitors over the past twelve months. You’ll be able to leverage our high-performing social media channels, with 40,900 followers on Facebook and 68,850 on Instagram, equating to a reach of over 2.15 million viewers during 2023 across our social media platforms.
You will have a listing on the popular Explore Southern Tasmania map.
The Explore Southern Tasmania map is a key tool for visitors to explore Hobart & Beyond, covering our mountain city on the water, natural wilderness areas, cultural heritage and stunning regions filled with food, art, festivals and culture.
The map is distributed statewide to all the major airports, Spirit of Tasmania vessels, information centres, cruise terminals, and major hotels in the Tourism Brochure Exchange network.
You can feature your product on our “deals” webpage on Hobart and Beyond and within our consumer-facing newsletters.
You can spread the word about your business and news through our extensive digital network, including website blogs, electronic direct mail and PR activities.
You’ll have access to negotiated member rates with our corporate media partners to receive discounts on advertising campaigns.
Advocacy and media
Destination Southern Tasmania acts as an interface between industry and all levels of government (Office of the Premier, Department of State Growth, Tourism Tasmania, Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, and local councils) to ensure industry needs are heard and to highlight tourism’s importance as a regional economic driver.
DST has a strong public relations and media program designed to raise community awareness of existing and emerging events and attractions.
As a financial member, you can access media support for launches and events. Read more here.
Destination Southern Tasmania highlights and advocates for the value of tourism in southern Tasmania on television, newspapers and other media outlets.
We are your voice, advocating to all levels of government to influence positive change and support for our members.
Who are our members?
The strength of our organisation lies in the diversity of our membership. We represent businesses of all shapes and sizes including accommodation providers, attractions, tour operators, restaurants, retail businesses, events and service providers. Our members share one thing in common – they are committed to the development of sustainable tourism within southern Tasmania.
Membership
Membership is a vital part of our structure. You may join DST at any time throughout the year. Membership is a mechanism for cohesion and collaboration, both of which are vital to support a robust and connected tourism industry. It also ensures that we are not solely reliant on external funding which not only reduces financial risk, but also brings a level of autonomy, making it a truly industry-led organisation. Financial membership incites stronger engagement and understanding between DST and industry, and in turn provides fertile ground for identifying needs and opportunities, sharing ideas, and mobilising our industry to respond to political, economic, social and environmental influences.
One of our core roles is to feed industry news into state and federal marketing campaigns, programs and itineraries. Engagement with your RTO optimises your chance of inclusion in these activities as we know our members who engage with us best.
Connect with DST
SOUTHERN TASMANIA TOURISM OPERATORS FACEBOOK GROUP
TIPS & TIPPLES NETWORKING AND KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOUR EVENTS
Destination Southern Tasmania – Council Partners
Major Funding Partner
