Membership Benefits / Join

Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO)

Destination Southern Tasmania (DST) celebrates its 12th year as the Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) for Tasmania’s southern region. With over 230 members stretching across 11 municipalities, DST is focussed on supporting businesses, new product development, increasing yield and driving regional dispersal within southern Tasmania.

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:

Industry Development Program

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.

Subsidiary Membership of TCCI

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).

Government and Industry Connection

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.

Hobart and Beyond Website

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.

Explore Southern Tasmania Map

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.

Promotion of Deals

You can feature your product on our “deals” webpage on Hobart and Beyond and within our consumer-facing newsletters.

Digital Marketing Channels

You can spread the word about your business and news through our extensive digital network, including website blogs, electronic direct mail and PR activities.

Corporate Media Partners

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.

Public Relations and Media Program

DST has a strong public relations and media program designed to raise community awareness of existing and emerging events and attractions.

Media Support

As a financial member, you can access media support for launches and events. Read more here.

Highlight and Advocate

Destination Southern Tasmania highlights and advocates for the value of tourism in southern Tasmania on television, newspapers and other media outlets.

Your Voice

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.

Why join?

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.

Which membership level is right for you?

If you’d like to talk to our team about membership in more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Essential

$553 (inc gst)

The Essential membership is ideal for tourism businesses with one product or outlet and for whom visitors comprise a significant or majority proportion of their market.

Premium

$1,217 (inc gst)

Suitable for tourism operators with more than one outlet or site, or businesses with multiple products that can be marketed separately; or for businesses that would like to be prioritised for marketing and development opportunities where possible.

Ultimate

$2,634 (inc gst)

Ultimate memberships are tailored towards operators with multiple outlets or products and for those who want to support the industry through partnerships.

The annual Destination Southern Tasmania membership subscription automatically renews every 12 months from your joining date. Destination Southern Tasmania uses the secure Stripe payment gateway for payment processing. Members may update or cancel their subscription at any time before the renewal date via the Destination Southern Tasmania Stripe Portal (links provided). Please ensure your credit card details are current when you receive your payment reminder email before the auto-renewal date. Members who prefer manual invoicing will receive their invoice via email 30 days before their membership expiry.

Starting as a new and small operator in the tourism industry can be daunting, but the support and guidance from the DST team have been invaluable in helping us on this journey. From the very beginning, they have provided the tools, connections, and encouragement needed to ensure we put our best foot forward. The monthly networking events offer a fantastic opportunity to meet and learn from other tourism operators, while the various promotional opportunities allow us to showcase our business to a wider audience. Being part of the DST community has been an essential step in growing our presence and establishing ourselves in the industry.

Of all the groups we are members of or work with, Destination Southern Tasmania is by far the best value for money, the most supportive and the most active in promoting our industry. For many years now, DST has advocated on our behalf, driven investment in our region, helped grow regional dispersal, developed destination action plans and helped us survive as a business through the COVID-19 pandemic. I would recommend that any tourism-related business become a member of Destination Southern Tasmania.

Joining Destination Southern Tasmania (DST) 10 months ago has been one of the best decisions for KUUMA – Nature Sauna. As a new and unique tourism operator, having the support of DST has been invaluable—not only in navigating the industry but also in connecting us with like-minded businesses and opportunities. Running a business is always busy, and while we have not yet been as involved as we would like, we know that DST is always there as a strong and supportive resource. Their insights, industry connections, and commitment to fostering collaboration in southern Tasmania’s tourism sector are second to none. We look forward to engaging even more in the future and highly recommend DST membership to any tourism business looking for a dedicated, knowledgeable, and passionate network.

As a relatively new tourism business, our membership with DST has been invaluable. Since joining, we have received excellent advice and gained exposure to the broader Tasmanian tourism network through one of DST’s monthly showcases. We also enjoy the Tips and Tipples networking events, which have provided us with valuable insights, connected us with other tourism operators, and made us feel supported in an industry that is new to both of us. Running a small business with just the two of us can feel isolating, so being part of DST gives us a sense of belonging to a team that is all working toward shared goals: business success and promoting our spectacular Southern Tasmania region to the world.