South east Queensland’s regional tourism operators will benefit from an innovative program initiated by the University of Queensland in the coming months.
UQ School of Tourism students participating in the Tourism Regional Internship Project (TRIP) will work with tourism organisations from Ipswich and the Scenic Rim on real regional tourism destination challenges.
Students working in the Scenic Rim will assess the packaging opportunities for the key market segments of and present the proposals to industry. The Ipswich project focuses on a visitor survey which will include the collection and analysis of data and recommendations for change.
"This initiative is a fantastic example of how collaborative efforts between the higher education sector, tourism operators and regional tourism authorities can in turn benefit the community," Queensland Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading Peter Lawlor said.
Students will be required to apply their theoretical knowledge and research skills to the projects identified by each region, making recommendations to operators and tourism authorities that will culminate in a knowledge exchange workshop.
Former UQ student Rosanne Mollenhagen said the TRIP internship was instrumental in gaining insight into how the tourism industry works at a regional level.
Ms Mollenhagen is currently the Tourism Development Officer with the Winton Shire Council.
“There will be tangible outcomes from the project for the regions that will result in improved practice,” TRIP Director Dr Noreen Breakey said.
“This is an opportunity for operators to tap into the resources of a highly regarded research institution as well as identify future employees with appropriate skills and understanding of a regional tourism environment.”
Students participating in the Scenic Rim program will develop packages that will form an important component of the 2010 tourism campaign.
Mayor of the Scenic Rim Council Cr John Brent welcomed this year’s student intake to the program.
“It is a whole new era for tourism in the Scenic Rim and we are delighted to be working together with UQ and Scenic Rim tourism operators to bring about healthy outcomes, both for our local economy and, importantly, for the students.”
Mayor of Ipswich Cr Paul Pissale said TRIP would provide the future tourism workforce with a great opportunity to develop their skills through hands on experience.
“It's wonderful to see the TRIP program being embraced by our community of tourism operators and I look forward to welcoming the students to the City of Ipswich," Cr Pissale said.
Media: Cate Clifford at UQ Tourism (07 3346 9258, c.clifford@uq.edu.au)
