Australia's North West
Innovating for Impact: Sustainable Tourism Keynote & Masterclasses
In March 2025, we partnered with Western Australia's northernmost Regional Tourism Organisations, Australia's North West, to craft and deliver a keynote and two connected masterclasses at their Annual Industry Forum held in Broome.
In the keynote address to the Forum, Rebecca shared global and national data and insights on the state of play for tourism, outlined regulation forces and consumer demand preferences for sustainable businesses and experiences are shaping the future of tourism and shared the strategic need for our industry to grow positive impact, particularly around environmental and social outcomes.
In two separate, concurrent masterclasses following the keynote, Rebecca and Paige unpacked the key considerations for tourism businesses and regional development professionals in driving sustainable tourism forward in the region.
- Masterclass for Tourism Businesses - Rebecca shared with operators how other tourism businesses are infusing sustainable tourism principles (outlined in the National Sustainability Framework for the Visitor Economy) from business operators right through to experience design and delivery.
- Masterclass for Regional Development & Local Government - In a case study led workshop & planning session Paige shared ideas and considerations through real-world examples on how regional destinations are enabling visitors to have a positive impact on community, economy and environment by design through strategy and planning, leading industry through the mindset shift, connecting the dots through collaboration, and attracting and mobilising visitors for impact.
Both masterclasses were intentionally designed to support participants in planning immediate actions as it relates to their specific circumstances (whether they were a business owner, or a community/economic development professional) with participants able to walk away with new conceptsfor consideration, some inspired long-term food for thought, along with some new ideas for immediate action.
^ Rebecca & Paige presenting at the Australia's North West Forum, March 2025.
Results
At the start and end of each of our masterclasses, we asked the question:
"How confident do you feel in your ability to implement sustainable tourism principles and practices through your business / organisations"
For the tourism businesses masterclass, the results from the start of the workshop were:
- 54% of participants felt completely confident or fairly confident.
- 43% felt somewhat confident or slightly confident
- 4% felt not confident at all.
and, by the end of the workshop:
- 83% of participants now felt completely confident or fairly confident.
- 17% felt somewhat confident or slightly confident
- 0% felt not confident at all.
For the Regional Development and Local Government masterclass, the results from the start of the workshop were:
- 20% of participants felt completely confident or fairly confident.
- 60% felt somewhat confident or slightly confident
- 20% felt not confident at all.
and, by the end of the workshop:
- 71% of participants now felt completely confident or fairly confident.
- 29% felt somewhat confident or slightly confident
- 0% felt not confident at all.
Overall, there was a significant gain in confidence across the participants from both masterclasses.
^ Activity Time! Participants start planning how they can embed sustainable tourism principles and practices in their business, projects and programs.