School for the Visitor Economy

TheResilient Enterprises & Sustainable Employment in Tourism (RESET) project aims to support the recovery and transformation of the visitor economy in Melbourne’s west following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In collaboration with key industry partners, RESET will develop training for Western Melbourne tourism businesses, guided by an assessment of skills and capability gaps in the area.

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The Australia-ASEAN New Normal for the Visitor Economy Supply Chain project developed collaborative networks between ASEAN countries, to create a sustainable ‘new normal’ for the visitor economy supply chain.

Three events were held to support the creation of a virtual community, to share and discuss on the impacts of COVID-19 and recovery strategies. These events aim to strengthen international collaboration between Australia and ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia-ASEAN Council (AAC), the project included two webinars and a face-to-face workshop held June 2023 in Malaysia.

The project supports industry recovery and identify resilience building strategies, through a collaborative network.

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The aim of the “Re-Imagining Workforce Development in the Outdoor Industry for a Sustainable Future” project is to create an Outdoor Education Innovation Hub (OEIH) to support the recovery, transformation and sustainability of the outdoor industry in Victoria through industry-lead, student-centred, and future-focussed education, training and research.

Industry benefits from the project:

• in-depth insight into long-standing workforce issues that are impeding future growth and development
• the data will inform industry development and human resource management policy and contribute to future sustainable industry operations
• insight into diversity and inclusion considerations and be better positioned to attract a diverse workforce thereby contributing to equal employment opportunities and gender equity
• inform strategies to enhance industry standards, safety and growth potential
• by raising industry and employment standards, the industry will contribute to the sustainability of the wider visitor economy. 

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Funded by Global Victoria, this project investigated capabilities in the sector in Indonesia in relation to skills and training needs; followed by an online webinar to support collaboration between Victorian and Indonesian education and training stakeholders.

Specifically the Indonesia Tourism Research Project:

• Identified three key inter-related themes of Governance and policy implementation; industry and workforce development; and Education systems and curriculum development.
• Recommended initiatives that will assist the recovery of the Indonesian tourism and hospitality sector, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Showcased innovative technology products and services from Victoria relevant to the development needs of the Indonesian tourism and hospitality sector.

Funded by Brimbank Council, this research, “I Have the Feeling of Community Again”: The Socioeconomic Impacts of Small-Scale Events on Community Recovery, explored an initiative to facilitate community recovery by analysing the socio-economic impacts of small-scale events held by local government in Melbourne’s West shortly after COVID-19 lockdowns lifted. 

Results show that these events generated multiple social benefits by enhancing a sense of community, (re)connecting people, improving mental health, and promoting diversity and inclusion. 

Economic benefits were generated directly by boosting local and visitor spending and indirectly through increasing business-community connectedness. 

The study contributed to the limited empirical research on the value and role of small-scale events for community recovery and has managerial implications for sustainable destination development, recovery and regeneration strategies.