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Tourism Alliance Victoria is the new peak body advocating for and supporting the development of a professional and sustainable tourism industry across Victoria.

Founded in 2004, Tourism Alliance Victoria was created out of a merger of Country Victoria Tourism Council (CVTC) and the Victorian Tourism Operators Association (VTOA).

Tourism Alliance Victoria is made up of regional tourism associations, individual tour operators, adventure and nature based businesses, major attractions and accommodation providers, each of whom are contributing to a vibrant and dynamic tourism industry.

Our direct relationship with our members enables us to understand local issues and offer local solutions.

It is because of this proactive involvement of our members that we are able to provide a statewide perspective to all issues affecting tourism. As a consequence, we provide a strong industry voice on the state of tourism to government and media.

We also take up our members and concerns directly with our major tourism players including Tourism Victoria, Victorian Tourism Industry Council, Tourism Accreditation Australia, the Australian Regional Tourism Network, as well as local councils and accredited visitor information centres.

Tourism Alliance Victoria is active in improving the professionalism and standards of the Victorian tourism industry through its development and support of a variety of business development activities and specialist resources both locally and at a national level.

These member benefits and business enhancement initiatives encompass networking, referral advice, professional development workshops and seminars, assistance in standards compliance and continual improvement programs.

Together we are leading the way to creating a dynamic tourism industry.

Tom Smith

Tom Smith is currently a Board Member of Tourism Victoria and Chairman of Destination Melbourne  –  the Campaign Committee for the city.

Tom has worked in many senior positions within the tourism industry including General Manager - Marketing and Public Affairs at Melbourne Aquarium, CEO of Ballarat Tourism and Shipwreck Coast Tourism and was instrumental in establishing Great Ocean Road Marketing and the highly successful Great Southern Touring Route.

Tom was recognised for his contribution to the Victorian Tourism Industry at the 2001 Victorian Tourism Awards when he received the award for "Outstanding Contribution by an Individual".

Tom was the Chairman of Tourism Alliance for nine years.

Roger Grant
(Chairman)

Roger Grant is the Executive Director of the Regional Tourism body, Geelong Otway Tourism, (Hall of Fame 1999 Victorian Tourism Awards). He is also currently Chairman of Great Ocean Road Marketing (Australian Tourism Awards winner 1999), and a director of Great Southern Touring Route (Victorian Tourism Awards winner 2000).

Prior to his present position, Roger was the Tourism Manager for what is now Parks Victoria for seven years. During this time Roger was awarded both Anzac and Churchill fellowships to study tourism issues in North America and New Zealand.

Roger has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Alberta in Canada in addition to Education and Physical Education degrees.

Roger has been a board member of for the past four years.
Website: http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au

Fred Herbert

Fred (along with his wife Jenny) is the Proprietor of the Award winning boat charter operation Riviera Nautic which is in the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, Winner of the Australian Tourism Award, Unique Accommodation 1996, 97, 98 and Victorian Tourism Award, Unique Accommodation 1992, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98.

Apart from running a very successful business, Fred is a former Vice-Presidet of the regional tourism organisation Lakes and Wilderness Tourism, and a former Vice-President of the Victorian Eastern Development Association. He has also been a member of the Victorian Coastal Council and is currently on the Gippsland Coastal Board and Advisory Groups to Marine Safety Victoria.
Website: http://www.rivnautic.com.au

Jeanette Horsley

Jeanette Horsley is an emerging leader in regional tourism. Her strengths in benchmarking local and regional visitor services, innovative industry development and equipping and encouraging operators, fuels Jeanette’s vision for growing regional tourism.

Currently the Tourism and Economic Development Manager with Pyrenees Shire Council, Jeanette was previously Visitor Services Manager for Ballarat Tourism, Jeanette Horsley was pivotal in establishing the Accommodation and Booking Service for the Ballarat Visitor Information Centre.

Jeanette brings 28 years of strategic and operational experience in both the hospitality and tourism industries.

Jeanette plays a strong facilitating role in cross regional promotional activities as a current and founding committee member of the Great Grape Road Inc. Committee and the development of the Great Southern Touring Route Central Reservation Service.

Terry Robinson

Terry Robinson currently is  the Domestic Marketing Manager with the Phillip Island Nature Park. He was previously the Manager of Tourism and Economic Development for the Indigo Shire Council, based in Beechworth, a position he  held for three years.

Terry has a Bachelor of Economics Degree from Monash University as well as post graduate qualifications in tourism and marketing also from Monash and has been involved in regional tourism for eight years having previously worked in Cobram Barooga and Yarrawonga.

Nola Cuddy

Nola Cuddy currently operates her own consultancy business providing strategic and practical marketing services to individual operators and to regional tourism organisations. 

 As Chair of the Victorian Tourism Operators Association she was one of the committee members that worked to forge the merger with Country Victoria Tourism Council to form one of Victoria’s leading industry bodies; Tourism Alliance.

 For seven years, Nola was Marketing Manager for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) responsible for bringing Victoria’s foremost heritage properties into tourism’s international marketing arena. Nola was successful at growing international visitation for some of the National Trust’s icon properties including  Como House, Rippon Lea Estate, the Old Melbourne Gaol and the Melbourne Maritime Museum. As the past Vice-Chair of the Cultural Tourism Industry Group, and former Board Member of the Yarra Valley, Dandenongs and the Ranges Tourism Board, Nola provided  each group with a greater understanding of the diversity of the industry.

 Ten years in Regional Victoria, learning and influencing the development of regional tourism in South Gippsland including Manager of Coal Creek Historical Village.  Nola was a member of South Gippsland Regional Tourism as well as Campaign Committees of the region through the evolution of the various phases of the Tourism Victoria strategic plan.

Tim Page-Walker

Tim is the General Manager of Bellarine Bayside, which has statutory management of 24 Kilometres of foreshore and Crown asset infrastructure under the Crown Land Reserves Act 1978, generally between Poin Richards Boat Ramp and Edwards Point, near Swan Bay, on the Bellarine Peninsula.

Time has previously held positions with the National Trust Australia and was the Marketing Manager of Polly Woodside Melbourne Maritime Museum.

David Eaton

David Eaton is the Divisional Manager, Marketing for the Puffing Billy Railway; past Chairman, Victorian Tourism Operators Association; Executive Committee Member, Yarra Valley, Dandenongs and the Ranges Tourism Board; Committee Member of the Dandenong Ranges Gardens Trust; Foundation Member of the Melbourne Attractions Promotions Group; past Executive Committee Member, Yarra Valley, Dandenongs and the Ranges Campaign Committee; past Chairman and current Treasurer of Dandenong Ranges Tourism Inc. and past Chairman of the Marketing Sub- Committee, Yarra Valley, Dandenongs and the Ranges Campaign Committee.

Wayne Kayler-Thomson

Wayne Kayler-Thomson currently holds the position of Deputy Chief Executive of Tourism Victoria. This role includes responsibility for strategic planning, industry development, industry and public sector liaison and statewide projects.

Previously he was an inaugural board member of Tourism Victoria and founding President of the Country Victoria Tourism Council.
Wayne has over 20 years tourism industry experience, including as an owner/operator of a Motel and Group Tour business, Manager of a Theme Park, Visitor Centre and Travel Agency and Executive Director of a regional economic development organisation.

Prior to this experience, Wayne spent several years in general management and executive management in the manufacturing sector.
Website: http://www.visitvictoria.com

Chief Executive

Contact for member services, project management, business development, operational direction and feedback.

Nicholas Hunt

Nicholas Hunt, Grad Prog- Journalism (University of Maine, USA), BA Hons- Tourism/Economic Geography (University of Tasmania), BA- Economics, Industrial Geography (University of Tasmania), held the position of Executive Director, Tourism Training Victoria for 6 years before taking up his current position with in December 2000.

Nicholas Chairs the Victorian Tourism Awards Organising Committee and is a member of the Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria and the Victorian Tourism Industry Council Board. He is the Victorian representative for the Australian Tourism Accreditation Association Ltd and the newly formed Australian Regional Tourism Network.

Manager - Policy and Industry Development

Deputy Chief Executive

Contact for regional development, planning and strategies, consultancy services, business development and member services.

Bindi Gove

Bindi Gove, BA Leisure Studies (University of Technology, Sydney), Graduate Certificate Internet Marketing (Charles Sturt University, NSW), worked in Regional Tourism and Economic Development across two states before taking up her role with Tourism Alliance Victoria.

Bindi is the Deputy Chair of the Australian Regional Tourism Network; a 2006 Melbourne Airport Victorian Tourism Awards Judge and a member of the Monash University Tourism Research Advisory Board, Victoria's Professionalism and Excellence Steering Committee and the Metropolitan Melbourne Tourism Strategy Committee

She developed the National Brand Charter for the Accredited Visitor Information Centre Brand and also manages the Accreditation Program for Visitor Information Centres across Victoria which is considered the benchmark for Australia.

She has influenced the National Research agenda for Regional Tourism through her involvement with CRC Sustainable Tourism Services.

Bindi is a regular presenter on ABC Radio and has authored a series of fact sheets on tourism.

Tourism Industry Development Co-ordinator

Contact for visitor services, industry development, Local and Regional Tourism Associations, member services.

Charelle Cuolahan

Industry Development Co-ordinator

Contact for local and regional tourism associations, the Visitor Information Centre program and major member events.

Renee Ashcroft

Reneé Ashcroft, BA Business (Marketing & Tourism), BA Communications (Advertising) has worked within the tourism industry for the past three years. Whist studying at University Reneé worked at the Mornington Peninsula Visitor Information Centre and then completed a marketing internship with Mornington Peninsula Tourism. Upon completing university Reneé was appointed Marketing Coordinator at Phillip Island Nature Park, where she worked for just under two years.

Having just returned from 6 months in the UK Reneé is looking forward to her new role as Industry Development Coordinator. Reneé’s role will involve supporting key features of the Industry Development Program including Planning and Business Development for Local and Regional Tourism Associations, Visitor Information Centre network liaison and management of the Visitor Information Centre brand accreditation program.

Project Co-ordinator

Contact for general information, Country Victoria Events Program and the Regional Victoria Conference Group.

Tamara Ristevski

Project Officer

Contact for general information, attractions group activities and major projects.

Erin Slattery

Erin Slattery, BA Tourism, has worked within the tourism industry for the past four years.  Whilst completing her degree at RMIT University, Erin moved to Mansfield in North East Victoria where she gained invaluable regional tourism experience working at the Mansfield Visitor Information Centre.  Upon completing University, Erin took on the role of Information & Reservations Co-ordinator for Mansfield Mt Buller Regional Tourism Association.  Erin’s last eight months working for the organization was as Sales & Promotions Manager.

Having just moved back to Melbourne, Erin is excited by her new role as Project Officer.  Erin will be working on specific projects including the Otway Hinterland Community Capacity Building Project, adventure tourism activities and membership services.

Office Co-ordinator

Front line contact for general information on membership activities, projects and services.

Monica Lougoon

Monica began her career by completing a Business Administration course at Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE. Following this course, Monica obtained a traineeship as an administration assistant at Tourism Training Victoria and went on to win the Trainee of the Year award for the year 1999/2000.

Monica moved to Tourism Alliance Victoria in May 2001 where she is the Office Co-ordinator.

Information and Research Analyst-

Contact for Issues Management and industry research.

Jaqueline Blackwood

Contact Us

Level 3,
114 Flinders Street,
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(between Exhibition and Russell Streets)

PO Box 18136
Collins St East, Melbourne VIC 8003
Phone: 03 9650 8399
Fax: 9650 8543
Email: info@tourismalliance.com.au