2021-02-09 S&O Agenda - Item 11 - Attachment 1 - Tourism Noosa Annual Report 2019-20

  M E S S AG E F R O M
          THE CHAIRMAN

                           It has been an unprecedented year for our tourism industry and our
                           community – a year that started positively, and then came the challenges
                           of two catastrophic events. It’s been a year where we have shown great
                           strength and character as we came together to offer support to our
                           neighbours, friends, local businesses and often people we didn’t know.

                           Last year began well for our industry, with                  worked together to reassess and reallocate
                           record domestic and international visitor arrivals.          funding, review budgets and staffing needs.
                           The annual visitor spend in Noosa reached                    The priorities and desired outcomes for both the
                           approximately $1.2 billion. There was a positive             organisation and our members were paramount.
                           feeling throughout the region with our membership
                                                                                        Mel brought a fresh approach, a new set of
                           and the community seeing the benefits of the
                                                                                        skills and experience, and as the effects of the
                           buoyant tourism market. We were looking forward
                                                                                        bushfires and concern about coronavirus grew,
                           to a strong spring and summer season.
                                                                                        the Tourism Noosa team took on an extraordinary
                                                          Then came major events        array of different tasks that could not have been
                                                          that would have a profound    previously envisaged. Mel’s years of experience
“The priorities and desired
                                                          effect on all our lives and   with government prepared her with excellent
outcomes for both the
                                                          businesses. Bushfires         organisational skills and access to relevant
organisation and our members
                                                          threatened Peregian Beach     people which have been of enormous benefit to
were paramount.”
                                                          and Peregian Springs in       Tourism Noosa and our members. While we were
                                                          September, and then in        seeing the damage that the national bushfire
                                                          November, Noosa North         emergency caused, at the time no one could
                           Shore, Cooroibah, Kin Kin and Tewantin, with fires           know how devastating the impact of COVID-19
                           continuing throughout much of Australia into the             would be on all aspects of our lives. Despite the
                           Christmas period. Those fires had a devastating              events of the past year Mel’s excitement and
                           impact. They damaged our communities and                     commitment remain as strong as ever.
                           tourism sector and the whole of the country
                                                                                        As the COVID-19 pandemic grew and the
                           suffered terribly - lives were lost, wildlife and stock
                                                                                        enormity of what we were facing started
                           were killed and there was enormous property
                                                                                        to become apparent, numerous initiatives
                           damage. Confidence and the economy were
                                                                                        were taken including establishing a Business
                           severely damaged.
                                                                                        Roundtable group with the Noosa Council and
                           While these events were unfolding, in November               various local associations. Representatives from
                           Melanie Anderson joined Tourism Noosa as our                 all these bodies committed significant time and
                           new CEO. Mel had arrived with boundless energy               resources toward the common goal of protecting
                           and enthusiasm. She and the Board took on a                  and assisting our community.
                           review and restructure of the organisation. We




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