Hunter infrastructure must improve to capture Chinese tourism, the Hunter Business Chamber says

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Hunter Business Chamber says public infrastructure and mobile connectivity in the region must improve if we are to receive a share of the states $3.2 billion Chinese tourism boom.

The report, Getting Out There: Encouraging Chinese Tourism highlights the challenges faced by regional businesses in attracting those visitors and offers recommendations which can be adopted by Governments to capitalise on the Chinese tourism market.

Hunter Business Chamber CEO Bob Hawes cited a lack of transport infrastructure to and from Sydney as well as the unavailability of high-speed broadband as the main challenges holding Hunter businesses back.

"Certainly, there is a growing number of the Chinese tourists that are coming to Australia who are independent travellers, who don't rely on a group tour for the entirety of their stay and who might find it difficult to get outside of Sydney. It is also about the quality of tourist accommodation when the tourist does get here.

"But, most importantly, we know from the research that they rely heavily on their mobile devices for communication and information and particularly in regional areas, we are not geared up as well as the capital cities are, in that respect to have information available but also have that infrastructure in place so that they can use those facilities that they are used to and comfortable with to be able to research their trip and make decisions about where they are going and what they are doing," Mr Hawes said.

Mr Hawes concluded saying that capturing the Chinese market is not as simple as just producing a nice brochure, but that "the approach needs to be multi-faceted."

Hunter Business Chamber CEO Bob Hawes. Photo: Newcastle Herald.

Hunter Chinese Tourism in the spotlight

BY MICHAEL COOK

The Hunter Business Chamber is joining the Tourism Industry Division of the New South Wales Business Chamber hosted a round-table today to discuss ways of maximising regional NSW's Chinese Tourism Market.

Destinations and operators in the Hunter are not maximising their market share from the rapid expansion of inbound Chinese tourism which the Sydney metropolitan area has benefited so greatly from.

Studies show that less than one in 20 international visitors to regional NSW were Chinese, compared to one in five international visitors to Sydney.

Today's discussion will aim to examine strategies which can be put in place which Hunter Business Chamber CEO, Bob Hawes say will be a boost to the Hunter's Chinese tourism market and in turn benefit the region greatly.

Hunter Business Chamber CEO, Bob Hawes
Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4367036/bob-hawes-appointed-chief-executive-officer-of-hunter-business-chamber/

Chateau Élan at The Vintage continues a winning streak

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Chateau Élan at The Vintage in the Hunter Valley has scooped the pool at this year's NSW Tourism Accommodation Australia Awards. 

Already holding an impressive collection of awards, this time the hotel has won the Conference Hotel Of The Year Award - Regional and the Housekeeper Of The Year Award.

Resort Operations Manager Ray Manulat says the dedication and drive of staff are the key to their success and has nothing but praise for the housekeeping staff headed by Stacey Mitchell who won the Housekeeper Of The Year Award.

"The facility and the product itself is unique and the quality of the product is very high. Most importantly I think the staff, the people that are here, they have a true passion."

This latest achievement for Chateau Élan will be just two among many of the Regional and State Awards as well as industry accolades the business has won, including Winner of Best Australian Golf Resort, TripAdvisor Hall of Fame for Excellence three years running, and the Trivago Top Hotel Award NSW, just to name a few.