*Message from the Chairman* (PM Tuesday 16 August 2011)
Dear TW partners,
Today I am excited to announce a step forward for the future of tourism and economic development for the Whitsundays. The Boards of Tourism Whitsundays and Enterprise Whitsundays have unanimously agreed to merge the two organisations.
This merger will create a far more coordinated approach to the development of the vastly different industries in the Whitsunday region, with tourism being one of those key industries.
Staff of both organisations will work from the same office effective immediately, however the process of establishing the new organisation will take longer. To guide this process a transition committee has been appointed, made up of TW and EW Board members, who have already commenced work on the legalities, finances and other arrangements to form the new organisation. I have been appointed Chairman of the transition committee, and EW Chairman Jim Elder will be Deputy Chairman of the transition committee.
Peter O’Reilly has been appointed as CEO of Enterprise Whitsundays to ensure the economic development staff have a stable structure under which to work through the transition.
While the transition committee works through the process of the merger, both TW and EW will continue to operate as normal, with the two organisations sitting alongside each other as business units.
I am very positive and enthusiastic about this opportunity for the Whitsundays community and industries, as I am sure you will be. You do not need to have any concerns about destination marketing activities being impacted – in fact this merger will create more opportunities to access funding for tourism marketing and industry development than before.
There are still many details to be finalised. However we have compiled some FAQs and further information on our website: www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/
You can also read the official press release (being released to media today) – here <https://mymail.ezemsgs.com/ch
I trust we have your support in this new venture, and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
Chris Jacobs
Chairman, Tourism Whitsundays
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
16.08.11
TOURISM WHITSUNDAYS AND ENTERPRISE WHITSUNDAYS TO MERGE
Tourism Whitsundays and Enterprise Whitsundays have today announced they will be merging the
two organisations.
The merger has been a topic of consideration for a number of years and is seen as a strong and
positive move by the Boards of both organisations.
The merger will take functional effect immediately with the two businesses being run side by side
whilst the new umbrella organisation is put into place.
Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer Peter O’Reilly has been appointed as CEO of Enterprise
Whitsundays to ensure the economic development staff have a stable structure under which to work
through the transition.
A Transition Committee made up of Tourism Whitsundays and Enterprise Whitsundays Board
members has been formed to effect the change in structure and steer the organisation through until
June next year.
Chairman of the transition committee will be Chris Jacobs with Jim Elder as Deputy Chairman.
Mr O’Reilly said the merger had the full support of both Boards and key stakeholders such as the
Whitsunday Regional Council, Tourism Queensland and major industry supporters.
“The merger will provide significant cost savings for both organisations, as well as establish a central
board and organisation to grow our local economy,” Mr O’Reilly said.
“The Whitsundays is a very diverse region, with several strong industries spread across a broad
landscape and there will be a huge advantage to the region having the one board focused on
coordinating and growing these industries for the benefit of our communities,” he said.
Mayor Mike Brunker said the merger would create a more unified approach to growing the region’s
economy.
“Tourism is the lifeblood of Airlie Beach and the islands, whereas the inland areas are more focused
on agriculture and Bowen and Collinsville have a huge potential in the mining industry,” Mr Brunker said.
“In the last 12 months the effects of the GFC have shown why we need to develop diverse sectors of
the economy in the Whitsundays so that when one is suffering the other sectors carry the region’s
economy,” he said.
“All sectors of our economy will benefit from having the one organisation to coordinate growth
strategies.”
Enterprise Whitsundays Chairman Jim Elder said the region was vast and diversified, with numerous
business challenges across all industry sectors.
“This merger is long overdue,” Mr Elder said.
“A single point of contact for any tourism business and economic opportunities can only benefit the
region,” he said.
Tourism Whitsundays Chairman Chris Jacobs strongly supported the merger.
“Tourism is the major economic driver for Airlie Beach and the islands, and I am eager to ensure
tourism continues to develop and grow in the Whitsundays,” Mr Jacobs said.
“But this is more easily and effectively achieved if the growth in this sector is aligned with that of the
rest of the region’s economy,” he said.
“This merger offers increased opportunities to access funding to benefit tourism and a number of
other significant benefits,”
“The merged entity will have a lot more pull and a lot more clout.”
While the transition committee focuses on the legalities, finance, governance and other issues for
the new organisation through this time, the operational aspect of the two organisations will merge
immediately.
EW staff will move into the TW office, offering immediate cost and resource sharing benefits. Both
businesses will continue to operate as normal - ie. the existing Board and governance structures of
the two organisations will continue to operate and guide the business units through the transition
period. The existing projects and destination marketing activities of both organisations will continue
as planned and as normal.
Existing sponsorship and partnership arrangements with the two entities will remain unchanged for
the first trading year. New formulas and approaches will be reviewed over that period for the
following year.
Partners of Tourism Whitsundays and Enterprise Whitsundays have received information on the
merger, and members of the community can access more information, including an organisational
structure, at www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/business-centre
ENDS
For media enquiries, contact:
Danielle Seymour, Marketing Services Manager, Tourism Whitsundays
Ph. 07 4948 5904 or 0417 765 736
communications@tourismwhitsundays.com.au
Note: Media please be wary of wildly inaccurate reports being made on social media by people
posing as legitimate Whitsundays news sources. Please contact us with any queries directly.
UPDATE: Sat 20 Aug 2011 - Bloggers Note: Our report was spot on. Yes, I also have concerns about people posing as legitimate Whitsundays News sources giving out misleading tweets - a story about that soon.
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