Speaker Bios

Andrew Guy is the Tourism and Venues Marketing Specialist at the Art Gallery of NSW responsible for the development of international tourism products and packages, as well as international sales distribution. His experience spans across a variety of Sydney’s performing arts venues and companies and has a background working in inbound tourism promoting the country to both leisure and business travelers across both Eastern and Western markets. Andrew was the Chair of YATEC from 2005 – 2008 and awarded the Young Australian Tourism Export Council Award for Excellence in 2007 and the Most Outstanding Contribution to Exports Award in 2008.   

Ben Woodward has grown up in the tourism industry, with his parents pioneering one of Tropical North Queensland’s premier attractions, Rainforestation Nature Park Kuranda, in the late 70s.  He attended Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane where he completed a Degree in Bachelor-Business (Journalism), and after university worked as a radio journalist and Producer for 4CA & Hot FM in Cairns.    In the early 2000s Ben lived in the UK, then returned to Cairns in 2006 to work for the family business, The CaPTA Group, which had expanded significantly to become the region’s largest privately owned group of attractions and touring companies (now consisting of Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, Jungle Tours, Tropic Wings, Wooroonooran Safaris, Rainforestation, Cairns ZOOM & Wildlife Dome, and Australian Butterfly Sanctuary). He then based himself between London and Cairns for several years whilst managing Western Markets for the group.  Now as Director of Sales & Marketing, he managed a multi-faceted team across local, domestic, international, and digital markets, understanding the many different segments critical for tourism.   He served on the NQ ATEC Committee from 2009 to 2017, became Chair of the NQ YATEC Committee in 2012 and soon after became the National YATEC Chair and a Director on ATEC’s National Board until 2013, when he was honoured as the recipient of the Len Taylor YATEC Award for Excellence. He was re-elected to the ATEC Board in 2017 and is just about to complete his final, third two-year term.  He served on the Tourism Port Douglas & Daintree Board from 2014 to 2021 (as Chair 2018 to 2019), was President for SKAL International Cairns 2019-20, and is currently Vice President of Gay And Lesbian Tourism Australia. Since 2021 he has also served on the TTNQ Board as General Director, having been re-elected at their 2023 AGM.  Ben is passionate about the region and its diverse communities, in his own time engaging with community voluntary work. He shows his keen interest in music through DJing at regular events, and since 2015, has also run the immensely popular and successful unofficial dance party that accompanies the Australian Tourism Exchange, “gAyTE”. 

Bianca is the Trade & Experience Manager at G’day Group, Australia’s largest regional accommodation provider. She has played a pivotal role in establishing and expanding the trade distribution strategy during a dynamic period of growth that has seen the organisation diversify its product portfolio to include luxury accommodation, hospitality and regional resorts. With over a decade of industry experience, including roles with national operators Journey Beyond and G’day Group, she possesses a comprehensive skill set encompassing sales, product development, partnerships, and distribution. Bianca champions collaborative partnerships, robust commercial agreements, and drives innovative thinking within the Trade & Sales team.  

Birgit Bourne worked for a German travel wholesaler as a product manager for Australia for 10 years, prior to her moving to Australia in January 1999 working as a business development manager for a leading inbound company before she founded Insight Australia Travel in 2002. She since lead the business from strength to strength working predominantly in the group, cruise ship and student / education travel market. This year she formed a partnership with Australian Geographic focusing on small group conservation, nature and wildlife travel for the domestic market. Her over 30 years experience in selling Australia and her passion about our country, the Aboriginal Culture, the nature and wildlife and sustainable travel will be a great asset the development and growth of our industry.

An integral part of family-owned and inbound industry veterans Exceptional Kangaroo Island, Blair has been involved in tourism from day 1, working across all facets of business at Exceptional KI. From hosting guests as a tour guide, being on the sharp end of a tea towel in the kitchen, through to informing and educating the trade worldwide, Blair has immense respect for and an in-depth understanding of the grass-roots requirements of the Australian export-ready tourism business. His independent marketing consultancy offers a range of sales, marketing, strategic planning and representation services to the broader inbound tourism industry. These services are complemented by in-house content development skills - static and video assets, copywriting and web development 

Carol is a seasoned professional with profound expertise in the international travel industry. As the General Manager for Australia at PTC Express Travel headquartered in Sydney, she brings over 15 years of invaluable experience to her role. Throughout her dynamic career, Carol has demonstrated managing partnerships across various market segments. Her extensive portfolio includes collaborating with inbound tour operators, wholesalers, retailers, airlines, online travel agents and hotels. Before taking on her current role, Carol served as the Sales Manager at Shangri-la Hotel, The Marina, Cairns. Here she spearheaded the inbound strategy for the Greater China and Southeast Asia market, contributing significantly to the hotel’s international success.  

Christian Watts is the founder and CEO of Magpie Travel, a content management platform helping experience operators manage and grow their distribution.  Previously he was CEO of City Sightseeing San Francisco - with 20 years of experience running a Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing tour company.  

Craig 'Hassie' Haslam has been a respected business owner and much-loved character in the tourism industry for over three decades and is best known as the founder of tour company Untamed Escapes. Hassie has been taking a beyond-sustainability approach since 2004, being recognised as a Sustainability Hero by Tourism Australia and a Green Travel Leader by Eco-Tourism Australia.  

With over a decade of industry experience working with some of the globe’s most prestigious hotel brands, Daniel Savoff is Minor Hotels’ Director of Leisure and Wholesale for Australia and New Zealand - where it currently boasts a portfolio of over 60 properties under its Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites and Avani Hotels & Resorts brands. Daniel is responsible for driving wholesale, distribution, and commercial partnerships across both domestic and inbound markets. Prior to working for Minor Hotels, Daniel managed tourism partnerships for Brisbane Economic Development Agency and held positions with global luxury brands including the Dorchester Collection in London and Brisbane Marriott Hotel. 

Deb Carr is a highly experienced tourism professional with over 30 years of industry expertise. She excels in business strategy, people leadership, and stakeholder engagement. As a consultant for ATEC and Metro Hotels, Deb is a prominent figure in the tourism sector. She serves as the Chair of Rottnest Island Chamber of Commerce and sits on the board for Destination Perth. Deb is passionate about developing sustainable tourism practices and creating memorable travel experiences for visitors.

Elise Kellond-Knight has represented the Australian Women's Football Team in three FIFA World Cups, 2 Olympics and has worn the Green and Gold for Australia over 100 times. Learn more about Elise here.

As previous Director of Marketing for Sovereign Hill, one of Victoria’s key tourist attractions, Garry Burns is widely recognised as one of Australia’s most astute tourism marketing executives. His key strengths are product development for the China market, brand and creative development, event management and public relations. He holds a master’s degree in Marketing from Monash University Melbourne. He has been deeply involved in growing the inbound China market for major tourism attractions for over 20 years, including premium products for Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade, and the development of Sovereign Hill strategies and products specifically for the China market. Garry has made more than 50 trips to China since 1997 and has lived in Shanghai for short periods to gain a deeper understanding of the market. Garry departed Sovereign Hill in December 2016 to establish the Gaibo Agency

Gary serves as a Group General Manager – Inbound for AOT Inbound and Experience Tours Australia – part of the Helloworld Travel Group. Gary joined AOT in February 2000 and is responsible for all AOT inbound sales & marketing activities in the Americas, UK, Europe and the Middle East. Gary holds over 30 years’ experience in inbound tourism and brings a wealth of commercial expertise and acumen to the table. Prior to AOT, Gary held the following key industry roles: Regional Sales and Marketing - Global Sales, Accor Asia Pacific Hotel Group; Regional Sales and Marketing Manager & Director of Sales & Marketing, Cairns International Hotel; Director of Sales – Leisure, Sydney Harbour Marriott and Group Sales Manager, The Menzies Hotel, Sydney. 

Grant leads Australia’s Visitor Economy Sustainability, International Markets and Tourism Research Australia (VE SIMTRA) Branch. He joined Austrade in mid-2022 and has recently taken over as Head of Tourism Research Australia. In his newly expanded role, Grant leads Austrade’s work on visitor economy sustainability and international markets, as well the preparation of official tourism statistics and industry analysis.  He has previously held senior economic, policy and forecasting roles in the Australian Treasury and spent several years working on labour market analysis in the United Kingdom civil service. 

Graziella Caruso is an accomplished professional with a wealth of experience gained in  the travel industry Australia and overseas. Originally from Switzerland, her passion for Australia saw her travel extensively around Australia in her 20s and then study and work in South Australia and the Northern Territory, before moving to Sydney in the year 2000.  As the Head of Product at Goway Inbound Travel, Graziella overseas product development and the product and database teams. She is responsible for the overall implementation of  the purchasing strategy for Australia. Graziella has a soft spot for Indigenous Tourism. She also has an interest in natural medicine and has recently taken up ocean swimming.  

Henri Wilson, a dedicated Sales Manager at FareHarbor with 6 years of experience, excels in addressing complex challenges for tour operators. Starting in the US, he moved to Sydney in 2019, leading the local team to provide tailored technological solutions, fuelling growth for numerous operators. 

Janene Rees is a passionate advocate for International Tourism & destination and product development. Her contributions to the tourism & hospitality industry have spanned more than 20 years; developing knowledge & effective strategies specialising in Asia and China. Her specialist knowledge of the distribution channels of international tourism plus China market insights including market engagement via social media is in very high demand. 

Josh has been working in the ResTech industry for close to 5 years now in a variety of roles and brings a unique perspective from his career spanning multiple industries. He is a passionate traveller and self-proclaimed tech geek, which makes ResTech a perfect industry for him!  

Meredith Rangel, founder of Bookable Tourism, leverages two decades of diverse industry experience to empower tourism businesses with cutting-edge technology, marketing, and distribution solutions for streamlined operations and increased sales opportunities. Her mission: 100% adoption of modern, connected booking systems in Australian tourism.

Peter is responsible for global trade distribution, OTA’s, Business Events and aviation partnerships. Prior to joining Voyages in 2008, Peter was General Manager Marketing at AAT Kings, following 18 months with Tourism NT. Before joining Tourism NT, Peter spent 14 years with Thomas Cook, undertaking a number of management roles including sales, product and marketing, before moving into Financial Services and managing the foreign exchange operation at Sydney International Airport.   

The principal of Fastrak Asian Solutions, Richard has spent most of his professional life involved with international tourism markets; working and living in Japan, Asia, USA and London. He spent 23 years with Tourism Australia in senior management positions, before setting up his own business in 2011. That year he received the Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Industry Award from ATEC in recognition of his efforts, especially in relation to Asia.  In addition to his role at Fastrak Asian Solutions, from 2017 to 2023, Richard was Chair of Destination Southern New South Wales Ltd (a limited by guarantee company covering 8 council areas in NSW). 

Robert, a Nanda Yamaji man, has served as the CEO of WAITOC for eight years, transforming it from a marketing and advocacy body to a multifaceted organisation focused on business development in Aboriginal tourism. With 38 years in the hospitality and tourism sector, Robert has a proven entrepreneurial knack for diversifying income across industries.  Under his leadership, WAITOC has launched the Aboriginal Tourism Development Program, fostering 39 new Aboriginal businesses and creating 104 full-time jobs across Western Australia. Robert has successfully garnered local, state, and federal funding, increasing financial support for member businesses by over 300%. He played a pivotal role in securing a $40 million national investment and a $20 million JINA plan for Aboriginal Tourism in Western Australia.  In 2022, he led the formation of Aboriginal Tourism WA, a charitable extension of WAITOC, securing $3.9 million in funding for four years. Robert’s strategic acumen and strong advocacy skills make him a leading voice in advancing Aboriginal tourism at various governmental levels. He continues to build partnerships aimed at enhancing cultural understanding and generating positive social outcomes for Australian Aboriginal communities. 

Rosie Sandover is the Director of Kingfisher Tours which has been operational for 11 years in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia and is a multi-award-winning business. Rosie has lived in the Kimberley for over 30 years , running her project management business and tour business, from Kununurra on Miriuwung Gajerrong Country. 

Samantha Palmer has been the General Manager of Austrade’s Visitor Economy and Client Programs Division since April 2021 leading the nation’s tourism and visitor economy policy, programs and official statistics and Austrade’s Export Market Development Grant program. Samantha brings 35 years diverse experience, she has led policy, program and corporate transformations in the Queensland, WA and Commonwealth governments in many areas relevant to the visitor economy. Sam has also run a tourism business.

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