ATAP Project Atracts Media Interest
5 July 2008
To read the ZDNet.com.au feature on the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program titled How Bloody Well Accredited Are You please click here
The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program has been based on services which were successfully piloted through a University of Ballarat, AusIndustry funded, pilot.
The Building Better Business Online program was a business skills pilot program based on tourism industry accreditation for micro tourism operators which was conducted in the Goldfields (Central Highlands and Central Victoria) region of Victoria during 2004 and 2005.
This pilot provided significant insight into tourism industry capacity building via flexibly delivered online skilling and knowledge sharing. Participants across the pilot region identified the time saving aspects demonstrated through the customised web-based learning, accreditation and assessment system. Tourism operators also confirmed they were drawn in by best practise examples and direct links to the online resources which assisted in bringing and keeping them up-to-date with industry information and developments.
At the end of the pilot the developed model and services were adopted by the Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria. A national working group was subsequently formed with member organisations including:
- Better Business Accreditation Program Victoria
- National Tourism Accreditation Program Western Australia
- National Tourism Accreditation Program Tasmania
- National Tourism Accreditation Program South Australia
- National Tourism Accreditation Program ACT
- Northern Territory Tourism Accreditation Program
The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program has since evolved as a national business development program that is based on quality assurance principles. It addresses many of the issues that are covered in the development of a business plan with a focus on those elements which are key to the day to day function of any tourism operation.
The accreditation program includes business operating systems, licences and permits, insurance details, marketing plans, customer service delivery, human resource management, risk management, economic sustainability and financial systems, environmental management, social and cultural sustainability, codes of practice and codes of ethics.
The Australian Tourism Accreditation Program has been developed by aligning the six state and territory based tourism accreditation programs.
The web-based services have been developed by the University of Ballarat's Centre for eCommerce and Communications. CeCC operates as a business unit of the School of Business at the University of Ballarat. Through research, knowledge transfer and commercial activities CeCC promotes innovation through the application of new technologies.
The new web based accreditation program has being received extremely well, with Western Australia, Northern Territory and Victoria having launched their sites. South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory will launch their services shortly. For an online demonstration of the program please click the below picture.