Kangan Batman TAFE takes top tourism student awards for fourth consecutive year!
01 February 2003
The winners at the Tourism Business Initiative Awards presentation.
On Wednesday 19 February 2003, it was announced that Kangan Batman TAFE has scooped the pool in the State Government’s 2002 Tourism Student Business Initiative awards for the fourth consecutive year.
For the 2002 competition, Kangan Batman TAFE students have won 2nd, 3rd, 4th prizes and a commendation prize out of the competition’s six prizes, which were presented by Hon. Jacinta Allan MP, the Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs.
The annual student competition is a joint project of Tourism Victoria and the Department of Education, Employment and Training, with major prizes being donated by organisations such as Tourism Training Victoria, Tourism Council Australia and the Victorian Tourism Operators Association.
Over 100 final year tourism students from universities and TAFE institutes all over Victoria entered the 2002 competition, which required them to submit a business plan for an innovative, viable new tourism business.
In 2001, Kangan Batman TAFE students won 2nd, 5th and 6th position. In 2000, a Kangan Batman TAFE Diploma of Tourism student repeated this success, winning the first prize of an $8,000 overseas study tour. In 1999 two students from Kangan Batman TAFE shared first prize in the state-wide tertiary student competition. In both years, students from the TAFE also took out other prizes.
Second place-getters Lisa Bagnati of Oak Park and Joanne Bull of Yarraville developed a business plan for a café located on the harbour-side promenade at the Docklands precinct. The business under the name of Two Tribes Café, Cultural and Function Centre, would be a café and a function centre with an aboriginal theme. They envision that this centre would be developed with a commitment to the environment and would offer a unique venue for meetings and functions.
Third place-getters Lisa Purchase of Upfield and Shelley MacPherson of Gadstone Park developed a business plan for a five-star retreat in Metung, Victoria. The Gunai Kurnai Health and Spa Retreat would be a health spa retreat set in Metung and would offer ecologically sustainable, superior accommodation, massages, spa facilities, saunas and healing workshops with aboriginal remedies.
Fourth place-getters Katarina Rados of Greenvale and Sharon Hurren of Sunbury came up with the idea of a four-star bed and breakfast. The White Light Bed and Breakfast located at Aireys Inlet, would provide eco-friendly accommodation and would be constructed out of rammed earth. The business would work together with other local businesses to offer the visitor a range of activities such as horse-riding and lighthouse tours.
Anne Tanner took out the Special Commendation prize for her idea of Bellarine Organic Honey Centre, which would be an interactive honey museum. Visitors would be able to view bees making honey, learn about the honey making process, take part in a range of activities and be able to purchase a range of honey-based souvenir products. The centre would be based at the Bellarine Peninsula.
As in previous years, the competition’s judges commented on the high quality of the entries from Kangan Batman TAFE. Pauline Porcaro, the Program Coordinator of the Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Department at Kangan Batman TAFE believes the Institute has a history of success in the competitions because it has made entry compulsory for all final year tourism students.
“Participating in the initiative is an excellent way for tourism students to round off their studies, as it gives them a good understanding for the realities of business”, Ms Porcaro explains.
“The program prepares students for starting their own tourism business if they wish. This in now especially important because the current problems in international tourism created by world events have meant the local tourism industry is booming, making way for a positive climate for new tourism business in Victoria,” she said.
For further information on studying at Kangan Batman TAFE, telephone the Customer Service Centre on (03) 9279 2555
