New Tourism Chief for Norfolk Island

A tourism marketing expert who helped the Tweed region in northern NSW achieve a 70 per cent growth in visitor nights in 2006 is the new General Manager of Norfolk Island Tourism.

Terry Watson, 53, moves to the island with wife Debbie on January 14 to take over from Steve McInnes, who returns to Sydney after 2.5 years in the top tourism job.

Terry began his tourism career running snow trips from Sydney in the mid 1970's. After working for a range of organisations he set up and operated Sydney's first nature-based adventure day tour operation, Wild Escapes, winning NSW and Australian tourism awards in the process.

Terry went on to obtain a Graduate Diploma in Tourism Management and an MBA from the University of Technology Sydney while furthering his tourism career in senior marketing positions with Oceanworld at Manly, the now-closed Wonderland Sydney in Western Sydney and the world's largest resort management group, RCI Pacific.

In between he managed to operate his own management consultancy and lecture part-time at Southern Cross University.

Terry's main task on Norfolk Island will be to implement an ambitious five-year tourism strategy set up under Steve's watch to broaden the island's appeal to Australians and New Zealanders.

"Thanks to Steve's work and the emergence of Norfolk Air, Norfolk Island is on track to achieve 50,000 annual arrivals by 2012," Terry said. "My job will be to keep the growth going by targeting new market segments while maintaining the traditional market base and broadening the range and quality of holiday experiences."

Steve's move back to Sydney with wife Anne and twin children William and Alexandra will see him start a tourism consultancy role based on his Norfolk Island work and 25 years in various other frontline tourism jobs.

Norfolk Island Tourism Chairman Wally Beadman said Steve would be a big loss to the island: "His all round skills were important as part of a team in establishing Norfolk Air as our very own airline while developing a new tourism blueprint that many believe is the best we've ever had. In welcoming Terry and Debbie, we wish Steve and his family our very best wishes for the future."

Just 8km by 5km in size and 1600km north-east of Sydney, Norfolk Island is an external territory of Australia with pristine beaches and lagoons, dramatic coastal scenery, a rich history, laid-back lifestyle and low-tax shopping.

For general information on Norfolk Island visit www.norfolkisland.nf. For information on airfares to Norfolk Island visit www.norfolkair.com

Media contacts:
Sarah Vickery/Bill Gray
MG Media Communications
02 9904 0011
Released December 19, 2007.