If you have any correspondence you wish to direct to Tasmania's South Regional Tourism Chairman or any other Board Member please address it to GPO Box 1665, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001.

Ian Rankine, CEO of The Innkeepers Collection, has an extensive career spanning 31 years in the Australian and Tasmanian hospitality and tourism industry.

Ian's first ten years in the industry were in a range of roles with Tourism Tasmania. Ian commenced his career as a travel consultant in Hobart, moving to a sales role in South Australia followed by three years as Sales Manager for Tourism Tasmania in NSW before returning to Tasmania in the role of Marketing Manager of Avis Tasmania.

In 1987 he became Marketing Director of Ausvillas P/L, responsible for the marketing of Innkeepers/TasVillas a position held until 2001 when appointed CEO of The Innkeepers Collection.

Ian has represented Tasmania and his company at numerous international travel trade forums around the world and numerous domestic industry events, including the Australian Tourism Exchange since 1984.

He has participated on numerous tourism boards and marketing committees including:

• Member of Board - Gateway Tasmania 1991- 1996
• Presenter at ATEC Symposium 2004
• Chair, Tourism Australia Industry Advisory Panel - NZ Market 2004/2005
• President Skal International - Hobart 2005/2006/2007
• Board member Totally South Tourism 2007

Amongst career highlights Ian has been the proud recipient of:

• 1998 Tasmanian Tourism Award - Product Marketing
• 1998 Australian Marketing Institute Awards for Excellence - Excellence in Marketing
• 2004 Tasmanian Tourism Award - Product Marketing
• 2005 ITOT Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Industry by an Individual
• 2006 Tasmanian Tourism Award - Product Marketing (Highly Commended)
• 2006 Tasmanian Tourism Award - Outstanding Contribution to Tourism by an Individual

When relaxing Ian can often be found playing golf, keeping fit at the gym, dining out with friends (compensated by gym!)or spending time at his newly acquired holiday shack at Orford.

Jude has had over 26 years experience working in the Tourism Industry at senior executive level and has extensive experience in all areas of tourism . 

For the past three years she has operated her own consulting practice, with project involvement in areas of tourism, management, marketing, eco and nature based tourism, heritage and cultural tourism, strategic marketing, and product and experience development. She has also been involved in several corporate strategic planning and communication projects.

Prior to this for five years Jude was Group General Manager Sales and Marketing for the Federal Group.  She led a large team through a market-shaping period of acquisition, strategic and product design and development, including the research and project management which led to the development of the award -winning Pure Tasmania brand. The Federal Group are Tasmania's largest private sector employer with tourism, experience and entertainment assets in Hobart, Launceston, Cradle Mountain, Freycinet and Strahan including a tourism railway and cruise operation and substantial accommodation interests.

Previous executive management or consultancies have also included the Hotel Grand Chancellor Federation Concert Hall Project, The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel (Project Manager)  Brooke Street Waterfront Hotel (Strategic Tourism Consultant) Woolmers Estate (Tourism Consultant and Board Director) Innkeepers Hotels (State Manager) and RG Sattler Nominees Pty Ltd (Manager).

Jude is also a consultant to the Callington Mill at Oatlands project and has also consulted widely to an extensive range of projects across Australia including aboriginal product development, ecotourism and experience development.

She was appointed to The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority in December 2009, is also a Director of Tasmania's South Regional Tourism Association, and for several years has been an active Director of Ecotourism Australia, sitting on the Executive and Finance Committees and Chairing several committees.

For several years previously she was a Director of the Tasmanian Convention Bureau.

Jude is a proud Tasmanian and lives in Hobart with her husband and three teenage children.

Vin Barron was Chief Executive of the Tasmanian Convention Bureau (TCB) from 1993 until 2008. He was previously Executive Director of the Hobart Chamber of Commerce and simultaneously State Director of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce for 8 years.

 He was a founding Board Member of the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania and its predecessor, Tourism Council of Tasmania.

 Vin is currently a Director of Cricket Tasmania with committee responsibilities which include strategic planning, promoting major cricket events, Bellerive Oval venue operations and the TasmanianCricketMuseum.

 At the TCB, Vin was responsible for planning and developing strategies to maximise national and international convention and incentive visitors to Tasmania and their dispersal around the Regions for the economic benefit of the Tasmanian community and the profitable growth of its members.

 Vin's experience in the industry included being president of the Association of Australian Convention Bureau (AACB), chairman of the National Meetings, Incentives, Convention and Exhibition Industry Council, attending overseas trade shows and bidding for international conferences, through to being a member of many local committees addressing access and marketing issues and providing on ground support to local tourism businesses.

John Hamilton has been closely involved with the Tasmanian tourism industry for nearly 30 years.  He lives on TasmanPeninsula where in 1978 he established, and still runs, the very successful TasmanianDevilConservationPark, plus an equally successful motoring tour operation and a small nature tour company.

He is known for his innovative ideas and is a firm believer that new and exciting sustainable experiences and attractions hold the key to Southern Tasmania's continuing success as a first class tourism destination.

Prior to joining the tourism industry he was an ABC broadcaster and national award- winning sports and political journalist.

John has served a three year term on the national committee of the Ecotourism Association of Australia as well as numerous regional tourism committees. At a community level he is a past president of the Bream Creek Show Society and founder of the Derwent Valley Wine Show.

He brings a wealth of industry experience and has promoted Tasmania over many years at the Australian Tourism Exchange and has taken part in seven marketing trips to Europe and the US as well as dozens of trips interstate.

In recent times John has played a lead role in developing ways in which tourism can help in saving the now threatened Tasmanian devil.

He holds a Dookie Diploma of Agricultural Science and runs a cattle property at Laughing Jack in the Tasmanian Highlands.

John's latest project is redeveloping Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park into the world's first UnZoo.