Destination Melbourne Podcast

Meet Elias Lebbos, the CEO of inspirational not-for-profit, Travellers Aid. This organisation has been helping travellers in need as well as supporting and partnering with the tourism industry in Melbourne to deliver services and train staff in disability awareness.

Meet Clinton Farley, the Director of Hotel Engagement at SoapAid, a Melbourne based non-profit that collects, recycles and distributes soap to those who need it most. Saving lives, one bar at a time!

We spoke with Sonia Lear, Co-owner of Happy Camper Pizza, a thriving Melbourne food truck business. While many food and beverage businesses don't always consider themselves to be tourism businesses, Happy Camper well and truly does. Join our host, Danielle Archer to find out why! Thank you to bensound.com for our wonderful theme music.

We welcome our new host, Danielle Archer. Danielle speaks to Travis Scicchitano and Jo Issaverdis of Conservation Volunteers about nature based tourism and the growth of 'voluntourism'. Thanks to bensound.com for our music in this episode.

Host Dylan Stewart speaks with Katie Cooper, Head of Aviation Operations at Melbourne Airport (MEL). Dylan and Katie discuss the airport's award-winning Customer Care program and how it provides travellers an improved sense of welcome. They also talk about the feedback on 2015's T4 expansion, a planned third runway and other expansion plans.

Host Dylan Stewart speaks with Leesa Lawrence, Owner of The Little Bookroom and head of Nicholson Village, a growing retail and dining precinct in North Carlton, in Melbourne's inner north. Leesa talks about catering to a growing and changing local population, reaching out to the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourism segment, and some of the challenges that face local precincts and trader associations.

In episode two of the Destination Melbourne podcast, host Dylan Stewart speaks with Martin Heng, Accessible Travel Manager and Editorial Adviser at Lonely Planet. Martin talks about how an accident changed his life, some low-cost or free ways for businesses to increase their revenue by catering to travellers with a disability, and operators leading the way in this area.

In episode one of the Destination Melbourne podcast, host Dylan Stewart speaks with Emma Levy, Head of Marketing at ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Emma talks about partnership marketing, the challenges of spreading ACMI's marketing dollars to attract both tourists and local Melburnians, and the implications of the Melbourne Metro Rail Project.