Kangaroo Island Tourism Unfiltered Summit

Zoe is the Minister for Tourism and Multicultural Affairs in the South Australian Malinauskas Labor Government.

She is focused on building back the visitor economy from the uncertainty and impacts of COVID-19, with attention on South Australia's brand pillars of ‘natural therapy’, ‘accessible provenance’, ‘wildlife encounters’, ‘boutique capital’ and ‘loves a party’.

Mark is the founder of Kool Tours, an Aboriginal tourism venture that launched on Kangaroo Island in 2023. The company has garnered consecutive Gold medals for Aboriginal Tourism at the TicSA Tourism Awards in 2022 and 2023. As a Ngarrindjeri elder, Mark also serves as a Director of the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation and previously chaired the State Aboriginal Heritage. In 2019, he organized a significant cultural exchange, bringing Ngarrindjeri Elders together with Lakota Elders in South Dakota, USA. Mark earned a Graduate Diploma in Natural and Cultural Resource Management from Deakin University in 2016 and completed a thesis on Aboriginal men in contemporary Australia in 2017. He is a father of five and a grandfather to two grandsons.

Dylan Beach brings over a decade of expertise in regional tourism development, destination marketing, and event management. Currently serving as the Experience Development Manager at the South Australian Tourism Commission, Dylan has a diverse background that includes founding and running his own event management company, delivering events across Australia and Europe. He has also held key roles such as Tourism Manager at Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park, and led tourism initiatives as the Regional Tourism Manager for the Fleurieu Peninsula. Dylan now works closely with businesses and stakeholders across regional South Australia, creating memorable experiences that promote sustainable tourism and support local communities.

Rebecca currently leads the Quality Tourism Framework (QTF) team at the Tourism Industry Council of South Australia, supporting businesses with their ongoing development in enhancing products, services and experiences. The delivery of the QTF program ensures high-quality visitor experiences through nationally recognised online training, accreditation and awards programs.

Previous to her role at TiCSA, Rebecca graduated with a Master of Tourism through Flinders University before venturing into a career specialising in interpretive tour guiding, visitor servicing and digital marketing in Adelaide, Canberra and Barossa.

Rebecca is passionate about supporting the tourism community in building business capabilities and advocating for South Australia’s diverse tourism industry to enable a sustainable and growing visitor economy.

Hayden brings an energetic approach to regional tourism and digital marketing for small to medium-sized businesses, with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He is dedicated to accelerating regional growth by providing hands-on support tailored to the unique needs of tourism businesses in these areas.

With a proven track record working within the tourism industry across South Australia, Hayden has achieved remarkable results for his clients. His dynamic marketing strategies and practical insights have consistently driven success for regional tourism initiatives.

Hayden offers valuable mentorship and practical recommendations to help businesses thrive online. His extensive experience across regional South Australia equips him with the knowledge and skills to deliver practical support that can be seamlessly adapted to your business, enabling you to hit the ground running and achieve sustainable growth.

Megan is a local leader and collaborator in the tourism industry, currently serving as the Regional Tourism Manager for the Kangaroo Island Tourism Alliance. In this key role, she significantly influences the tourism landscape of one of Australia's premier destinations.

Megan’s deep-rooted passion for Kangaroo Island, combined with her commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, has shaped her dynamic career. Transitioning from a background in agriculture and the food and beverage industry, she has brought a wealth of experience to her current role.

With a robust background as a Project Manager, Megan has excelled across the tourism, agriculture, and food and beverage sectors. Her expertise spans strategic planning, marketing, destination management, collaborations, digital innovation, grant writing, and administrative functions.

Under Megan's leadership, a range of innovative initiatives has emerged, effectively highlighting Kangaroo Island’s distinctive attractions while promoting its enduring sustainability.

Tracy joined SeaLink Marine & Tourism as the General Manager for the SeaLink SA business in August 2022. Tracy was formerly with Journey Beyond where she was the General Manger for the Ghan and Great Southern Rail Journeys.

As General Manager - Marine and Tourism, SeaLink SA, Tracy leads the teams responsible for SA Corporate, Kangaroo Island Ferries, Coach Operations in Adelaide and on KI, Adelaide Sightseeing, Vivonne Bay Lodge and the Murray Princess.

As an Operations lead with 25 year’s experience working across policy development, infrastructure and community capacity building, grant development, project & program management, human resource management, administration and leading through change. Tracy is excited to be part of the leadership team that will deliver on the new Kangaroo Island Ferry Service.

Peter is the General Manager – Projects at SeaLink Marine & Tourism.

He has 20 years’ experience in the property and construction industry in consulting, contracting and client-side roles, delivering projects across a variety of markets including commercial, institutional, medical, retail, industrial and now marine sectors, where he is coordinating SeaLink’s transition to the new Kangaroo Island Ferry Service commencing in 2025.