About Discovery Coast Tourism and Commerce

To strive to continually promote and develop Tourism and Economic activities within the region known as the Discovery Coast.

Become a member

Discovery Coast Tourism & Commerce Inc (DCTC) is dedicated to the growth and expansion of the tourism industry and economic development for Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy, Baffle Creek and the surrounding local areas. 

The organisation believes that by promoting the Discovery Coast as a must-see destination, the community and all businesses in the area will prosper through sustainable social, environmental and economic development.

DCTC is a non-profit, membership-based organisation that has been successfully operating since 2000.

Contents
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    Achievements
    Constitution

    Executive committee

    DCTC’s executive committee members volunteer their time to lead the many projects run and supported by the organisation. They are supported by hundreds of other volunteers that ensure the two festivals run every year are a success.

    Amber Rodgers

    President
    Amber Rodgers has a long career in business, tourism, events and community groups, with extensive practical and strategic experience in the private sector and destination marketing realms. Amber comes from a background of four generations of successful family businesses. She has acquired broad business skills first hand, from the front line right through to the boardroom. Amber has applied her passionate nature to roles in business development, industry liaison, events, strategic partnerships and marketing.

    Amber worked in regional tourism organisations for eight years, including Capricorn Tourism and Gold Coast Tourism, as well in roles in private enterprise. The combination of these experiences qualifies her to be the very practical and opportunistic consultant and coach that people who work in events and in tourism businesses seek out to assist them refine and grow their products and businesses.

    With experience in events management and funding, plus sales, trade, product development, public relations, branding, destination marketing and social media, Amber can assess, apply and implement across the tourism industry. Amber has excellent credentials in product and experience development and was instrumental in developing the indigenous product Goolimbil Walkabout Tour in the Town of 1770 and continues to champion the concept plan of the 1770 Experience project. She is currently marketing manager (part-time) for an eco certified day tour operator, '1770 LARC! Tours' in the Southern Great Barrier Reef region of Queensland, and has held the Local Tourism Organisation President role since 2016.

    James Spicer

    Members & Publicity
    James first arrived in Agnes Water in 2009 as an English backpacker working as an island guide with 1770 Undersea Adventures, and has called Agnes Water home several times since.

    After completing a sponsorship visa in Brisbane, James travelled all over Australia locating and opening several travel agency franchises, which later led to a sales and marketing position for a 17 vessel fleet in the Whitsundays. There, James helped develop, contract and present products at both domestic and international trade shows, working with a network of buyers and sellers across the globe.

    James most recently introduced and developed the Oceania region for San Diego based tech start-up Cloudbeds, providing customised software solutions for accommodation and touring product throughout the Oceania region. The Cloudbeds technology today empowers over 26,000 hotels worldwide.

    After 10 years representing several tourism brands and regions, James moved back to Agnes Water in late 2020, and now happily consults tourism businesses from his laptop.

    Fabienne Wintle

    Vice-President
    With a brain wired for solving problem, a dose of Swiss precision, never ending curiosity and technology as a guiding light, Fabienne has a knack for leveraging high tech to be high touch with her audience. Her ability to guide small business owners from a state of digital apathy to a one of curiosity has earned her many awards and advisory positions. Being a digital tourism pioneer, she's given thousands of small business the tools and knowledge to grow, improve and make a profitable living from the industry. She lights up the stage by using real life case studies, non-tech language and captivating slides. This leads the audience to not only feel inspired but take tangible action in their businesses. Fabie has been a web entrepreneur since the dial-up days, which lead her to leave her Swiss Alps and move to Australia. As Tourism Tribe's founder and CIO, she regularly consults on digital strategy and online learning tools to all levels of government, private enterprise and destination marketing organisation. She holds a Master in Information & Comms systems and a Master in International Tourism Management.

    Jess

    Secretary
    Jess is another go-getter on the DCTC committee. Her day job is at 1770 LARC! Tours where she is either skippering, at reception or creating content. This water baby has a passion for everything marine, from the fishes, turtles and mammals and even the Tourism Awards!

    Annie McConnachie

    Treasurer
    Annie is DCTC's dedicated treasurer where she looks after the books of 4 businesses.

    Become a Member TODAY!

    DCTC is your local tourism and commerce organisation, dedicated to growing our region by leveraging the benefits of tourism in our local economy. Whilst your interests are represented by the Executive Committee and numerous volunteers, none of these positions receive any salary. This means that DCTC is YOU and without YOU there is no local tourism and commerce organisation.

    Once your membership is paid, you will be able to:

    1. Add your listing and events to our VisitAgnes1770.com.au website (or make sure it is up to date!). This website will quickly become your key sales agent as members report it is the number one website that refers traffic, enquiries and bookings to their own website.

    2. Free event listings. Members and non members can add events for free to the website to give them an online presence. Make sure you do this regularly here

    3. Attend our regular meetings and networking events. The meeting is a forum that gathers local business owners, stakeholders and involved members of the public to invite discussion of developments, projects and current affairs that affect the local tourism and commerce industries. Come along, be a part of it and get up-to-date information about the community. Locations are announced and updated closer to each date. Please refer the members e-newsletters for location.

    4. Keep up to date about opportunities via our regular e–newsletter

    5. Participate in marketing and advertising campaigns

    6. Be featured on our social media accounts

    7. Participate in media and blogger famils and promotional events

    8. Be featured in promotional material

    9. Being represented by the committee at different functions and with different level of governments and tourism officials.

    10. BECOME INVOLVED! We all understand how busy we can be working in our own businesses, however if at anytime you are interested in becoming involved in any of the committees and volunteering your time, you will be very welcomed to join us. DCTC organises both the Agnes Blues, Roots & Rock & 1770 Festivals

    If you have any questions with regards to your membership please email [email protected].

    Individual Membership starts from $66 per financial year.

    Business memberships start at $176 per financial year.

    Join DCTC