Tourism Workshop Australia-wide
AI For Tourism 101
Practical AI Training for Tourism Professionals
Stop guessing and start building. A hands-on program designed to help tourism operators automate repetitive tasks, streamline marketing, and use AI to get back to what they do best: creating great visitor experiences.
- Duration flexibility
- Team focused
- Tailored to tourism
Why Tourism Operators Struggle with AI
You don’t need more theory. You need practical guidance to implement AI tools that actually save you time.
Too Many Tools, Zero Direction
Every expert recommends different AI platforms. You’re drowning in options, but it’s hard to know which tools actually make sense for tourism businesses. Research takes longer than implementation.
The result: confusion, hesitation, and no clear starting point.
No Time to Learn Alone
You’re already stretched thin managing bookings, guests, and marketing. Learning AI from scratch feels impossible when you barely have time to run your business, let alone experiment with new technology.
The result: AI stays on the “someday” list instead of being used.
Afraid to Get It Wrong
What if you spend money on tools that don’t deliver? What if AI makes your workflow more complicated instead of simpler? Without clear guidance, it’s hard to know what’s worth using and what to ignore.
The result: hesitation and missed opportunities.
Meet Your Trainer
20+ Years of Real-World Experience
Despina Karatzias has spent more than two decades helping business owners and tourism operators find clarity when they feel stuck and confidence when they need it most.
A Trainer Who Understands Business Reality
She’s managed, started and led businesses for over twenty years and delivered hundreds of hours of training and workshops across Australia, empowering people to simplify strategy, embrace innovation, and build sustainable growth.
Strategic Focus, Genuine Empathy
Known for combining strategic focus with energy and genuine empathy, Despina understands the pressures of running a business with both your heart and your hands full.
Recognised and Qualified
She holds a Master’s in Digital Marketing, is an ICF-accredited coach and NLP practitioner, and has been recognised nationally with the ATEC Len Taylor Award for Excellence and the VTIC Lynette Bergin Fellowship, as well as the 2022 Victorian Tourism Award Winner for Outstanding Contribution.
Training Designed for Real-World Application
Built around your business, not generic examples
Each workshop is tailored to the region, operators, and context in the room. Participants work on real business challenges using their own content, workflows, and scenarios, not hypothetical case studies.
Hands-on implementation, not passive learning
AI tools are set up and tested during the session with live guidance. Teams leave with working examples and practical systems in place, rather than a list of ideas to follow up later.
Designed for time-poor operators
The training is focused, practical, and jargon-free. Every activity is designed to simplify everyday tasks and decision-making, without adding unnecessary complexity.
Follow-through built in
Post-workshop support includes a structured implementation window, checklists, and ongoing updates to help ensure what’s learned is put into practice.
What Your Team Will Learn (and Actually Use)
Three focused modules designed to help operators apply AI immediately, not later.
Tourism Intelligence & Market Discovery
- Understand where your business sits in the visitor economy
- Use AI to uncover opportunities and validate demand
- Identify potential partnerships and distribution opportunities
AI Essentials for Tourism Operations & Marketing
- Learn practical AI tools that streamline communication and admin
- Create faster, more consistent marketing content
- Use AI confidently for research, planning, and everyday decisions
Experience Design & Action Planning
- Design one clear, bookable experience or offer
- Improve how your experience is communicated to visitors
- Leave with a practical action plan tailored to your business
Inside the AI for Tourism 101 Workshop
Tourism Intelligence & Market Discovery
This is a live, interactive workshop designed to be practical, supportive, and easy to follow, regardless of prior AI experience.
Participants work through real examples during the session, with guidance throughout. There’s time to ask questions, test ideas, and apply what’s relevant to their own business or role, rather than sitting through slides or theory.
The focus is on understanding how AI fits into everyday tourism operations and leaving with practical examples and next steps that make sense for each participant.
Sessions are delivered in a clear, structured way, with space to pause, clarify, and adapt as needed, so no one is left behind.
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Informative & High Energy
Very informative and a high energy session about how to manage challenging customers! Thanks Despina!
Nicole O'Sullivan
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Fantastic Course
Fantastic course! Great examples, useful tips and advice that we can take back to our team. Thank you!
Deaane Gilham
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Amazing
Amazing AI course learnt so much.
Cath Trott
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
We Learnt So Much
Love Despi and her presentation – we learnt so much from the 3 hour hands on workshop that we can’t recommend her and the workshop enough 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Michael Kewish
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
I’m Inspired
I’m inspired. So many notes and ideas, with real, simple to use tools to get me started. Thanks so much Despina. Amazing.
Lauren Daly
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Engaging, Simple & Easy to Understand
As a new small business owner of Hayden’s House Food and Produce, who is still learning about technology, Despina made the training so engaging, simple and easy to understand the practical and very effective ways so that I can incorporate SEO’s and manage my online presence and reputation for my business.
Arlene Tribo
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Insightful & Informative
Very insightful and informative sessions. Thank you Despina for your time and sharing your knowledge
Sarah D'Orria
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Highly professional and helpful
Highly professional and helpful. Program tailored to meet all levels and includes great support and information. Motivational and educational.
Sharon Radon
AI for Tourism 101 Live Workshop Agenda
MODULE 1: Tourism Intelligence & Ecosystem Mapping
Understand your place in the visitor economy and use AI to uncover opportunities.
- 1.1 The Visitor Economy Explained
- 1.2 Tourism Business Success Map
- 1.3 AI for Instant Visitor Insights
MODULE 2: AI Fundamentals + Market Discovery & Validation
Demystify AI and learn how to test demand quickly and confidently.
- 2.1 AI Fundamentals for Tourism
- 2.2 Practical AI Tools for Small Tourism Businesses
- 2.3 Digital Discovery & Demand Validation
- 2.4 Create Your Validation Snapshot
MODULE 3: Experience Design, Packaging & Your AI Action Plan
Turn insights into a bookable signature experience and a 90-day AI strategy.
- 3.1 Designing Desire: Experience Development
- 3.2 The IGNITE Experience Statement™
- 3.3 Build Your Flagship Offer
- 3.4 Your 90-Day AI Action Plan
- 3.5 Wrap-Up & Next Steps
What’s Included in Your Live Training
Smarter Experience Design & Delivery With AI, Data & Research
This live training is fully facilitated and designed to support practical application during the workshop.
- Fully Facilitated Workshop (In-Person, Virtual or Hybrid)
- Customise Agenda for Region or Sector
- Interactive Workbook
- Tourism-Ready AI Toolkits
- Live Demonstrations and real-Time Practice
- Practical Case Studies for tourism & Small Business
- Personalised 90-Day AI Strategy Snapshot
You Have Questions? We've Got Answers.
Q: Can we host this workshop in our region?
A: Yes, absolutely. AI for Tourism 101 can be delivered onsite anywhere in Australia or virtually to regional networks, councils, industry associations, and small business communities. Despina regularly travels across the country to provide in-person training, and where costs are prohibitive, online delivery is just as engaging and interactive.
Q: Is this workshop suitable for mixed digital and AI capability levels?
A: Definitely. The training is designed for absolute beginners through to confident digital users. We start with simple, practical foundations and build into real tourism examples that make learning easy, engaging, and accessible, no matter your starting point.
Q: How many participants can join?
A: Workshops are flexible. We deliver intimate sessions for small business groups of 10–20 right through to large regional events of 50+ operators. If you’re running a conference or summit, Despina can also deliver this as a keynote or extended masterclass.
Q: Do participants need prior AI experience?
A: Not at all. This program is designed for people who may be hearing the term “AI” for the first time. We use plain English, real-world tourism examples, and live demonstrations to ensure participants leave confident, capable, and equipped to use AI the very next day.
Q: What types of tourism businesses benefit most from this training?
A: Operators across accommodation, tours, attractions, food and wine, adventure, events, and visitor servicing all gain immediate value. The tools and templates apply to any tourism or small business wanting to save time, improve marketing, and deliver stronger visitor experiences.
Q: What resources do participants receive?
A: Every participant has access to:
- the AI for Tourism 101 Workbook
- ready-to-use AI prompt templates
- the Tourism Business Success Map Template
- the Experience Design tools
- and a 90-day AI Strategy Snapshot
These are all designed to be implemented straight away.
Q: What technology do participants need?
A: Only a laptop or device connected to the internet. We primarily use free AI tools (like ChatGPT) so everyone can participate without needing paid subscriptions.
Q: How long is the workshop?
A: The standard program is 3 hours, but can be extended to a half-day or full-day training with deeper implementation activities, guided practice, and additional AI tools.
Q: Can the workshop be customised for our region or industry group?
A: Yes. Despina regularly tailors examples, exercises, and templates to specific destinations, challenges, or sectors (e.g., wine regions, adventure tourism, visitor centres, agritourism, or business precincts). Customisation is included in your training.
Q: Do you offer follow-up training or advanced AI sessions?
A: Absolutely. AI for Tourism 101 is the foundation, and we offer advanced modules in AI-powered marketing, automation, customer experience design, and digital strategy. Many regions book this as a multi-stage capability program.
Q: Who delivers the training?
A: All sessions are delivered live by Despina Karatzias, Founder of the Institute of Excellence, a trusted, nationally recognised tourism educator who has trained thousands of operators across Australia.
Ready to Bring AI for Tourism 101 to Your Region?
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