Janene Rees

Janene is a passionate advocate for regional tourism & destination development. Known as a tourism visionary she is connected throughout the industry and has exposed & grown visitation for regional Australian destinations to global markets.

Her contributions to the tourism & hospitality industry have spanned more than 20 years; developing knowledge & effective strategies that have impacted the domestic & international sectors & was bestowed the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism by an Individual’ at the Hunter Tourism Awards in 2011.

Her diverse career includes over 15 years in leadership roles at hotels & resorts, delivering success for conference & events, tourism, marketing & food/beverage operations.

In 2005, Janene was appointed the Sales & Business Development Manager for Moonshadow Cruises and Port Stephens 4WD Tours in Nelson Bay. She has grown the major operator to welcome close to 150,000 guests annually with over 40% from international markets, in particular China, Korea, Hong Kong and India. Her strategy of packaging with other tourism operators in the region has not only increased their bottom line but grown the destination as a major attraction for Eastern markets. She has independently built & maintained strong international relationships throughout Asia that have been crucial in increasing the inbound Australian tourism sector.

Most recently, Janene has become a highly sought after keynote speaker at industry workshops & events domestically & internationally. Her specialist knowledge of the distribution channels of international tourism plus China market insights including market engagement via social media is in very high demand.