Despina Karatzias

Forty-plus interviews, hours and hours of content to edit. Four days. One industry doing the crazy good work 💚

This is a snapshot of some of the conversations I captured at interviewing certified operators, international speakers, board members, destination leaders, and sustainability change makers who are making tourism better for people, place, planet and purpose.

Tourism remains one of the most powerful forces for good. GSTS2026 proved it. From Slovenia, Borneo, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Fiji to the Gold Coast and beyond, with an honourable mention to and legendary Gash family, sustainable tourism showed up and so did we leaving with new friends from Australia and beyond and a long list of places to visit 🌏🌱

Last week’s speaking trifecta kicked off in Bendigo at the Greater Together Conference with .tourism Destination Greater Bendigo and Loddon.

In a world of uncontrollables, we focused on what we can control and shape in business: creating experiences with greater intention through Purpose, People, Place and Profit.

Because when we collaborate and package experiences well, everybody benefits, customers, visitors, business, community, and destination.

Huge congratulations to the Bendigo Loddon team for bringing together such an important conversation for regional tourism with honourable mention to my tourism, training super talented and creative sister and Dezree 🙏🫶

And yes… I absolutely seized the opportunity for my favourite OPA selfie yet with regional tourism royalty, Tom Smith and Queen 👸

Because like tourism, business, family, friends really is greater when we are aligned in values and purpose together Xo

Multicultural organisations. Volunteer committees. Community centres. All supporting each other and now see clearly how they can confidently and ethically use AI when writing their next community grant submission.

This is how AI should work in all professional places and spaces. Safe. Practical. Accessible and Ethical. 45 participants registered for this training with one purpose: learn to use AI safely, practically, ethically and privately without losing their authentic voice and purpose to support their projects and community grant writing initiatives.

Not just theory. Not just templates. Actual implementation.

Leading the way in ethical AI adoption, it started with and this week community leaders showed up and left with clarity and confidence on how it’s done.

Special thank you to Kath and Sara for the vision, collaboration and trust to bring this capability training to life 🙏

AITraining Kingston InstituteOfExcellence

Everyday is day one. Running, I love it, and these crisp autumn mornings have me pounding the pavement and are just the best starts to any day. Happy Wednesday and don’t forget to look after you Xo