Big shifts are hitting Australia’s outdoor sector all at once: productivity is falling, politics are realigning, migration is rising, and AI is changing the shape of knowledge work. We break down what those trends mean for outdoor operators, educators, and guides, then map them to practical steps you can take this month to strengthen workforce pipelines, sharpen compliance, and reduce operational friction.
We start with people. A women’s leadership program highlights the power of personal brand and mentorship across a nine‑month journey, while Jobs and Skills Councils share data showing care-adjacent fields like sport and recreation lag on productivity. With more roles requiring post‑school credentials yet our industry relying on VET levels 3–4, we dig into what “future-ready” training actually looks like—competency that is hands-on, inclusive, and aligned with real field risk.
AI’s narrative gets a reality check: it’s not just automating low-level admin, it’s moving into degree-heavy tasks. For outdoor teams, that’s an opportunity to offload back-office complexity and protect the craft of guiding.
Enter Fieldbook, a purpose-built platform for multi-day trips that turns a single itinerary into synced sales brochures, guest companions, and detailed guide run sheets. Small World Journeys shares a candid case study—clean handoffs, fewer errors, and dramatic time savings—followed by a live demo and a member-only offer.
We also get tactical: award allowance changes to review, VET draft consultations you can influence, child safety updates including reportable conduct for camps, and a product recall reminder with exact SKUs and dates. Add must-attend events like the NSW Visitor Economy Forum and a Google Business Profile webinar, plus sector news from Great Aussie Bush Camp’s national expansion. Through it all, we keep culture and inclusion front and center with a practical approach to engaging new Australians.
If you care about getting more people outdoors, safely and more often, this conversation arms you with the data, tools, and timelines to act. Subscribe for weekly briefings, share this episode with a colleague who handles operations or compliance, and leave a review telling us the one change you’ll make this week.
To stay connected to Outdoors NSW & ACT, Subscribe to our podcasts, or our YouTube Channel
Our members get access to a whole range of additional information and support - you can join here and start receiving the benefits today.
