South Australian Tourism Commission
Bring a new Adelaide visitor experience to life
Applications are now open for the new 2026 AEDA City Experience Program.
The City Experience Program will support Adelaide and North Adelaide businesses and organisations to develop new, year-round visitor experiences that independent visitors can book and enjoy.
The program gives participants an opportunity to develop new revenue streams, diversify their visitor offering, and reach new markets and distribution channels.
The fully funded program combines experience development, practical mentoring and connections to help participants progress a new experience from an initial idea towards launch.
Applications close Wednesday 7th October 2026.
An overview
About the program
Delivered by the Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA), with mentoring from The Tourism Collective, the City Experience Program will support the development of 10 new bookable visitor experiences across Adelaide and North Adelaide.
The program prioritises experiences located on, or connected to, the North Terrace Cultural Boulevard. New experiences elsewhere in Adelaide and North Adelaide will also be considered and are encouraged to apply.
Developing more connected and bookable experiences will help visitors explore Adelaide, connect with more of the city, and discover new reasons to stay longer and spend more, while also supporting the new Experience Adelaide Visitor Centre with new products to promote to visitors.
What could you develop?
The program is looking for new, year-round visitor experiences, with potential ideas including:
- Curator-led or hosted tours
- Behind-the-scenes experiences
- VIP or value-added experiences
- Nighttime or early morning experiences
- Aboriginal cultural experiences
- Half-day or full-day experiences
- Experiences connecting multiple attractions or operators
- New bookable experiences linked to an existing attraction, venue, tour or visitor offering
You don't need a fully developed concept to apply. The program is designed to help participants develop and test their ideas.
Who should apply?
Applications are encouraged from:
- Major attractions and cultural institutions
- Museums, galleries and performing arts venues
- Existing tour operators
- Aboriginal-owned or operated visitor experiences
- Other businesses or organisations with a visitor experience connected to the Cultural Boulevard
Applicants should be able to develop a new experience that is ready for launch by the end of February 2027.
For larger organisations, the nominated participant must have sufficient authority and internal support to progress the experience through relevant approvals.
For small businesses and tour operators, the business owner or an appropriately senior team member should lead participation.
What support will you receive?
There is no participant fee. The program is fully funded by AEDA and valued at approximately $5,000 per business.
Experience Development
Participants progressing through the program will receive the following support from The Tourism Collective:
- Participation in an in-person Experience Design Workshop on 20 October 2026 at 1:30pm at Ayers House, 288 North Terrace, Adelaide.
- Structured mentoring with an experienced tourism mentor
- Support with experience design, visitor markets, pricing and commercialisation
- Guidance on booking, distribution and trade readiness
- Practical tools, including a Product Development Roadmap and Go Live Checklist
- Connections and resources to help progress the experience
Marketing Support
For experiences finalised by the end of February, AEDA will also provide the following marketing support:
- Support for copy and visual assets creation
- Australian Tourism Data Warehouse listing
- Integration with the Experience Adelaide Visitor Centre
- Itinerary and precinct packaging opportunities
- Potential industry, trade and campaign exposure
How does the program work?
AEDA will assess applications progressively as they are received. Successful applicants will be invited to participate in the first stage of the Program, which includes an Experience Design Workshop on 20 October 2026 at 1:30pm at Ayers House, 288 North Terrace, Adelaide, to develop and test their ideas.
This stage also includes a 30-minute pre-workshop meeting with The Tourism Collective. More than 10 organisations or concepts may participate in the Program’s first stage.
After the workshop, concepts will be reviewed and prioritised, and 10 will be selected to progress into structured mentoring with the Tourism Collective through to the end of February, before final AEDA marketing and launch support during March to April 2027.
The program journey
01 — Apply
Applications are assessed progressively.
02 — Develop
Attend the Experience Design Workshop and develop and test your idea.
03 — Mentoring
10 concepts will be selected to progress into structured mentoring.
04 — Launch
Work towards having your new experience live and bookable by Friday 26 February 2027.
05 — Promote
AEDA marketing and launch support during March to April 2027.
Key Dates:
| Program Phase / Event | Date & Details |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | Monday 21 September 2026 |
| Applications Close | Wednesday 7 October 2026 |
| Pre-Workshop Meetings | Held progressively and completed by 16 October 2026 |
| Experience Design Workshop | Tuesday 20 October 2026 (2 hours, 1:30pm at Ayers House, 288 North Terrace, Adelaide, In-Person only) |
| The Tourism Collective Mentoring | November 2026 to February 2027 |
| AEDA Marketing Support | March to April 2027 |
| Industry Showcase | April 2027 (Date to be confirmed) |
What commitment is required?
The program is fully funded, but participants will need to commit sufficient time and resources to progress their experience.
- Nominate a business owner or senior staff member for the duration of the program, who also has the authority to develop and progress actions to develop the new bookable visitor experience
- If a staff member is nominated, the staff member will be provided with internal time and resources to progress the experience development
- Participate in a pre-workshop online interview (30 minutes) by 16th October
- Attend the in-person Experience Design Workshop in the afternoon on Tuesday 20 October 2026 (2 hours) 1:30pm at Ayers House, 288 North Terrace, Adelaide
If your new experience concept is selected for mentoring and marketing support after the Workshop, you also commit to:
- Attend at least two mentoring sessions between November 2026 – February 2027 (2 hours)
- Complete agreed Product Development Roadmap actions between mentoring sessions (10 – 15 hours)
- Respond to program communications in a timely manner
- Provide accurate product, pricing and operational information when requested
- Work towards having a new experience live and bookable by Friday 26 February 2027
- Participate in the industry showcase and celebration event in April 2027, subject to confirmation
Before applying, please ensure the nominated participant can attend the Experience Design Workshop on Tuesday 20 October, 1:30pm at Ayers House, 288 North Terrace, Adelaide, and has the time and organisational support required to participate.
Ready to apply?
Applications close Wednesday 7 October 2026. Applications are assessed progressively, and accepted applicants will need to complete their pre-workshop interview by 16 October 2026. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
Frequently asked questions
No. The City Experience Program is fully funded by AEDA, with no participant fee. Mentoring and marketing support is valued at approximately $5000 per business.
No. You may apply with an early idea or opportunity. The pre-workshop interview, Experience Design Workshop and mentoring will help suitable participants develop and test their concepts.
Visitors must have a clear way to reserve or purchase the experience in advance, either online or through another suitable booking and distribution channel.
Not necessarily. Priority will be given to experiences located on, connected to or involving the North Terrace Cultural Boulevard. Strong visitor experience opportunities elsewhere in Adelaide and North Adelaide may also be considered.
Yes. The workshop will be held in person on Tuesday 20 October 2026, 1:30 pm at Ayers House, 288 North Terrace, Adelaide, and will run for approximately two hours. Online attendance will not be available.
Yes. Existing tourism operators may apply if they have an opportunity to develop a genuinely new, year-round bookable experience through the program
These businesses are not a priority recruitment group, but may apply where there is a strong and relevant opportunity to develop a bookable visitor experience.
An event/festival organisation may apply where there is a genuine opportunity to develop an experience that extends year-round, beyond the event/festival period. Seasonal or event-only offerings will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
No. A year-round experience does not need to operate seven days a week. You can determine suitable operating days, times and availability, provided the experience is available to book across the year and is not limited to one season or event period.
A business owner, senior executive, senior manager or appropriately authorised staff member should lead your participation. They must have enough authority, time and internal support to progress the experience and required approvals.
We recommend allowing around 15–20 hours across the program, including the workshop, mentoring sessions and time to progress agreed development actions.
AEDA will assess applications based on their alignment with the program, the strength of the visitor experience opportunity and the applicant's readiness and capacity to participate. Applications will be reviewed progressively, so early applications are encouraged.
No. We will confirm final concepts progressing into mentoring after the Experience Design Workshop in late October.
Contact AEDA as soon as possible. AEDA will discuss whether you can continue within the remaining program timeframe. Participant delays or cancellations will not extend mentoring beyond 26 February 2027.
You may need to provide relevant product, pricing and operational information during mentoring to test the commercial viability of your experience. If you have concerns about particular information, discuss these with AEDA before applying.
Enquiries
For further information regarding the AEDA City Experience Program, please contact:
Gemma Nelson
Advisor, Tourism Industry Development
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 08 8203 7489