Gulf Savannah Digital Support Program
Building Resilience and Digital Capability for Local Tourism Businesses.
Free Digital Support – Done for You or With You
Supporting Businesses in the Gulf Savannah Region
Running a business in the Gulf Savannah is rewarding, but we know it also comes with challenges — from distance and seasonal disruptions to keeping up in the digital space.
As a partnership between Gulf Savannah Development and Digital Maketing Hub Australia we’re offering up to 8 hours of free, tailored support to help your business.
Our support is practical, easy to access, and personalised to your needs. It could mean building a resilience plan for the wet season, bushfires or other disruptions; improving your online presence with a Google Business set-up or refresh, ATDW listing or Best of Queensland eligibility; getting help with social media; creating a simple starter website; or setting up tools to collect and manage customer reviews.
Whatever makes the most difference for you, we’ll map out your support hours so you get results that fit your business.
Practical Solutions to Support Your Business
Get Found Online
Make it easier for visitors to discover you with a Google Business Profile setup or refresh, a starter website, or an SEO health check with practical next steps.
Boost Your Reputation
Strengthen customer trust with smart review strategies, easy-to-manage response systems, and digital tools that highlight what makes your business stand out.
Social Media Made Simple
Refresh or set up your Facebook and Instagram pages with clear branding, content ideas, and tools that save you time while keeping you visible.
Hands-On Support
Work one-on-one with a mentor to map out your digital strategy. Whether you need help with content planning, online bookings, or branding, you’ll get personalised support and, where needed, “done-for-you” setup.
Who Can Apply
We invite all businesses, service providers, and organisations that contribute to the visitor experience and support tourism in the Gulf Savannah to participate in this program. This includes tourism operators, hospitality and accommodation providers, food producers, not-for-profits, and community organisations.
Eligible areas include:
Carpentaria
Burke
Doomadgee
Mornington
Places are limited — this fully funded initiative comes at no cost to your business and is only available to a select number of operators in the region. Register your interest early to secure your spot.
Benefits of Participating
By taking part, you’ll walk away with personalised support that helps your business stay strong, visible, and ready to welcome visitors. These benefits not only support your day-to-day operations, they also contribute to the wider recovery and resilience of tourism across the Gulf Savannah region.
Build Resilience
Get practical tools and plans to keep your business running smoothly year-round — even through wet season, bushfires, or other disruptions.
Be Found Online
Strengthen your digital presence so visitors can discover you easily through Google, social media, and trusted tourism platforms.
Attract More Customers
Boost bookings and confidence in your business with improved visibility, reputation, and digital tools.
Who’s Behind This Program
Gulf Savannah Development (GSD) is a not-for-profit organisation representing the Councils, communities, and businesses of the Gulf Savannah region for over 50 years. This program is part of the Tourism Recovery and Resilience initiative, jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
GSD work to drive economic growth across all sectors—tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and community services—and to deliver sustainable, meaningful outcomes where people want to live, work, play, and invest.
GSD partner with Councils, industry, and community to secure funding, facilitate projects, influence policy, and connect local strengths with new opportunities.
As part of this program, you’ll be supported by a team who bring both industry knowledge and digital expertise. Meet Steph from Gulf Savannah Development and Hilde from Digital Marketing Hub Australia.
Steph Toy - Tourism Recovery Officer
Gulf Savannah Development
Steph is based in Cairns and brings extensive experience in tourism, business development, marketing and operations across regional Queensland. She works part-time (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) as GSD’s Tourism Recovery Officer, supporting local businesses, councils, and partners to build resilience and recovery across the Gulf Savannah.
Hilde Brunnbauer - Marketing Director
Digital Marketing Hub Australia
Hilde runs Digital Marketing Hub Australia and also works as a Small Business Mentor, supporting a wide range of local businesses. Through the partnership with Gulf Savannah Development, she provides practical digital support—whether done for you or with you—so businesses can feel confident online and connect with more visitors.
FREE 1-on-1 Support
How It Works
Getting started is simple. Just register your interest, book your first session, and then we’ll work with you to put your 8 hours of tailored support into action.
Register Your Interest
Complete the registration form, only takes one minute. Expressions of Interest for Round 2 close Friday 31st October 2025. Places are limited, so make sure you secure your spot early.
First Session
We’ll be in touch to set up your initial session. Where possible, we’ll meet face-to-face to understand your business and plan how to make the most of your support hours.
Get Your Support
Together we’ll put your 8 hours of tailored support into action — whether that’s building a resilience plan, boosting your digital presence, or setting up new tools. We’ll do the work with you (or for you) so you see results without the stress.