By Roy Weavers

Queensland Tourism Ambassador and former Island Caretaker Ben Southall was in Blackall last week to take local operators on a virtual tour 'beyond the Black Stump' through 'Oi!', a new online multimedia program.

Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said in Ben's new role as a Queensland Tourism Ambassador he had been tasked with familiarising himself with the broader Queensland tourism industry and advocating new tourism initiatives both domestically and during his travels abroad.

"'Oi!' is a new online induction program that introduces current and new employees to towns, tourism business and attractions in Queensland's central west outback region," Mr Lawlor said.

"The multimedia resource will take current and new employees on a virtual tour through Queensland's Outback to let them experience local attractions, businesses and characters that tourists may have enquiries about.

"It's an initiative of the central west tourism industry who identified, through a Skills Formation Strategy hosted by the Remote Area Planning and Development Board (RAPAD), the need to better equip staff working in tourism, hospitality and retail with the tools to more effectively answer questions from visitors about other towns in their region."

Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said, "Ben has experienced first-hand some of Queensland's remote island communities and the obstacles they face when assisting visitors who have questions about their island neighbours," she said.

"Ben travelled the length of the Great Barrier Reef, approximately 2300km, and can understand why 'Oi!' will be such a practical tool for employees in remote areas of Queensland's Outback and how it will enable communities to support one another in giving visitors the best experience possible."

Remote Area Planning and Development Board (RAPAD) General Manager David Arnold said the project had brought together more than 200 tourism, hospitality and retail businesses across 21 locations, covering almost 23 percent of the state.

"'Oi' is something the entire region has ownership of and can be proud of - it's a local concept, developed locally and features people and places from across the region," Mr Arnold said.

"The aim of 'Oi!' is to make local information more accessible across the vast expanses of the region, and this online tool will help to break down distance barriers by introducing regional workers to other towns, local tourism businesses and attractions through the use of multimedia."

Mr Lawlor said approximately 405,000 domestic and international visitors made a trip to the Outback in the year ending September 2009.  "This is a wonderful initiative that will better equip the industry with the tools to assist those visitors," he said.

To view stage one of 'Oi!' visit - www.outbackhospitality.com.au