A cyber attack on a tourism business doesn’t just create an IT problem. It can stop bookings, expose guest details, disrupt payments and damage the trust that every review and repeat visit depends on.
That’s the reality we addressed at the 2026 South Australian Tourism Conference, held 16–17 June at the Hilton Adelaide, where tourism operators, industry and government came together to focus on the practical challenges shaping the industry.
Commuserv was invited to present on cyber security, with Scott Parry delivering a keynote on the risks across email, payments, booking systems and staff processes. We also ran a trade booth, speaking one to one with operators about the systems their businesses rely on every day.
Those conversations highlighted a consistent issue. Tourism businesses know cyber security matters, but many don’t have a clear view of where their own risk sits.
Where the gap sits
Tourism businesses rely on connected systems, from bookings and payments to email, staff access and guest networks. Each part may work well on its own, but few operators can clearly explain how secure the environment is as a whole.
Access to booking systems is often broader than it needs to be. Payment changes can be actioned through email without verification. Staff accounts are not always protected properly. Guest Wi‑Fi sometimes sits too close to business systems. When something does go wrong, many teams don’t have a clear first step. None of this is unusual, which is exactly why it’s a risk.
Why it matters for tourism
Tourism businesses handle customer and payment data, rely on uptime during peak periods and depend heavily on trust. When systems fail or data is exposed, the impact is immediate across bookings, operations and reputation.
Cyber security isn’t separate from the business. It’s part of how the business runs.
Where to start
The issue isn’t a lack of tools. It’s a lack of clarity.
You need to know:
- where your gaps are
- which ones matter
- what to fix first
At the conference, we shared a simple cyber security assessment to help operators do exactly that. It’s now available here:
