Chris Banson

Chris Banson is an Australian hospitality and tourism operator based in East Gippsland, Victoria. He is the Managing Director of Saltwater Hotels & Resorts, a second-generation family owned hotel and resort management company, and serves as Treasurer on the board of East Gippsland Marketing Inc. For readers tracking Australian hospitality management, regional tourism development, or Banson’s professional roles and business activities in East Gippsland, this article outlines his leadership positions, affiliations, and business background.

He was also the owner of Australian Travel Deals Pty Ltd, registered as Australian Travel Deals Pty Ltd, and Christopher Banson was the sole director from March 2025, with the company trading as Traveldream, an online travel agency that collapsed in April 2025 after entering voluntary administration. Traveldream’s accreditation was later cancelled by the Australian Travel Industry Association, the travel sector’s peak body. Below, we look at his connection to Traveldream alongside his work with Saltwater Hotels & Resorts and East Gippsland Marketing Inc, including company operations, regional tourism, family-run resort management, and administration details relevant to anyone assessing his role in East Gippsland and the wider Australian travel sector. The collapse left customers who had paid money upfront for holiday bookings, flights, tours, or a trip with debts estimated at more than 1.4 million Australian dollars, and many became unsecured creditors left out of pocket. The lack of a trust account also matters for consumers and travellers weighing booking decisions and accreditation status. The company website became part of the fallout as Traveldream’s collapse disrupted normal online operations.

Saltwater Hotels & Resorts Travel Agency – Australian Travel Deals Pty

Saltwater Hotels & Resorts is a second-generation specialist hotel and resort management company operating properties around Australia, and Chris Banson’s business history includes extensive acquisition and management of regional hotels and resorts, alongside broader property management experience shaped by work across residential sales and commercial sales. The business manages more than 1,400 keys, with accommodation that includes over 300 in East Gippsland, and employs more than 500 people across its portfolio. This tourism work has helped create jobs, restore regional infrastructure, and supported local employment and infrastructure development in regional areas, especially East Gippsland.

The company is family owned and now in its second generation. Its focus is on management of hotel and resort assets on behalf of owners, rather than ownership of the properties themselves, reflecting deep experience in the tourism industry.

Saltwater Hotels & Resorts is a separate corporate entity from Australian Travel Deals Pty Ltd. It was not placed into administration and continues to trade, looking forward to preserving the travel experience for guests and local communities.

The Saltwater portfolio

Saltwater Hotels & Resorts describes itself as a collection of accommodation and tourism based businesses, with more than 30 properties spanning five states. The head office is at 201 Esplanade, Lakes Entrance in Victoria. The portfolio covers a broad range of price points and travel needs rather than a single market segment.

Remote and luxury. Berkeley River Lodge on the Kimberley coast in Western Australia, accessible only by air or sea, sits at the top end of the portfolio. The Pearle of Cable Beach in Broome comprises 70 villas and a day spa, and Niramaya Villas & Spa at Port Douglas offers self contained villa accommodation near Four Mile Beach. Escape Villas Port Douglas provides three, four and five bedroom villas with private pools.

Alpine. The group manages a substantial alpine footprint in the Victorian High Country, including more than 115 chalets and apartments at Dinner Plain and over 100 chalets, apartments and lodges at Mt Hotham. Supporting operations include Dinner Plain Onsen, an outdoor onsen and day spa complex, and the Alpinwood Collection retail offering.

Gippsland Lakes and East Gippsland. This is the group’s home region and its largest concentration of stock. Properties include The Esplanade Resort at Lakes Entrance with 134 rooms and apartments, Bellevue on the Lakes with 62 rooms and conference facilities, The Riversleigh in Bairnsdale, 5 Knots at Metung, and holiday rental portfolios across Lakes Entrance, Metung, Lake Tyers Beach and Nungurner. Mingling Waters at Nowa Nowa offers cabins and glamping, and Omeo Holiday Park and Colonial Bank Motel serve the High Country approach.

Coastal Victoria and New South Wales. The Great Ocean Road holiday house portfolio spans Apollo Bay, Wye River, Kennett River, Johanna and Port Campbell, alongside Johanna Seaside Cottages. The Victoria Apartments at Port Fairy comprises 35 serviced apartments, and North Pier Hotel at Cowes on Phillip Island combines accommodation with a bar and bistro. On the Sapphire Coast the group operates Coast Resort Merimbula, Sorrento Apartments Merimbula and the Getaway Merimbula rental portfolio.

Melbourne and metropolitan. Gordon House Apartments in Little Bourke Street, District Apartments in Fitzroy and District Apartment Hotels in South Yarra, and Anchorage Apartments in Hampton cover the short stay and business travel market.

Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. Daintree Beach Resort at Wonga Beach, Darwin Waterfront Short Stay Apartments, and Dolphin Quay Apartments and the Mandurah Private Collection in Western Australia round out the national spread.

Hospitality and ancillary businesses. Beyond accommodation, the group operates food, beverage and wellness venues attached to its properties, including San ti Restaurant at Port Douglas, Little Gordon in Melbourne, The Servo at Lakes Entrance and Illuka Massage and Beauty.

Saltwater also offers a property management service to owners of accommodation assets, which is the core of the business model. The company manages properties on behalf of owners rather than owning the majority of the portfolio outright.

East Gippsland Marketing Inc

Chris joined the board of East Gippsland Marketing Inc in 2020 and holds the position of Treasurer. EGMI is the regional marketing body for East Gippsland, founded in 2009, and works to attract visitors, residents and investment to the region, with his board service contributing to regional development through East Gippsland Marketing Inc and its members.

He grew up in Bairnsdale, Victoria, around a local caravan park and, after a number of years away, returned to the region in 2020 to settle there with his family, reflecting a long connection to East Gippsland throughout his life.

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