Grampians Tourism Strategic Plan 2012-2015

BACKGROUND 3

GRAMPIANS TOURISM 3

PREPARATION OF THE PLAN 3

PARTNERS 4

TOURISM OVERVIEW 5

SWOT ANALYSIS 6

GOALS 7

OBJECTIVES 7

STRATEGY 8

IMPLEMENTATION 13

Image: Enjoying the wildlife at Halls Gap

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Background Grampians Tourism Inc. has developed a three year strategic plan to further build on opportunities to develop tourism in the region in collaboration with industry partners. It reflects the board’s intent to place the consumer (their behaviours and preferences) at the centre of every decision that is made to progress tourism. The plan will be used to guide the actions of Grampians Tourism, the tourism industry and other key stakeholders to help grow the region’s tourism industry. Grampians Tourism Grampians Tourism was established in 2009 and is the first regional tourism organisation for the Grampians region. Its primary purpose is to deliver a coordinated approach to marketing, product development, infrastructure investment and industry development for the region. The Grampians Tourism Region includes the municipalities of Southern Grampians, Northern Grampians, Horsham Rural City, Ararat Rural City and Pyrenees.

Image: map of the Grampians Tourism Region and participating local government areas.

The Grampians Tourism Board includes six industry skilled-based members, as well as representatives from the five participating Councils, Parks Victoria, Regional Development Victoria and Tourism Victoria. The board is chaired by an independent chairman. Preparation of the Plan The plan has been prepared by Insight Communications, in association with Street Ryan and Associates, through discussions held at a series of industry workshops, stakeholder interviews, and meetings of the Grampians Tourism Board and staff. The following chart outlines the methodology used to develop the plan, which was completed in May 2012.

Preliminary Draft

Strategic Plan

Draft Strategic Plan

Industry Consultation Part 1 Nov - Feb 2012

Industry Workshops

Desktop audit Meetings with

Council staff Stakeholder

interviews

Industry Consultation Part 2 March 2012

Industry Workshops

Meetings with Council staff

Final Strategic Plan

Industry Consultation Part 3 April 2012

Industry Feedback Stakeholder

Feedback Seek Council

adoption

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PARTNERS Grampians Tourism provides a co-ordination and leadership role in the development of tourism in the region. It relies heavily on the goodwill, financial support and co-operative efforts of its industry partners to develop and deliver tourism programs for the region. Key partnerships include: Shareholders: Financial contributors to the operations of Grampians Tourism who actively engage in initiatives to support tourism development in the region including: • Tourism Victoria • Parks Victoria • Ararat Rural City Council • Horsham Rural City Council • Northern Grampians Shire Council • Pyrenees Shire Council and • Southern Grampians Shire Council

Stakeholders: Members of the tourism industry and other organisations who support the development of tourism in the Grampians region including: • Tourism operators • Local tourism associations, industry sector

groups and business groups • Local community members and groups

(including organisers of community-based tourism initiatives)

• Victorian and Commonwealth Governments, including local members

• Peak tourism industry organisations • Economic development agencies • Natural resource management agencies and

groups

Image: Dunkeld Arboretum

PARTNERS

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TOURISM OVERVIEW

Visitation1 • Most Victorian Tourism Regions experienced

volatility in tourism numbers during the last 11 years. However, the Grampians region lost market share at a greater rate than other tourism regions.

• Around half a million domestic overnight visitors stayed an average of 2.5 nights in the Grampians region during 2011.

• 21.5% were from interstate and generated 11% of domestic visitor nights.

• There were 700,000 domestic day trippers (57% of total visitation).

• International visitors numbered 26,000 (2% of total visitation). They were mostly from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Netherlands, Germany and United States of America.

• In the 12 months to December 20112, there were some positive reversals in visitation trends - in particular, increases of 23% in domestic overnight visitation, 6% in domestic visitor nights and 12% in domestic day trippers.

Visitor Characteristics3 Characteristics of overnight visitors to the Grampians campaign region4 include:

• They are predominantly aged between 39 and 54 years.

• The longest average length of stay was recorded by those aged 39 - 54 years and 55 - 64 years.

• The main purpose of visit for most domestic overnight visitors to the region was holiday/leisure, followed by visiting friends and

1 Source: Tourism Research Australia (TRA), National and International Visitor Surveys, y/e December 2010 and 2011 - Grampians region statistics relate to 5 LGAs that participate in Grampians Tourism. 2 Relates to Grampians Campaign region - 5 LGAs that participate in Grampians Tourism, plus shires of West Wimmera, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiak and Buloke. 3 Source: TRA, National and International Visitor Surveys, y/e June 2011 4 See Footnote 2.

relatives and business activities. Visitor activities varied considerably in different parts of the region.

• The dominant type of travelling party in the region was an adult couple.

Regional Awareness5

A study of awareness perceptions of Victorian tourism regions indicated the following: • Awareness of the Grampians region

(unprompted) as a holiday destination declined from 9.1% in 2009 to 8.2% in 2011.

• Grampians region is 8th out of 20 Top of Mind holiday destinations in Victoria (down from 6th in 2009).

• Grampians region is most well-known for natural attractions, adventure and wildlife.

Economic Impact of Tourism6 It is estimated that tourists spend approximately $175 million in the Grampians region per year, which generates a direct and indirect economic impact of nearly $224 million. Conclusions

The information above suggests that:

• Visitation to the Grampians region is strengthening after a period of decline. However, regional awareness is still declining.

• The priority source market is Victoria (at 78.5% of total domestic overnight visitation).

• While holiday and leisure is the primary purpose of travel, visiting friends and relatives and business are also important motivators.

• Parents with children and older adult couples travelling without children are the most common types of visitors and also stay the longest in the region.

5 Source: Tourism Victoria, Regional Awareness Perceptions

Study, 2011. 6 Street Ryan & Associates, 2012 using data sourced from TRA, National and International Visitor Surveys, y/e June 2011. Relates to 5 LGAs participating in Grampians Tourism.

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SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

Primary Product Strengths • Grampians National Park • Nature-based tourism activities, including

hard and soft outdoor adventure, scenic touring, events, wildlife viewing and other leisure pursuits, conducted in a wide range of natural environments and landscapes.

• Indigenous heritage and culture • Food and wine – with a focus on producers

/ farm gate experiences, cellar doors, interactive food experiences, restaurants and cafes

• Touring – self drive • Arts and culture - history, such as pastoral

and gold heritage, and culture evidenced by galleries, events, work of local artists, homesteads and gardens

Emerging Product Strengths • Backpacker experiences • Cycling • Business events and incentives • Ecotourism • Health and wellbeing

Influences on Current Tourism Activity • Frequency and extent of the impact of natural

disasters over the last 10 years • Increases in low-cost carriers and the frequency of

flights which encourages interstate travel • Strengthening of the Australian dollar • Increases in fuel costs

Consumer Trends • Increase in short-break travel and the perception

that the region is a longer-haul destination (located on average three hours from Melbourne).

Brand • Lack of confidence in the region’s tourism

consumer brand by some industry stakeholders.

Product • Lack of development of iconic product in the region

during the last 10 years • The need to revitalise some of the region’s

products and experiences to meet changing market expectations.

• New product required to maintain competiveness to attract international markets.

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

Product • Further expand the range and quality of

experiences identified as primary and emerging product strengths.

Promotions • Cater for a wide variety of different visitor

markets, origins and motivations for travelling in different parts of the region, and people with varying physical abilities.

• Increase visitor dispersal around the region. • New marketing and communication

opportunities as a result of rapid consumer take-up of digital technologies.

Partnerships • Improve co-ordination between tourism

partners to maximise the use of resources. • Improve the engagement of tourism

operators and Councils across the region.

• A potential threat to the viability of Grampians Tourism would be a lack of support from key partners.

• A potential threat to the long-term viability of the region’s tourism industry would be a lack of response to changes in market requirements for tourism experiences.

• A potential threat to the region’s tourism brand and the quality of visitor experiences would be the introduction of activities that significantly detract from the natural values of locations visited by tourists.

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GOALS 1. To market and position the region to create

sustained market growth and support the viability of tourism businesses.

2. To conduct product and industry development

to create compelling visitor experiences. 3. To attract investment to develop world-class

products and experiences. 4. To provide leadership through establishing

productive partnerships, raising the profile of the region amongst stakeholders, and advocating on behalf of the region’s tourism industry.

OBJECTIVES

Promotions 1. Increase visitor numbers, length of stay and

expenditure in the region.

Product & Infrastructure Development 2. Further develop tourism experiences based on

the diverse product strengths of the region. Investment 3. Increase the level of private and public

investment in new priority tourism projects and existing facilities.

Industry Development 4. Increase the tourism industry’s capacity to

operate businesses that provide high quality experiences that surpass target markets’ expectations.

Partnerships 5. Develop new partnerships with all levels of

government and the private sector, and strengthen existing relationships to support the implementation of all strategies.

Crisis Management 6. Increase the region’s capacity to prepare for,

respond to and recover from natural and other disasters.

Research and Evaluation 7. Conduct research programs to monitor changes

in visitor markets, levels of tourism activity and the effectiveness of all Grampians Tourism initiatives.

Image: Wine produced by local winemakers is one of the region’s product strengths.

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STRATEGY

Objective 1: Promotions

Increase visitor numbers, length of stay and expenditure in the region.

Key Focus Area Strategies

Marketing Strategy a. Develop and implement annual marketing plans that identify innovative campaigns targeting key markets.

Incorporate the following elements: • Nature-based tourism as the lead offer, supported by Indigenous tourism,

food and wine, arts and culture, and self-drive touring; • A strategy of seasonal marketing campaigns, and promotional activities

that respond to climatic changes such as the reinvigorating of the region’s waterways after drought;

• Promotional activities that market destinations and sub-regions in association with industry partners;

• Marketing collaborations with industry partners in Ballarat, the Coonawarra, Great South Coast, the Goldfields, and industry sector groups;

• A dispersal strategy to encourage visitors to popular locations and events to travel throughout the Grampians region;

• International marketing of the region through the Great Southern Touring Route (GSTR) and Melbourne-Adelaide Touring Route programs. Monitor return on investment to encourage industry participation.

Brand b. Communicate opportunities to leverage the benefits of the region’s tourism brand to tourism operators, Councils and other stakeholders.

• Develop and distribute a ‘marketing toolbox’ to assist tourism operators to sell their business, town and region. Include style guides to assist the industry to use brand elements.

• Encourage Councils to utilise the brand and Grampians Tourism’s collateral for tourism promotions.

• Revise the methods used to communicate the brand essence to consumers every three years.

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Objective 2: Product & Infrastructure Development

Further develop tourism experiences based on the diverse product strengths of the region.

Key Focus Area Strategies

Grampians Peaks Trail c. Develop a multi-agency taskforce to support Parks Victoria to fund and develop the Grampians Peaks Trail to maximise its benefits to the tourism industry and local community.

Grampians Way d. Continue to work on the establishment of the Grampians Way - a looped driving route around the Grampians mountain range - with Regional Development Australia’s Grampians Committee.

Indigenous tourism e. Establish a working group of Indigenous community and tourism stakeholders to identify new Indigenous tourism experiences and the steps for development.

Cycle tourism f. Prepare a cycle tourism development plan that outlines key initiatives, infrastructure requirements, processes for implementation and partners.

Mount Arapiles visitor facilities

g. Support the upgrade of visitor facilities at Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park.

Heritage tourism h. Support the development of key heritage tourism experiences as appropriate.

Transport i. Support initiatives to improve transport access to the region.

Image: Waterskiing at Green Hill

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Objective 3: Investment

Increase the level of private and public investment in new priority tourism projects and existing facilities.

Key Focus Area Strategies

Destination Management Planning

j. Prepare a Destination Management Plan that identifies the most important commercial and public investment projects for the region, and outlines priorities, inhibitors and catalysts for investment, and strategies for implementation and stakeholder engagement.

Partnerships k. Work with local councils, Victorian and Commonwealth Government agencies to facilitate public and private investment in priority projects.

Re-investment l. Support tourism business owners to invest in the extension and upgrade of existing businesses.

Objective 4: Industry Development

Increase the tourism industry’s capacity to operate businesses that provide high quality experiences that surpass target markets’ expectations.

Key Focus Area Strategies

Industry development planning

m. Prepare an Industry Development Plan to guide the delivery of skill development initiatives that meet the needs of the tourism industry, including event organisers. The plan should include: • An investigation into best practice models of industry

development, including how programs can cater for progressive skill development

• An analysis of industry skill development requirements. • The range of programs to be provided by GT and other

organisations, including consideration of a Regional Tourism Awards program, the Grampians Leadership Program, and initiatives to improve co-operation between tourism operators throughout the region.

• Initiatives to engage tourism operators in the programs.

Grampians Leadership Program

n. Conduct a program to increase the leadership skills of members of the tourism industry, increase industry knowledge and develop networks.

Staff Resources o. Secure funding to employ an Industry and Product Development Officer on an on-going basis.

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Objective 5: Partnerships

Develop new partnerships with all levels of government and the private sector, and strengthen existing relationships to support the implementation of all strategies.

Key Focus Area Strategies

Memorandum of Understanding with Councils

p. Negotiate a four-year MOU with Councils to support the financial viability of Grampians Tourism and identify partnership responsibilities.

Grampians Tourism Directions q. Establish “Grampians Tourism Directions”, a working group of senior staff from local Councils and other relevant stakeholders to plan, support and monitor the implementation of major projects.

Communications Plan

r. Develop an annual program of communications targeting the region’s tourism operators, local tourism associations, industry sector groups and Councils. Include the following:

• Create annual prospectuses of buy-in opportunities for tourism operators and industry sector groups to conduct co-operative promotions with Grampians Tourism.

• Implement a program of communications between Grampians Tourism and Councils that maximises the co-ordination of tourism activities and minimises duplication.

s. Strengthen relationships with relevant Victorian and Commonwealth Government departments, local members and peak tourism organisations to contribute to a healthy state and national tourism industry and improve advocacy for the region.

Communications with State and Commonwealth Governments

t. Facilitate and / or advocate for the consultation of all relevant stakeholders in tourism-related projects, including the multiple government regional groups within the Grampians region.

Advocacy u. Increase awareness and understanding of the value of tourism within the region:

• Promote the value of tourism and Grampians Tourism’s achievements within the region.

• Promote the perspectives of the tourism industry to all key stakeholders and the media when advocating for policy and / or attitudinal changes in relation to key issues.

• Strengthen relationships with the region’s media outlets.

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Objective 6: Crisis Management

Increase the region’s capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural and other disasters.

Key Focus Area Strategies

Crisis preparation, response and recovery planning

v. Maintain and implement an up-to-date Crisis Preparation, Response and Recovery Plan that is integrated with the activities of emergency services, councils and other tourism-related organisations. Include activities to:

• Ensure the Grampians Region receives top priority for comprehensive emergency planning by Victorian Government agencies.

• Increase the resilience of the region’s tourism industry to natural disasters through marketing activities.

• Increase the capacity of operators to prepare, respond and recover more effectively from an emergency event.

Public Messaging w. Work with government agencies as required to devise suitable messaging to support visitor safety and minimise negative impacts on the tourism industry from emergency events.

Objective 7: Research and Evaluation

Conduct research programs to monitor changes in visitor markets, levels of tourism activity and the effectiveness of all Grampians Tourism initiatives.

Key Focus Area Strategies

Monitoring tourism activity x. Conduct an annual program of research to monitor tourist visitation, characteristics and satisfaction, and to identify barriers to visitation.

Evaluation y. Develop evaluation mechanisms for all key programs and communicate outcomes to the region’s tourism industry.

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IMPLEMENTATION This strategic plan outlines Grampians Tourism’s key directions for the development of tourism in the region over the next 3 years. It will be reviewed annually. A business and marketing plan containing actions that outline how each strategy will be implemented will be developed in consultation with the tourism industry each year. For Further Information

Will Flamsteed Chief Executive Officer Grampians Tourism Inc. PO Box 81 Halls Gap VIC 3381 Email: wflamsteed@grampianstourism.com.au Phone: 0427 004 402 or 03 5361 4017