Snapshots. Advance Tourism. A new direction for a new era. New Barossa marketing strategy targets business

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1 Snapshots Advance Tourism February 2006 Sea Cliff Bridge on Grand Pacific Drive NSW Jacobs Creek Winery superb Cellar Door in the Barossa SA A new direction for a new era. New Barossa marketing strategy targets business The latest Strategic Marketing Plan for the Barossa in SA sets an entirely new direction for marketing the region. Old strategies that just build awareness have been augmented with strategies that give priority to targeting business, a focus on close links with local tourism industry businesses and together pursuing better results for local tourism industry sectors. Tourism Barossa President, Mike Russell said This plan has a strong market focus, not a product focus, and sets out to provide every wine tourism enterprise in the Barossa with new business opportunities in return for their investment in destination marketing activities as well as their own marketing. Tourism Barossa Regional Marketing Manager, Racheal Klitscher, said The new marketing strategies focus on achieving a new positioning for the Barossa with an image of exciting, enjoyable, fun experiences and making the Barossa a leading food and wine destination. The main aims of this Strategic Marketing Plan developed by Advance Tourism for Tourism Barossa were to Deliver a strategy to meet the new marketing era and combat the downturn in visitor numbers most regional destinations now see Generate more business (visitors) for local tourism-related businesses Achieve increased support by the local tourism industry for its tourism organisation. Port Douglas Tourism closes office but continues Upcoming ATE host venues announced Norfolk Island targeting Sydney market WA spending $1.63 million on UK campaign Britain s biggest breakfast show visits WA Bob Annells new Chairman Tourism Tasmania Queensland Tourism Training Train success Qantas Holidays new strategy targets families Virgin Blue tops poll Action plan for Japan market Low cost airlines fare comparisons New Caledonia targets growth Outrigger to open new resort in Bunbury NSW wins with United Airlines self-drive campaign NTTC has new name New campaign to target German backpackers SPECIAL REPORT Successful Aboriginal tourism enterprise PORT DOUGLAS TOURISM CLOSES OFFICE BUT CONTINUES Big changes are occurring with Port Douglas and Daintree Tourism Association (PDDTA). While the PDDTA office has closed, the Board is still active. Tourism Tropical North Queensland is working with Port Douglas and Daintree tourism businesses offering temporary support as they plan for a restructured marketing group for PDDTA. A steering committee is developing the format for the revamped organisation and its structure is expected to be finalised by mid UPCOMING ATE HOST VENUES ANNOUNCED Upcoming ATEs are now scheduled as follows: 2006 Adelaide, 2007 Brisbane, 2008 Perth, 2009 Melbourne. Advance Tourism Snapshots February

2 NORFOLK ISLAND TARGETING THE SYDNEY MARKET Snapshots Nov 05 reported that Norfolk Island was implementing a new strategy to attract more visitors. To meet the growth of demand, additional services are planned on Sundays to Norfolk Island from Sydney and Brisbane from March 5. Recent research shows that while the brand Norfolk Island is strong, some customers did not know what the island offers to be enjoyed. For this reason, the advertisement below has been appearing in Sydney consumer press. During this month, February, Norfolk Island has been conducting breakfast seminars in Terrigal, Newcastle, Wollongong, Brighton le Sands, Parramatta and Manly. Attendees are hosted to breakfast, Norfolk Island coffee and chocolates. Agents who attend will go into a draw to win a family holiday on Norfolk Island. Advance Tourism Snapshots February

3 WA SPENDING $1.63 MILLION ON UK CAMPAIGN A three month $1.63 million campaign has been launched in the UK during their winter months with full page advertisements in targeted magazines. There is also a 30 sec TV advert will be converted into an interactive advertisement for four weeks of the 8 week TV campaign. This will allow viewers to order a WA brochure through their TV screens. The campaign also includes cinema and other advertising. BRITAINS BIGGEST BREAKFAST SHOW VISITS WA London s biggest breakfast show, the Good Morning TV program recently visited WA. For two weeks GMTV filmed in and broadcasted live from WA. The program has an audience of 12.6 million each week with an average monthly reach totalling 23.8 million. BOB ANNELLS NEW CHAIRMAN TOURISM TASMANIA Former highly successful CEO Tourism Victoria, Bob Annells, was previously head of Tasmania s State Tourism Organisation. Now Bob has been appointed Chairman of Tourism Tasmania. He said recently that it was vital for Tourism Tasmania to understand the potential market and give private investors certainty. Bob s arrival complements the recent arrival of new CEO, Felicia Mariani. QANTAS HOLIDAYS NEW STRATEGY TARGETS FAMILIES Qantas Holidays has launched a new holiday initiative targeting the family market offering domestic and overseas destinations in the same campaign. So far destinations include Australian getaways capital cities and some Queensland destinations. Global getaways are to USA (Anaheim, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, San Francisco), Britain, Europe (France, Germany, Italy), other overseas countries and cruising. These holidays are competitively priced and are available on Qantas and Jetstar services. Both domestic and overseas packages, are included on one website Brochures available from travel agents are titled Family Fun Holidays. They also feature domestic and international packages for Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland Islands, Gold Coast, Fiji and America. Supporting large press advertisements have been appearing in capital cities consumer press. QUEENSLAND TOURISM TRAINING TRAIN SUCCESS Last August and September, Queensland Tourism Industry Council initiated a $1 million Training Train which was a mobile training facility visiting 14 locations throughout Queensland over an 8 week period during in August and September. The project assembled trainers, training resources and other educational, professional development and promotional materials on a dedicated 10 carriage QR train fitted out with a specially designed and built coffee cart and a commercial kitchen cart; a bar car set up by the Fosters Group, 2 trade cars, a dining/bar car, one car used as a lecture/training room and 2 accommodation cars. The train travelled over 8500klms, offered 31 different training programs and 303 sessions were conducted over 41 training days. Further details are shown in Hats Off to QTIC just released by Advance Tourism. Copies are still available on request by to advtour@netspace.net.au VIRGIN BLUE TOPS INTERNATIONAL POLL Virgin Blue has been voted the World s Top Low-Cost Airline for the third time in an annual global travel survey carried out amongst readers of Wanderlust magazine. Thousands of readers who travelled on more than 300 airlines took part in the survey that asked them to list their favourites in all areas of travel and score results for each based on merit. The survey is in its fifth year and is based on travel from January-November ACTION PLAN FOR JAPAN MARKET Australia has lost its fashionability with Japanese tourists, with Thailand is now the must visit destination. Japanese tourists are voting with their travel bags for something more than a visit to the beach or photos with a koala, says Tourism Minster Fran Bailey who recently visited Japan. To combat this situation, an Action Plan for Japanese Tourism: Embracing Change has been released. It can be downloaded from and click on Tourism. This plan has been developed following industry-wide consultation and is designed to re-invigorate the Japanese market for Australia. New South Wales. As part of its strategy to reinvigorate the Japanese market, Tourism New South Wales is relocating its Japanese marketing specialist, Ms Takako Saito, from its Tokyo office for Advance Tourism Snapshots February

4 12 months. Ms Saito will work with major Japanese inbound travel brokers to improve the range and visibility of NSW product on offer in Japan. LOW COST AIRLINES FARE COMPARISONS On 1 st February the following one-way fares were noted for travel from Sydney on Wednesday 15 March. Each fare shown was the lowest fare available for travel on 15 th March. Shown for comparison are fares for domestic and nearby overseas destinations. Where fares are shown for another day, it indicates that a daily service is not provided on this route. Sydney to Fiji (Nandi) Vanuatu (Port Vila) Auckland Wellington Christchurch Qantas $350 $390 $232 $232 $311 Virgin Blue $120 $210 (Sat 18) $139 (Tue 14) $150 $104 Sydney to Cairns Hamilton Island Fraser Coast Brisbane Gold Coast Hobart Melbourne Adelaide Perth Qantas $159 n/a $87 $125 $148 $97 $179 $272 Jetstar $119 $99 $79(Tue n/a $59 $69 $119(A) $99 n/a 14) Virgin B $219 $99 $99 $69 $59 $99 $105 $99 $249 (A) Avalon Airport Coupled with packages or competitively priced accommodation available on the Internet, these prices make travel to distant destinations very attractive as regional statistics indicate. NEW CALEDONIA TARGETS GROWTH New Caledonia is seeing the fruits of their marketing campaign in 2005 with a 60% jump in enquiries over the last 6 months. This has led to a major lift in funding for marketing in Australia that includes a major new advertising campaign as well as an increased sales force to service the travel industry and the conferences and incentives market. This is to be supported with more TV adverts, a new website just for Australian travellers, a new Conference and Incentive Planner and a specialist agent scheme to be launched later this year. OUTRIGGER TO OPEN NEW RESORT IN BUNBURY Bunbury WA is to get an $80 million world-class resort on the beach and is due to open in 2007 with 120 short stay apartments. Hawaii based Outrigger Hotels and Resorts will manage the three separate five level buildings at the resort. NSW WINS FROM UNITED AIRLINES SELF-DRIVE CAMPAIGN Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley and Broken Hill are featured in a United Airlines/United Vacations self-drive campaign launched in December in the USA that is already picking up bookings. The campaign was developed by United Airlines, United Vacations and Tourism Australia, with support from Tourism NSW. The campaign utilises broadcast, online, direct mail and newspaper advertising to target 3.5 million United Airlines Mileage Plus members and 920,000 Silver Wings UA members who are frequent international travellers. The broadcast component involves a five minute promotional video to be played on all United Airlines international flights and a one minute promotional video for domestic US flights for two months. The September/October 2006 issue of Hemispheres, United Airlines in-flight magazine in the USA, is also scheduled to feature a Three Perfect Days in Sydney article. NORTHERN TERRITORY TOURISM COMMISSION HAS NEW NAME The NTTC has adopted a new name Tourism NT to provide a more modern image. NEW CAMPAIGN TO TARGET GERMAN BACKPACKERS Federal Tourism Minister, Fran Bailey, has announced a new campaign by Tourism Australia encouraging more young Germans to take a working holiday in Australia. The campaign involves a partnership with MTV including TV spots and teletext, an online competition on and a range of print and online advertising. The campaign coincides with the launch of a new German Advance Tourism Snapshots February

5 language version of the Working Holiday Visa website - which offers advice on applying for visas, tips for working in Australia and itinerary suggestions. SPECIAL REPORT - SUCCESSFUL ABORIGINAL TOURISM ENTERPRISE Kepa Kurl Esperance WA Professional Quality Authentic Esperance is home to Kepa Kurl that operates Eco-cultural Tours, a splendid Aboriginal art gallery and gift shop adjacent to the Esperance Visitor Centre as well as recently acquiring another business, Esperance Eco-Discovery Tours. Kepa Kurl is well regarded by tourism industry leaders in Esperance for the sound business approach that they practice. Kepa (water) Kurl (boomerang), Aboriginal name for Esperance where the water lies like a boomerang), began in 2004 and has become a very successful business which includes A program of day and half day tours from Esperance in a 12 seater 4WD coach giving an insight into Aboriginal culture, A program of day and half day Eco-Discovery tours which include the features of the Esperance area. The cultural and discovery tours operate for a minimum of 2 passengers. Tagalong tours A retail shop that offers quality Aboriginal products. Some artworks are priced over $1000. Aboriginal art is provided with Certificates of Authentication where appropriate. Other products include didgeridoos, spears, jewellery plus T-shirts and hats with Kepa Kurl logos. Kepa Kurl also works closely with local Aboriginal artists and sell their artefacts for them Cross cultural awareness training and indigenous consultancy. Marketing is professional and given a high priority. This includes a very informative website and DL brochure. Many overseas visitors seek out Kepa Kurl based on the recommendations of previous visitors. In NZ, Kepa Kurl product has been included in a wholesalers program. Business growth is not ambitious with the management maintaining a manageable pace. The business was founded by manager, Ron (Doc) Reynolds and three of his relatives. Doc was recently elected as a Councillor of Esperance Shire. He also has been involved in other leading positions including being Chairperson of an Aboriginal Lands Trust for an area in WA about the size of Victoria. He is recognised as a traditional land owner for the area where the tours operate. Key to Kepa Kurl s success has been its Professional approach with friendly customer approach and reliability with tour operations Insisting on quality tours and quality products Authentic Aboriginal products and tours. The business is growing through good marketing and word of mouth recommendations of clients. Plans are being made to introduce 2-3 day tours of the area and in 2007, whale watching cruises. Kepa Kurl is located next to the Esperance Visitor Centre. Further details by to altchair@dia.wa.gov.au or by phoning (08) WHAT DOES ADVANCE TOURISM DO? Advance Tourism is a consultancy that for the last 18 years has specialised in regional and urban tourism management and marketing particularly Tourism Development Plans, Marketing Plans, Feasibility Studies, Business Plans, public speaking, training workshops and operations evaluations. The range of projects handled over the years across Australia has been diverse which is why Advance Tourism is able to regularly release free Tourism Information Papers and newsletters for regional Australia on such a wide range of subjects. SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE Should you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from this free newsletter and periodic Tourism Information Papers please send an to advtour@netspace.net.au If you could include the name of your state and organisation that would be much appreciated. Produced by Advance Tourism, Melbourne Ph (03) or advtour@netspace.net au Advance Tourism Snapshots February