12 Apostles Coast and Hinterland

17 Pages·2015·4.22 MB·English

12 Apostles Coast and Hinterland
Destination Action Plan 2015–2017
November 2014
Acknowledgments
The development of the 12 Apostles Coast and Hinterland Destination Action Plan has been facilitated by
Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Ltd.
The process brought together representatives from all stakeholder groups that benefit from the visitor
economy; local government, state government agencies, industry and the community to develop a plan. This
Plan seeks to identify the challenges and opportunities facing the 12 Apostles Coast and Hinterland and to
establish achievable affordable priorities that if delivered would increase the 12 Apostles Coast and Hinterland’s
competitiveness.
Specifically we would like to thank the individuals that participated in the plan development process:
Facilitators
Liz Price
Bill Fox
Destination Action Plan Leadership Group
Mark Cuthell John McInerney Matt Bowker Neil Trotter
Terry Binder Richard Nessler Tim Marwood Tanya White
Sean Fitzpatrick David Pope Julian Benson Melanie Pollock
Chris Maguire Andrew Stubbings Josie McInerney
John Maher Carolyn Woods Sarah Hellesey
Images used within this document are supplied courtesy of Visions of Victoria. Cover page image by Mark Watson. All other photographer credits refer
individual images.
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Introduction
Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Ltd is undertaking the preparation of a Tourism Strategic Master Plan for
the Great Ocean Road region which extends from Torquay in the east to the South Australian border in the
west.
A core strategy is to recognise that visitors to the region are primarily attracted to destinations and experiences.
Therefore the development, marketing and management of the regions destinations is pivotal to the success
of the whole region.
This Destination Action Plan for the 12 Apostles Coast and Hinterland identifies priority strategies and actions
which if implemented over three years will enhance the competitiveness of the destination. These strategies
will also be reflected in the Tourism Strategic Master Plan for the region to facilitate regional collaboration and
cooperation.
The Plan has been prepared by a facilitated workshop process involving business and community representatives
who considered and reached consensus on tourism development, marketing and management opportunities
and challenges. The group then identified and agreed on the key priorities and actions that would make a
positive difference to the growth and sustainability of the visitor economy and experience.
Note: The initial workshop focused on the broader region of the Corangamite Shire. Having facilitated the first session Liz expressed concern that the
differences in the regions and their priorities were difficult to represent in one plan. It was agreed that a separate plan be developed for the northern
part of the Shire.
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Objectives
The common objectives for tourism are:
1. To increase visitor numbers
2. To increase visitor length of stay
The visitor economy urn
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3. To increase visitor expenditure ck
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Visitors to 12 Apostles Coast and Hinterland are major contributors to the strength of the 4. To increase visitor dispersal (geographically and seasonally) bert
local economy. The visitors may be leisure travellers (domestic and international), visitors Ro
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5. To increase visitor satisfaction plus g
to friends and relatives, holiday residents, business visitors, students or day-trippers. a
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6. Retain and leverage iconic status of Great Ocean Road from
Their expenditure is new money contributed to the local economy which supports jobs, real
both a national and international aspect.
estate value and the provision of services, facilities and activities in the community.
Critical to the success of the 12 Apostles Coast and Hinterland Region
The total tourism contribution to the Great Ocean Road region is $1,832 million, 20,000 jobs,
is the need to increase length of stay as this will lead to increased
11.1% of Gross Regional Product and 11.6% employment share.
expenditure and increased dispersal. To facilitate increased length
SOURCE: Victorian Regional Satellite Accounts 2011-12 produced by Deloitte Access Economics.
of stay, marketing and promotion must provide more detailed
Corangamite Shire statistics information on the breadth and depth of product available.
The Corangamite Shire attracted 90,000 domestic overnight visitors [a 3.2% drop on the
To transition the perception of the destination, as a passive photo
previous year], representing a market share of 5.3% of total visitors to the Great Ocean Road –
opportunity, greater emphasis needs to be given to detailing what
1.7 million domestic overnight visitors (YE December 2013). Visitor nights data is unavailable
there is to see and do; to experience the best of what the destination
for the Shire as it is statistically unreliable for the five year time periods. Yet statistics indicate
offers.
that for the YE December 2013 domestic visitors stayed on average 2.3 nights in the region.
Current visitation must be underpinned by excellence in customer/
They spent on average $130 per night in the region (Total $27 million).
visitor servicing and all operators need to maximise opportunities to
SOURCE: National Visitor Survey, YE Dec 2013, Tourism Research Australia).
on-sell product and experiences within the region.
International overnight travel statistics to Corangamite were unavailable.
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Image: Robert Blackburn
Image: Robert Blackburn
Our values Our collective strengths
§ Internationally recognised site (12 Apostles)
To be a connected and engaged destination that welcomes visitors and shares
with them the opportunity to escape the everyday and immerse themselves in the § Promoted by Tourism Australia
experiences, the produce, and the activities provided through the diverse natural § Expanding food/local produce
landscapes.
§ Operators with experience in supply side to international markets
§ Opportunity to work more collaboratively with hinterland suppliers
§ Significant number of visitors coming to 12 Apostles Coast and
Hinterland.
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Our challenges
Image: Robert Blackburn
Priorities Other
1. To increase the length of stay (=$) § To increase the length of stay – to promote 12 § Marketing
Apostles Coast and Hinterland and surrounds as a § Lack of knowledge of the current visitor market
2. Lack of investment
destination, not a stop off § Lack of a collaborative approach to marketing
3. Visitor servicing § Lack of both public and private investment both § Perception of the destination as a day trip
destination – more than 12 Apostles
from a development and maintenance perspective
4. Decay of assets
§ Ability to influence asset owners i.e. Parks Victoria § Depth of product – lack of product to compliment
5. Community apathy
natural attractions
§ Inconsistent visitor experience
6. Free camping – How do we manage – benefit § Events
§ Poor customer service exacerbated by a lack of
from?
trained and skilled staff § Lack of public transport, access within the region
§ Decay of key assets compromising quality of visitor § Sustainability of assets
experience – i.e. 12 Apostles and Gibson steps
§ Lack of diversity of accommodation
§ Community apathy to tourism – active negativity
§ Ability to cater for the growth of key international
towards any development
markets i.e. Chinese
§ Lack of a sense of welcome, arrival.
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Opportunities ag
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Short term
§ Current visitor numbers including internationals – significant numbers to tap into. HOW? § Targeted product development including:
§ China/India – awareness of markets, meeting expectations, providing a welcoming § Events – foodie event i.e. pedalicious
experience § Farm gate
§ United focus of land managers Parks Victoria, Corangamite, Moyne § Collective and collaborative marketing
§ Shipwreck Coast Master Plan – short term priorities § Community education and awareness and importance of the visitor economy to the
§ 12 Apostles’ Trail – circuit walk in a linear park (model for trail management – region = jobs
disjointed, no collaboration) § Greater emphasis on touring – options within the hub or Port Campbell
§ Spade ready sites for development § Customer service training and up-skilling – ongoing not a one hit wonder – reputation
§ C30 amendment sites – investment attraction management/mystery shopping – how do we do differently to capture the people
§ Discuss with Parks Victoria – short term opportunities/priorities that need it?
§ Visitor Information Centre relocation – develop proposal around Visitor Experience § Population attraction – create competition – change culture – live the dream
Centre
§ Staff attraction – almost full employment – not the population base to choose from
§ Port Campbell suspension bridge project?
§ Greater collaboration, cooperation and interaction between operators
§ Reopening of blow hole
§ Greater emphasis on attracting repeat visitation
§ Boardwalk around Peterborough
§ Missed opportunity to showcase assets i.e. event at 12 Apostles – Shakespearean plays
§ Detailed community plans – Corangamite website (Gary Moorfield) http://corangamite.vic.
at Loch Ard, Amazing Race
gov.au/index.php/community-planning
§ Streetscape project – Port Campbell.
§ Should a user pays model be implemented? i.e. 12 Apostles etc.
§ 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail
Longer term
§ Shipwreck Coast Master Plan § Targeted product development including
§ Opportunity to advocate collectively to attract investment § Adventure product
§ Changing the way the park is curated could change the day trip market to a higher § Restaurant/café options
yielding overnight market § Greater emotional connection – health and wellbeing
§ Growth in key international markets i.e. Chinese
§ Staff training – consistent – ingrained in business and industry philosophy.
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Diagnostic rating
Industry research has established that the
following factors are present in successful
destinations that are achieving the above
objectives. The workshop participants
considered these factors relative to 12
Apostles Coast and Hinterland in reaching
consensus on the priority strategies
and actions. A focus on continuous
improvement of all these factors will
contribute to the competitive growth and
sustainability of the visitor economy of 12
Apostles Coast and Hinterland.
Success factors
Characteristics Rating Comments
1. Strong local organisations focused on their core role of visitor servicing 5.3
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6. Consistent visitor service excellence 4.7
7. Research driven cooperative marketing 4.6
8. A breadth and depth of tourism infrastructure, experiences and events matched to market demand 4.1
9. Risk management plans in place 3.3
10. Supportive communities which understand the value of tourism. 3.9 Community apathetic or negative to tourism
development. This is an impediment to
growth.
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Action Plan implementation
The following Action Plan outlines priorities and actions as a guide for Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism
Ltd, 12 Apostles Business & Tourism Association and the Corangamite Shire Council to collaboratively and
cooperatively implement the Plan. To facilitate this, an Implementation Leadership Group of representatives
will be formed. While the Plan identifies primary organisational responsibilities and in many cases joint
responsibility, it is reasonable to expect that the Implementation Leadership Group will consider and review
this progressively. One key consideration will be the availability and securing of resources to progress the
implementation of the Plan in a timely manner. It may also be appropriate and necessary to involve other
organisations and to seek funding for specific projects.
The Plan does not commit any organisation to the actions proposed but is a guide to pursuing priorities and
actions which will make a positive difference to the achievement of the tourism objectives noted above.
The priority actions have been assigned a KPI priority rating as a guide. These ratings are:
HIGH within the first year
MEDIUM within one to two years
LOW within three years
Progress of implementation of the Plan will be undertaken annually by Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism
Ltd in consultation with the Implementation Leadership Group. This may result in a revision and updating of
the Plan. Regardless, a new plan will be prepared in three years.
The Destination Action Plan will provide input to the preparation of a Strategic Master Plan for the Great
Ocean Road region.
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It was identified that the region needed
significant investment in new product
development to meet the changing needs
of the market and to encourage increased
length of stay. Critical is the development
of a more diverse range of accommodation
including larger scale accommodation to
accommodate the group market.
Additional products identified included
active, adventure, health and wellbeing,
events etc as well as greater diversity in
the food offering including the need for an
emphasis on ‘local’ seafood i.e. crayfish.
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PRIORITY 1
Develop new products and experiences targeted at the needs of current and future visitors that
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a Short term (some early wins – those things you can readily influence). Product development priorities:
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1. 12 Apostles Trail project (1) Corangamite Shire Council, 1
12 Apostles Project Steering
a. Provide greater clarity around what the product is. Prepare a project outline and communications strategy and communicate
Group
the product potential (1 page snapshot)
i. Project outline – redefine iv. Project communication
ii. Description of projects/actions v. Prioritising
12 Apostles Business &
iii. Projected costings vi. Management structure
Tourism Association, 12
b. Prepare a business case Apostles Food Artisans
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