The Great Victorian Bathing Trail*
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The Great Victorian Bathing Trail* A blueprint for a Victorian hot springs and bathing tourism strategy Written and compiled by Matt Sykes Victorian Tourism Industry Council Lynette Bergin Fellowship recipient 2018 (Experience Manager at Peninsula Hot Springs) regenerate *Working title: Note dual-naming opportunity through collaboration with Koori Elders projects Contents Executive Summary .................................. 4 Acknowledgements Part 1: Situational Anaslysis ................... 8 Victoria’s ecosystems Peninsula Hot Springs Guangdong Hot Marine, aquatic and terrestrial Especially Charles Davidson Springs Association Part 2: Benchmarks..................................32 Koori people of Victoria Tourism Australia Transformational Elders past, present and emerging Especially John O’Sullivan Travel Council Part 3: Advisors ..........................................70 Family & friends Victorian hot springs Food Studio, Norway community Especially Cecilie Dawes Lynette Bergin & her family Metung Hot Springs, Nunduk Spa Part 4: 2030 Vision .................................. 80 Design & Editing team Victorian Tourism Retreat, Gippsland Regional Aquatic Cat Martin, Tanya Whelan, Industry Council Centre, Saltwater Springs, Peninsula Ally McManus Hot Springs, 12 Apostles Hot Springs Part 5: Conclusion ....................................98 Especially Felicia Mariani and Deep Blue Hot Springs Part 6: References .................................. 102 Part 7: Appendix ..................................... 105 2 | The Great Victorian Bathing Trail The Great Victorian Bathing Trail | 3 Executive Summary Definitions Definitions 1. The Market: wellness 2. The Opportunity: Victoria 3. The Current Offering: tourism is a fast-rising has unrealised hot springs Peninsula Hot Springs & tourism trend tourism potential Deep Blue Hot Springs In 2017, the global wellness tourism With subsurface geothermal Victoria currently has two estblished was valued at $US630billion and water resources along its southern hot springs destinations with a growing at 6.5%. Australia is well coastline and a cool, temperate combined annual visitation of more placed to develop a unique wellness climate Victoria could gain a than 533,000 bathers. There are brand based on its healthy aquatic, competitive advantage as Australia's also a wave of five developments at marine and terrestial environments. hot springs tourism capital. construction or planning stage, from Metung Hot Springs in the east to 12 Apostles Hot Springs in the west. 4. Global Benchmarks: 5. A Climate Emergency: 6. 2030 Vision: A Great Iceland & the Nordic region shifting from the goal of Victorian Bathing Trail The research includes benchmarks sustainability to triple- To create an iconic, world-class from hot springs and bathing tourism bottom-line regeneration tourism trail linking hot springs and destinations in Iceland, Norway, bathing tourism destinations along Businesses and governments are Denmark, Sweden, Finland, England, Victoria's southern coastline, from facing increasing pressure from China and Japan. Bathing is a core Portland to Merrimbula, around consumers and staff to show tangible pillar in each of these market's Nerm/Port Phillip Bay and even up actions to improve their environmental brands. into the Yarra River. and community impacts. Leaders at the frontier are now looking to achieve positive climate impacts. Peninsula Hot Springs, VictoriaAustralia 7. 2020 Recommedations: 8. Industry toolkit: a headstart An Australian Wellness for enterpreneurs, Tourism Strategy developers, designers and Nature-Based Tourism Sustainable Tourism Tourism Australia could provide a bathing geeks Nature-based tourism is leisure travel ('Less Harm') framework for state tourism bodies In the Apppendix there is an extensive undertaken largely or solely for the Tourism that takes full account of its through the development of a national list of bathing and wellness experience purpose of enjoying natural attractions current and future economic, social Wellness Tourism Strategy. Visit resources based on industry best- and engaging in a variety of nature- and environmental impacts, addressing Victoria could then develop a Hot practice. The idea is that if you were based activities – from scuba diving the needs of visitors, the industry, the Springs & Bathing Tourism Strategy looking to start your hot springs or and bushwalking to simply going to the environment and host communities. as part of a broader nature-based, sauna project, this document would be beach. (Source: Tourism Australia) (Source: UN World Tourism Organisation) wellness tourism plan. a great headstart. Representation of hot springs with steam rising from a circular Wellness Tourism Regenerative Tourism tub. This is now the common Wellness tourism is travel associated symbol used internationally ('Triple-Bottom- to represent hot springs with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing. Line Surplus') To download a copy visit: Primary and secondary (secondary – Regenerative tourism is travel that globalwellnessinstitute.org/ 89% of trips, 86% of expenditures). Bathing numbers initiatives/hot-springs-initiative actively regenerates the health of (Source: Global Wellness Institute) degraded ecosystems, increases During my research I experienced community wellbeing and promotes Transformational regional financial growth through a • 40 saunas & steam rooms • 6 ice pools • 2 mud baths Tourism nature-based economic model. • 26 hot springs • 4 harbour baths • 1 river & 1 waterfall Transformational Travel (or TT) is any travel experience that empowers • 9 beaches/seas • 3 lakes • 1 salt bath & 1 sand bath people to make meaningful, lasting changes in their lives. (Source: • 8 forest baths • 2 sound baths Transformational Travel Council) 4 | The Great Victorian Bathing Trail The Great Victorian Bathing Trail | 5 Background Background About The Author: Research Methodology 2018 Lynette Peninsula Hot Springs 2008: 'Designing The 2017: Searching North, Matt Sykes Beginning in August 2018 and Bergin Fellowship Voted the global winner in the Luxury Sustainable Landscape' South, East & West Since childhood I’ve loved bathing. finishing in August 2019, my research In 2018 I was fortunate to receive the Mineral Spring Spa category at the In 2008, for my final studio of By 2017 I had found hundreds of Growing up in the rolling hills of methodology involved three phases: Victorian Tourism Industry Council’s World Luxury Spa Awards for 2019, landscape architecture at Melbourne ways that Indigenous knowledge can Peninsula Hot Springs is arguably West Gippsland I have bathed in 1. Situational analysis of Lynette Bergin Fellowship. The University we were asked to investigate inspire life. Land management through Australia’s leading wellness tourism cattle troughs, tannin-rich creeks developments, existing and award honours a spirited lady who a ‘sustainable technology’. Instead of controlled burning still sticks out as destination. Founded in 2005 and neighbour’s hot tubs. What I love emerging was renowned for supporting young choosing bioremediation, permaculture the most profound, a lesson that Bruce most is the way bathing connects Victorian tourism professionals by brothers Charles and Richard or water-sensitive urban design Pascoe articulates brilliantly in his book you to beautiful aquatic and marine 2. Desk-based analysis of Nordic in their career development. My Davidson, the facility has grown from like my peers, I chose songlines. My Dark Emu. ecosystems. It reminds you of the wellness tourism industry, original research proposal was titled a Bath House and Spa to include a interpretation is that in Aboriginal Along the way I spent four years timeless hydrology cycle that defines especially Icelandic hot springs ‘Transformational Travel – Nordic custom-designed Wellness Centre, culture songlines represent the paths of in Tasmania, the heart of Australia’s Fire & Ice (sauna) Area and bathing our Blue Planet. I also walked a lot, 3. In-field research travel through benchmarks for future Victorian spiritual ancestors. These epic creation ecotourism industry. After completing Amphitheatre. With an annual visitation along creek lines, through gardens, Australia, Japan, China, England tourism’ but took on a life of its own. stories are literally embedded in the Certificates 3 & 4 in Adventure Tour now exceeding 500,000 people, forests and farmland. Connecting to and the Nordic region Consequently, the research puts land and sea, being kept alive by the Guiding I was quickly out working on the natural world through each of these forth a vision for a new signature this project is a testimony of the seasonal ritual of walking and travelling the Great Walks of Australia: Bay of Data has been gathered in the simple rituals, bathing and walking, tourism experience coined the ‘Great transformational impacts that tourism along them. The logic was simple, in Fires Lodge Walk, Freycinet Experience form of excel spreadsheets, interview influenced my decision to study a Victorian Bathing Trail’. The concept can create for biodiversity, community order to achieve sustainability then Walk and the Wineglass Bay Sail Walk. transcripts, photo documentation, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at links hot springs and bathing tourism wellbeing and economic development we need to first become ‘aware’ of our I eventually went on run operations for sketches, diagrams, brochures, Melbourne University. After five years destinations along the whole