2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 1 TOURISM GREATER GEELONG AND THE B ELLARINE 2017/182018 ANNUAL REPORT Contents A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR 4 VISITOR ECONOMY SNAPSHOT 5 MEET THE TEAM 6 PROMOTION 8 DEVELOPMENT 20 LEADERSHIP 26 DIRECTORS REPORT 28 AUDITORS REPORT 30 FINANCIAL STATEMENT 33 2 31 TOURISM GREATER GEELONG AND THE B ELLARINE 2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT TOURISM Visitor economy | | | | WORKING| TOGETHER Snapshot| | | in 2017/18 Reflecting on our industry over the past 12 months, the statement that “everything has changed but nothing has changed” comes to mind. This may sound confusing but it illustrates that we have continued to experience further changes in the digital world in who and how we engage with Others stayed potential visitors. Social media continues to evolve and the exciting introduction of virtual and augmented reality will further change the tourism landscape. Despite this ‘brave new world’ what remains a constant is that ‘delivering the experience’ is king. This has always been the case, so in that sense, nothing has changed. Visitors are still searching for unique experience, particularly those in which they better understand the world in which they live or better understand themselves and their relationships with others. m m werem day 4.6 Our industry continues to flourish and it seems to be a daily occurrence that we break new records visitors 3.7 nights and create new benchmarks. A recent headline in the print media stated that “ tourism overtakes 5.1 trippers coal exports” is one such example. It is hard to believe, particularly following the nation’s recent mining boom that Australia now earns more export dollars from tourism than it does from rural export and mining. At a local level, our Geelong and The Bellarine region celebrated the release of Tourism Research They spent Tourism Tourism Australia’s National Tourism Satellite Account that recorded the total value of goods and services consumed by visitors to our region exceeded $1.1 Billion. This expenditure in turn support close to supported businesses grew 3000 full time jobs and a further 3000 part time jobs. Indeed plenty of reason to celebrate. by We are excited about the commencement of international flights into Avalon along with expanded and enhanced ferry services in Queenscliff, Portarlington and Geelong. Further to this the Sporting, Cultural and Business Events calendar continues to expand and delivers world class experiences for $937m both participants and spectators alike. New accommodation options have been announced and up 3.3% 5,906jobs, recently launched. Major new attractions like the Q Train continue to provide further reasons to visit and stay in our region. up 9.5% So it is with considerable optimism that we face the future and we wish to acknowledge the 2,170 significant partnership with Local and State Government, our sponsors, supporters and record level of industry membership. We thank the board for their leadership and the dedicated and talented staff who deliver this vision on a daily basis. What does this mean?........... Our regions visitor economy is looking stronger than ever. People are spending more and staying longer within our region despite a slight decrease in actual visitor arrivals. The flow on from the growth in visitor expenditure has seen tourism related employment grow 9.5% to 5,906 and an increase in new tourism businesses, up 12% to 2,170. John Stevens Roger Grant Chairman Executive Director 42 5 TOURISM GREATER GEELONG AND THE B ELLARINE 2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT meet our Team meet our Team | The board| | Team tourism| EXECUTIVE TEAM Roger Grant Tracy Carter Executive Director Deputy Executive Director John Stevens Helen Butteriss Karen Jackson Mel Stewart Chairman Treasurer, Skills Based Finance Skills Based Business Events Skills Based Marketing MEMBERSHIP STUDY GEELONG Ron Nelson Cr Ross Ebbels Cr Owen Sharkey Terry Jongebloed Felicity McKenzie Di Nelson Abbey Jones Fiona Tuddenham Simone Budd Senior Administration Officer Business Development Manager Membership Engagement Officer Membership Engagement Officer Student Engagement & Project Officer City Of Greater Geelong Borough of Queenscliffe Golden Plains Geelong MARKETING & COMMUNICATION VISITOR SERVICES Nicole Newman David Littleton Christine Smith Narelle Needham Will Barber Joshua Harris Isla Hutcheon Maree Greenwood Geelong Bellarine Bellarine, Deputy Chair Marketing & Communications Officer Digital Marketing Officer Acting Visitor Services Coordinator Visitor Services Officer Queenscliffe Visitor Information Centre INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT & FINANCE BUSINESS EVENTS GEELONG Brendan Sanders Carla Garner Elise Getson Mark Day Brooke Jaworski Business Manager Tourism Project Officer Industry Development Officer Business Events & International Manager Marketing & Communications Officer 6 7 TOURISM GREATER GEELONG AND THE B ELLARINE 2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT Marketing Partnerships Activity Action Work cooperatively with state, national and • Geelong and The Bellarine is | |Promotion industry marketing bodies to leverage broader represented as one of four regions opportunities. in the Great Southern Touring Route program, providing access to more than Goals Build the brand of Geelong and The Bellarine as a visitor destination $600,000 in international marketing to increase awareness, foster positive sentiment and grow demand. • Highlight Geelong and The Bellarine as part and development initiatives. of international touring routes to the travel • Participate in Sydney to Melbourne Content & Digital Marketing trade and inbound travelers. Touring Route. • Showcase Geelong and The Bellarine as • Go Beyond Melbourne sees Geelong Activity Action part of the Melbourne visitor experience and The Bellarine alongside three other Implement an active schedule of content • Use insights to publish fresh, relevant blog through marketing programs directed at regions within an hour of the Melbourne marketing that leads with the experiences that content on visitgeelongbellarine.com.au every visitors to Victoria. CBD promoted to international travel drive visitation. week with a focus on seasonal, thematic and • Work with Visit Victoria to implement trade and visitors as an extension of the topical subjects. activities supporting intrastate marketing Melbourne experience. Goals • Produce content that connects readers with campaigns and ongoing Victorian • Wander Victoria cooperative marketing • Grow traffic to visitgeelongbellarine.com.au business listings and improves organic search promotions. program included support for new by 20%. results. image projects and a Geelong and The • 60% of traffic via organic search. • Undertake photo shoots to capture fresh Bellarine conversion campaign with • Online session time average 3 minutes. and engaging visual content that will enrich Expedia. • Drive digital traffic to member listings. online content and improve user experience. • Through personal connections, our team is building strong working relationships • Use social media to grow digital audience. • Engage contributors to topical blog content about niche subjects and destinations. with relevant divisions of Visit Victoria: • Provide all visitor experience members with regional, PR, digital, social, product and Results ATDW listings to maximize their connection famils. Results with our online work. Geelong and The Bellarine 22businesses connected with 21%increase in bookings represented in to featured hotels via Expedia during 120,302member listing three 166,073unique sessions Wander Victoria views (28% of international travel260 trade reps at (up 30%) 71%of traffic is initiative. marketing programs. organic search total page views) ATE and a further in1,000 16 countries on international trade missions through new420 images add- Great Southern Touring Route. min2.39 average time ed to visual new55 blogs added spent on site to content assets visitgeelongbellarine.com.au 8 9 TOURISM GREATER GEELONG AND THE B ELLARINE 2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT Experience I BITE-SIZE CITY GUIDE | Promotion| continued MELBOURNE Geelong Public Relations & Media 24 HOURS IN GEELONG As it transitions from industrial hub to Activity Action hip, Victoria’s second city is emerging from behind Melbourne’s shadow Deliver a public relations program focusing • Engage a public relations contractor to WORDS KRYSIA BONKOWSKI on marketing the region to both a Victorian assist in delivering a media program. intrastate audience and to a wider national • Work one-on-one with the PR BREAKFAST MID-MORNING King of the Castle Boom Gallery audience, by bringing attention to our key representative to build media relations From the airy warehouse Inhabiting yet another setting dripping with reincarnated warehouse space greenery to the cold-brew (a common theme in Geelong), assets and marketing themes, including events and PR activity, using a PR strategy based coffee and matcha lattes, Boom is a creative hub for if you were looking for editedemerging by Nicholas and established Fonseca and new developments in Geelong and The COMEaround our key FLY themes, WITH new operators US and a sign that Geelong artists. The space in Newtown’s The Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, Melbourne Star is a glittering jewel in the sky above has turned a new leaf, art precinct of Rutland Street 35 look no further than this houses a gallery, design store located in Melbourne’s Docklands waterfront Melbourne’s Docklands. Enjoy a tea or coffee before CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: popular café in Geelong and café called Neighbour Bellarine. major events