Great South West Edge National Landscape Experience Development Strategy January 2013 GSWE Experience Development Strategy 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Great South West Edge National Landscape is a new collaboration The Experience Development Strategy identifies the current and needed between tourism, community and conservation which aims to attract products, infrastructure and experiences that will meet and exceed the high-yielding international experience seekers to the south-west of WA. expectations of Tourism Australia’s ‘Experience Seeker’, Australia’s This Experience Development Strategy identifies the iconic tourism highest yielding international market segment. As these travellers are experiences that appeal to experience seekers in order to drive visitation more likely to increase their length of stay and average spend in to the Great South West Edge. These ‘Iconic Experiences’ provide the comparison to others, the 'Experience Seeker' market has the potential destination with a point of difference against its competitors and are to provide lucrative opportunities for the Great South West Edge region. presented as a uniting journey linking destinations and precincts across the landscape from Bunbury to Esperance (and vice versa). 'Experience Seekers' are looking for natural encounters, adventurous journeys, local flavours and life changing moments, this segment is a Western Australia’s Great South West Edge (GSWE) stretches 750 perfect match for the products, activities, experiences and brand values kilometres between Bunbury and Esperance, dotted with untouched of the Great South West Edge. beaches, coastal vistas, ancient geology and swaths of natural bush. The Great South West Edge Experiences Development Strategy has been Map of Australia’s 15 National Landscapes developed under the direction of a Steering Committee, including representatives from Tourism Western Australia, Regional and Local Tourism Organisations, Regional Development Commissions, Local Government and the Department of Environment and Conservation. The region encompasses a vast and unique landscape of international standard attractions and activities, which provide learning experiences, exploration, adventure, achievement and escapism and which leaves visitors with lasting memories of their Australian holiday. The Great South West Edge Experience Development Strategy is the important next step towards the region becoming a globally recognised and iconic National Landscape. GSWE Experience Development Strategy 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ‘Every visitor will be inspired by an extraordinary journey along Australia’s Great South West Edge’ • Journey through undeveloped nature on two feet or two wheels • Journey up and into the treetops • Journey along the coast and the beaches • Journeys of discovery and learning about an ancient land and culture • Journeys brought to life by the locals and their passion for nature • Journeys that end with the best local food and wine The following ‘Iconic Experiences' have been identified which stand the GSWE apart as a tourism experience. In the GSWE visitors will: • Experience the power of the meeting of two great oceans • Travel through the largest number and most diverse national parks in any landscape in Australia • Experience the highest number of plant and animal species of any landscape in Australia • Experience some of the oldest geological formations in the world Cape Le Grand National Park GSWE Experience Development Strategy 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STRATEGIC GOALS For the Great South West Edge to achieve its vision that ‘Every visitor will be inspired by an extraordinary journey along Australia’s Great South West Edge’, four strategic goals need to be achieved. These are supported by a range of recommendations and detailed in the action plans. These Strategic Goals are vital to managing the journey as a whole to maximise the tourism potential of the GSWE, and include: STRATEGIC GOALS OBJECTIVE ACTION AREAS KEY ENABLERS BUILD A TRULY ICONIC Raise international and domestic awareness of the Create an extraordinary story Marketing and DESTINATION destination’s truly iconic experiences Engage consumers as advocates Communication (MARKETING GOAL) Enhance co-operative marketing partnerships Plan Engage distribution partners CREATE EXTRAORDINARY Build on the destination’s positioning statement Support existing experiences Mentoring EXPERIENCES (Biodiverse Showcase) to develop iconic experiences Support new and emerging products Program (PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT and infrastructure that are consistent with the NL’s Create new or upgrade existing infrastructure Infrastructure GOAL) guiding principles and iconic experiences Improvements DELIVER THE PROMISE Create a network of internationally ready tourism Make the journey easier Touring Route (CUSTOMER SERVICE GOAL) products that can meet and exceed the expectations Improve visitor information & servicing of the Global “Experience Seeker” FOSTER CONSERVATION Establish strong partnerships between conservation, Develop conservation partnerships Mentoring (SUSTAINABILITY GOAL) land managers and the tourism industry Enable visitors to become involved in Program conservation Conserve the story of Aboriginal custodianship GSWE Experience Development Strategy 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY KEY ENABLERS The Key Enablers needed to successfully deliver the recommendations in these Strategic Goals are: • Touring Routes – Develop trade and consumer-targeted touring routes that make the journey easier for the international experience seeker • Mentoring Program - Develop a Mentoring Program to support new, existing and emerging tourism and related businesses to deliver key experiences and get into distribution networks (domestically and internationally) • Marketing and Communications Plan – Develop a Marketing and Communications Plan to distribute to key stakeholders in order to encourage a more consistent message around iconic experiences • Infrastructure improvements - Encourage the development of new infrastructure and improvements to existing infrastructure in order to better deliver the experiences Albany Busselton GSWE Experience Development Strategy 5 ACRONYMS CONTENTS AGO Australia’s Golden Outback AMRTA Augusta/ Margaret River Tourism Association PART A: BACKGROUND…………………………………………………..………….……………..7 ASW Australia’s South-West 1. The Great South West Edge…………………………………………………………………...8 ATE Australian Tourism Exchange DEC Department of Environment and Conservation 2. Experience Development Strategy……………………………………………………..….9 DDC Dolphin Discovery Centre DSR Department of Sport and Recreation PART B: GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND VISION……………………………………………....10 EDS Experience Development Strategy 3. Guiding Principles……………………………………………………….……………………..…11 GBTA Geographe Bay Tourism Association GSWE Great South West Edge 4. Vision………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..18 GSWE SC Great South West Edge Steering Committee RDC Regional Development Commissions LGA Local Government Association PART C: TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES…………………………………………………………..21 LTA Local Tourism Association 5. Game Changing Priorities……………………………………………………………………..22 TA Tourism Australia TRA Tourism Research Australia WAITOCTWA WesternTourism Australian Western Australia Indigenous Tourism PART D: DELIVERY…………………………………………………………………………….………29 WAITOC OperatorsWestern Australian Council Indigenous Tourism Operators 6. Action Plan……………………………………………………………………………………………30 Association PART E: APPENDICES………………………………………………………………..................38 Acknowledgements On behalf of the EC3 Global team, including Resolve Global and Parker Travel 7. Background Research……………………………………………………………………………39 Collection, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to work with you to 8. Whole of Landscape Opportunities ………………………………………….………....54 prepare the Great South West Edge Tourism Experience Development Strategy. Images of the Great South West Edge region used throughout this Discussion 9. Experiences by Region………………………………………………………………………….56 Paper are courtesy of Tourism Western Australia, Australia’s South West and Dolphin Discovery Centre, Bunbury. Disclaimer Any representation, statement, opinion or advice, expressed or implied in this document is made in good faith but on the basis that EC3 Global is not liable (whether by reason of negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any Funding Partners: representation, statement or advice referred to in this document. GSWE Experience Development Strategy 6 BACKGROUND Presents strategy background and provides an overview of visitor markets and demand for tourism experiences in the Great South West Edge 1. THE GREAT SOUTH WEST EDGE 1.1 A NATIONAL LANDSCAPE 1.2 TOURISM PROFILE Western Australia’s Great South West Edge (GSWE) stretches 750 Domestic Visitation kilometres between Bunbury and Esperance, dotted with untouched In the year ending December 2011, approximately 90% (1.6 million) of all beaches, coastal vistas, ancient geology and swaths of natural bush. domestic visitors to the South West were from the intrastate market, specifically from Perth, (1.2 million visitors). There has been an overall Recently named one of Australia’s prestigious National Landscapes decline of around -8% in domestic visitation to the region since 2007. (Figure 1), the region encompasses a vast and unique landscape of The GSWE hosted 5.9 million domestic visitor nights