Tourism Talk October

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NORTH EAST TOURISM BOURD INC UPDATE    

Spring marketing campaigns
North East Victoria Tourism Board has now booked extensive marketing activity for Spring 2011, focusing on the themes of :
Culinary experience
Nature based tourism
There will be print advertising running in Melbourne’s The Age and Herald Sun, and in regional papers in Victoria, ACT and Southern NSW.  There will also be online marketing support that includes banner advertising and electronic database marketing.

If you are interested in promoting your business and being part of one of these campaigns, please let us know by emailing  steve.pask@nevtb.com.au.  Investment ranges from $250 to $800.

Sign up to visitvictoria.com
A key feature of the Spring marketing campaigns will be driving traffic to listings on visitvictoria.com.  To ensure your business benefits from the upcoming marketing activity:

Sign up your business to visitvictoria.com
List a deal or special offer – valid for 3 months
It will cost $250 but will leverage from the marketing activity planned throughout the coming months. 

You can upload details of your business by going to www.my.visitvictoria.com

High Country Domestic Travel Statistics
The latest figures to be released for domestic travel to High Country see strong results in total expenditure (+11.1%) with particularly good results from overnight visitor expenditure (+18.4%).  Daytrip visitation and expenditure numbers are weaker than 2009/10.  Domestic visitor numbers are flat but the latest period sees visitors staying for longer than the prior period with an average stay of 2.8 nights, up nearly 12% versus a year ago.

Domestic Visitation (year ending June 2011)

Domestic overnight visitors - 1,167,000 (-0.1% on 2010)
Domestic visitor night estimates - 3,326,000 (+11.9% on 2010)
Domestic daytrip visitor estimates - 1,167,000 (-7.4% on 2010)
Domestic Expenditure (year ending December 2010)

Total tourism expenditure  - $ 660M (+11.1% on 2009)
Total overnight visitor expenditure – $548M (+18.4% on 2009)
Per night visitor expenditure - $182 ($147 in 2009)
Per visitor expenditure - $558 ($426 in 2009)
Total daytrip expenditure - $112M (-14.5% on 2009)
Per visit daytrip expenditure - $101 ($116 in 2009)

NEVTB welcomes new Marketing Manager
We would like to welcome on board our new Marketing Manager, Steve Pask.  Steve comes to us with a background in both digital and mainstream marketing, having spent the last three years as head of online marketing at WorkSafe.  Now a resident of beautiful Mount Beauty, Steve is looking forward to being part of the new team at NEVTB.

Events
The High Country has many great events on offer during October/November.  Don’t forget that it’s FREE to list your event on visitvictoria.com.  You can upload details of your event, including photos, by going to www.my.visitvictoria.com

Searching for a new PR Manager
North East Victoria Tourism Board is searching for a new PR Manager.  If you know someone who has the skills and experience for the role, you can obtain a copy of the position description from Sara Quon by emailing sara.quon@nevtb.com.au 

Applications close Monday 3rd October.

Tourism Victoria
Tourism Victoria has just released their Spa and Wellness Action Plan.  The plan identifies the actions that Tourism Victoria will deliver on behalf of industry to capitalise on Victoria’s competitive position. Tourism Victoria has identified three key directions:

Facilitating investment in spa and wellbeing product
Strengthening the professionalism of the industry
Increasing consumer demand for spa and wellbeing experiences
A copy of the plan can be found at www.tourism.vic.gov.au/strategies-and-plans/strategies-and-plans/market-segment-plans/

Tourism Australia
Tourism Australia is embarking on the next phase of its There’s nothing like Australia campaign and inviting the Australian industry to get involved in promoting what is unique and special about their product or experience.

You can get involved by uploading details of your product or experience at www.nothinglikeaustralia.com.au

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PARKS VICTORIA UPDATE

Mount Buffalo National Park

Winter Operations
Mount Buffalo will have its official snow season closure on the 2nd October – in line with Falls
Creek Resort. The cafe at Dingo Dell will be open during the school holidays every day from 24th September to
9th October between 10am – 3pm.

Lake Catani Campground
While the Campground is still closed until 27th October, bookings are now open for Melbourne Cup
Weekend and beyond. Visit www.parkweb.vic.gov.au to make your booking!

Seasonal road closures
Please remember seasonal road closures still apply across the state in Park and State Forest and
as such the Lake Catani Campground access, Reservoir Road and the Horn will remain closed
until the Thursday before Melbourne Cup weekend (the same date all seasonal closures reopen).

Heaps to see and do
Even though the snow season is only just coming to a close, Mother Nature is already onto the
next thing at Mount Buffalo! So if you look carefully in the melt water on the lower slopes of Cresta,
you will see the Snow Pratias flowering. They are like little white stars with yellow centres and well
worth the hunt!

The lower foothills are also madly flowering with wattles, happy wanderers and various types of
shrub, the yellow and brown flowers on various species often referred to as egg and bacon plants.
These are particularly impressive around Eurobin Falls.

Mount Buffalo National Park is one of nature’s remarkable wonderlands, offering a diverse array of
experiences and activities. Whether exploring the spectacular granite cliffs, deep gorges, tumbling
waterfalls or why not enjoy the tranquillity of the Park while on one of the many walks, or canoeing,
swimming, mountain bike riding, or a family picnic. Walk to the top of the Horn and you could even
see Mount Kosciuszko on a clear day!

For the more adventurous, you can challenge yourselves with rock climbing, abseiling or even
hang gliding! Adventure Guides Australia can help you out with these exciting adventures – check
out www.adventureguidesaustralia.com.au for more information.

Mount Buffalo National Park certainly offers something for everyone this spring and summer so
why not come on up!

Alpine National Park

Falls Creek to Mount Hotham Alpine Crossing
Tenders recently closed for the walking track restoration project between Falls Creek and Mount
Hotham. The project this financial year is in excess of $600,000 and will include the upgrade of
existing walking tracks to create a product that is similar to those being offered on the west coast
(Great Ocean Walk) and the Grampians. When complete, the Alpine Crossing will be marketed as
a two night-three day walk through remote and spectacular alpine scenery. A variety of existing
facilities will also be upgraded along the route.

Pest plants and animals
Parks Victoria has been earnestly planning for the spring-summer-autumn period of pest species
control in the Alpine National Park, with a large program this financial year. Significant projects will
include Hawkweed eradication around Falls Creek and the Bogong High Plains, willow control
across the Bogong High Plains and the Dinner Plain area, peatland restoration on the Bogong
High Plains and fox control near the Falls Creek and Mount Hotham areas.