Tourism can be a touchy subject among our locals. To have a slice of paradise all to yourself is why many choose to reside here. As our population grows, so does our tourism.
To find a balance, our tourism team is adopting a new focus for the next two years: to increase the value rather than the volume of visitors. Instead of bringing in more visitors, the goal is to get more from the ones we already have.
For example, if we could persuade a quarter of our current overnight visitors to spend one extra night – that would deliver an extra $30 million into Eurobodalla's economy.
So how are we going to do it? Council allocates $670,000 for tourism each year and it's important we get bang for our buck. We want to be more efficient in how we invest and effective in the results we achieve. To do this, we'll be trying out a new approach to managing tourism, bringing the community and industry in closer for the ride.
Traditionally, our tourism delivery model was run in-house – led by a tourism manager and small team. But that's about to change. We are in the process of creating a new industry-based working group that would see the tourism sector have greater autonomy and accountability over how their industry is supported and promoted.
A new tourism delivery model was also a priority action from the Eurobodalla Destination Action Plan adopted in December 2023.
Our general manager Warwick Winn said this new approach will be tested as a two-year pilot.
"While the working group will have a fair degree of autonomy, Council will still be very closely involved and the tourism team will have plenty to do," he said.
"Clear terms of reference and a solid governance model will be developed - with input from the working group - as well as a detailed evaluation framework.
"Tourism already has a positive impact on Eurobodalla's communities, and by working more closely with the tourism industry, we aim to grow our visitor economy in a sustainable way."
To engage the local community more, future marketing efforts will focus on visiting friends and relatives and Council's support for local events will grow.
Community events are a great way to tap into the friends and relatives market, which makes up about 30 percent of all visitors to Eurobodalla. Plus, these travellers usually stick around longer and spend more, so it's definitely worth our attention.
Also, studies show visitors are more likely to trust recommendations from friends and family than any other form of marketing. If we can get more locals experiencing what Eurobodalla has to offer, that's free advertising right there!
In addition to targeting friends and family, we'll continue to attract secondary wellness travellers - those seeking a relaxing holiday but also open to adventures like bushwalking, mountain biking, and kayaking. They're also interested in arts and culture, so showcasing key cultural events is important. Eurobodalla has a lot to offer this crowd, and we're excited to showcase it.
- This story was first published in Council's quarterly newsletter for residents, Living in Eurobodalla. A printed edition is delivered to Eurobodalla's 26,000 households.
