Advance Rockhampton, the region's lead tourism, marketing and major events agency, has launched the Explore Rockhampton Accessible Tourism Campaign that will assist local tourism operators becoming inclusive to the needs of travellers with a disability and provide the knowledge holiday makers need in advance to plan a visit to our region.
Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams said accessible tourism is allowing everyone to participate in a tourism experience with choice and confidence and this campaign will help inspire local operators to showcase accessible offerings and improve the visitor experience for all travellers.
"We know that globally 1 in 6 of us live with a disability, and of those, it is estimated that 86% of travellers can't find the accessibility information they need to travel confidently," Mayor Williams said.
"According to Tourism Research Australia, people with a disability and their travelling parties spend $10.8 billion in Australia every year, accounting for 10-15% of the national tourism revenue. This just highlights the value in ensuring we don't miss this important tourism market."
Advance Rockhampton Tourism and Events Manager Zac Garven said the campaign will be ongoing with the first phase predominantly focusing on mobility, showcasing some great experiences that demonstrate mobility inclusiveness in our region. We will then go on to promote experiences appropriate for people who are hard of hearing or deaf, followed by low vision or blind.
"Whilst we recognise that every traveller with a disability will have different travel needs, we also acknowledge that disability is a very broad market and we are very proud to launch this first phase," Mr Garven said.
"The professionally captured content will show technical aspects including things such as hallway width, lift access, ramps and amenities, along with a detailed description of a lived experience. This will enable travellers with a disability and their family or friends to make an informed decision about their own ability when planning their visit to the Rockhampton region.
"We are incredibly proud to introduce our Accessible Tourism Marketing Campaign, which reflects our ongoing commitment to making Rockhampton a destination that is accessible to all.
"From guided tours to outdoor adventures, Explore Rockhampton is promoting activities that are accessible to all visitors. Whether it's enjoying a Meerkat Encounter at Rockhampton Zoo or a catching a trophy barramundi from an accessible land-based fishing platform, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to experience the best of the Rockhampton region."
TruFusion Director Amit Rana said TruFusion was proud to be part of this campaign, aiming to bring people with a disability to local businesses in the region.
"The workshop was an eye opener and very engaging. I got to relate with people with a disability and see things from their prospective," Mr Rana said.
"It doesn't cost you anything to change your attitude. Being friendly and welcoming goes a long way."
The Advance Rockhampton 'Accessible Tourism' campaign includes a consumer-facing website landing page for visitors to plan their visit to the Rockhampton region including videos, images and lived experience information. It also includes an industry-facing Campaign Toolkit for local operators to leverage from this campaign with a suite of images and videos available for local businesses to download and promote our region.
The content was developed in consultation with Get Skilled Access, founded by Paralympian and Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott AO, as well as the campaign's content contributor and talent who is a T4 paraplegic.
We invite local tourism businesses to share with us accessibility details of your product or experience via our tourism register on the Advance Rockhampton website, that we can include in future destination marketing.
Download the campaign toolkit here and access high resolution images and videos which you can use for your own promotion of our region.
View the campaign landing page and promotional video at www.explorerockhampton.com.au/accessibility
