Regional Tourism Activation Plan
We provide clients with tourism strategies and destination Management Plans that are practical to implement – no more strategies GEtting dusty on the shelf!
Our analysis of research and community consultation reveals priority projects that allow destinations to realise their tourism potential.
Our ongoing strategic mentoring supports effective implementation of our activation plans and success in achieving set goals.
“Linda and her team painstakingly poked, prodded, interviewed and researched every corner of our region, leaving no stone unturned.
Their efforts were rewarded with the epiphany of the ‘Explorers’ brand for our Shire. They stripped down all the information presented to them and recognised a common denominator between our visitors and the famous Burke and Wills story.
This brand then became the focal point behind an insightful, detailed and honest approach to a practical, achievable tourism activation plan.
The plan includes a fresh approach to the development and marketing of assets along with new asset development.
Linda managed to problem-solve longstanding issues in staff structure and workloads. She broke down barriers of perceived risk by submitting valued research and case studies to Council on new product development.
Tourism is now a priority for Council with strong administrative structure and financial support.
The path to achieve our goals of an increase in economic benefits to the Shire, to support local businesses and the local community is laid out clearly in the plan and each step can be measured for success.”
Process of Development
Step 1: Gather and review
In this phase we
review existing relevant tourism information and reports
audit the destination’s tourism products, infrastructure and services
optional: visit the destination for an introduction to its tourism experiences (remote projects save costs and achieve the same outcomes)
Step 2: Engage
The engagement phase is critical as gaining the buy-in of key stakeholders and community is fundamental to the successful development and implementation of a strategy.
We use one-on-one meetings and focus group sessions with key stakeholders to identify barriers and opportunities, and aspirations for the development of tourism in the region. This is done both face to face and/or via phone and video conference, making it practical and easy for everyone to be involved.
Step 3: Analyse and develop
In this phase we determine the current situation, opportunities and key priority areas for improvement. We
review and analyse findings to synthesise the outcomes from the desktop review and the consultation
assess the audit through a visitor lens to identify any gaps and opportunities under the four pillars of regional tourism: tourism experiences and events, brand and marketing, visitor services, and industry and community capacity.
confirm the target markets best suited to the destination and develop visitor profiles
draft a Gaps and Opportunities Paper for stakeholders as a further opportunity to capture feedback and as background for a workshop on opportunities for tourism development
conduct a workshop with stakeholders to test and validate findings and to define a common vision and priority action areas
Step 4: Strategic activation plan
The strategy is drafted following the final workshop. It distils the workshop outcomes to reflect the findings from the desktop research and engagement phases, articulate a clear vision and supporting objectives, and recommend strategies and priority action areas to drive increased visitation and yield from visitors.
Most importantly, it includes clear activation plans to ensure the strategy can be effectively implemented.
The draft tourism activation plan is presented to the client, and following feedback and agreement, the tourism activation plan (destination management plan) is finalised.
Recent Client Success
☆ Longreach Regional Council + Winton Shire Council – Longreach and Winton Sub Region Tourism Activation Plan 2019-2024
Tilma Group developed a strategic tourism activation plan for this sub-region of Queensland’s Central West based on catalyst and enabler projects.
The plan provides a framework and pragmatic approach to activating projects based on priority and consumer demand.
At the outset, the intention with the Longreach-Winton Subregion Tourism Activation Plan was to ensure the two regions were ready for the growth being driven by their four major tourism attractions. This region of less than 5,000 residents hosts more than 110,000 visitors annually, with the majority of visitation concentrated within five months.
Establishing and maintaining a year-round visitor economy is fundamental for Longreach and Winton to attract future investment and grow business and community vibrancy. Sustainable tourism growth requires local businesses generating an economic return sufficient to enable investment back into the businesses.
The tourism activation plan outlines strategic priorities and required projects to deliver results immediately and in the medium to long term. ‘Catalyst’ projects are identified as those critical to the sub-region to reduce seasonality, attract high spend visitors and grow the visitor economy. Further ‘enabler’ projects are recommended as they will deliver specific outcomes needed to ensure the success of the catalyst projects.
☆ Central Highlands Development Corporation – Tourism and Events Activation Plan 2019-2022
Based on comprehensive stakeholder consultation, a regional tourism and events audit, and desktop research, Tilma Group developed an activation plan for the Central Highlands region of Central Queensland around Carnarvon Gorge and Emerald.
This plan outlined how to grow the local visitor economy using tourism and events by identifying catalyst projects to focus the community’s efforts on what will have the biggest return on investment.
Supporting enabler projects round out the activation plan, which was designed for straightforward, effective implementation.
☆ Edward River Council – Tourism Development Plan 2020-2022
Gateway to the Outback on the world’s flattest plains near the NSW/VIC border, Deniliquin has a major competitor an hour closer to its main source market.
This tourism development plan will help Deniliquin claim its DNA and what it does best to differentiate itself from competitors, with a focus on developing its strengths and overcoming its current one-dimensional narrative as a water-skiing destination.
Growth in the visitor economy will support diversification for the local economy .