destination management plan highlights - Tourism Queensland

Destination Management
Plan HIGHLIGHTS
for Tourism in Tropical North Queensland
2007 - 2010
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V i s i o n
To be the world’s best tropical holiday destination
The Tropical North Queensland Destination Management Plan (DMP) is a strategic plan for tourism in the destination.
It outlines the vision, goals and strategies over the next three years (2007–2010) and provides background information on
how these were developed.
The DMP is a useful directional plan that can assist you to:
n Align your business, shire or department marketing and development plan to best leverage from resources invested to
grow tourism in Tropical North Queensland.
n Engage with stakeholders identified in the plan, to further network your business, shire or department in the
tourism industry.
Destination Background
Tropical North Queensland has established itself as an attractive
destination for domestic and international holiday (leisure) and business
visitors. The destination combines adventure and relaxation with some
of the greatest environmental wonders of the world, offering visitors
direct access to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, tropical
rainforests and tropical islands, and the Gulf Savannah. From the
undeveloped wilderness of areas like Cape York, Torres Strait, Tropical
Gulf Savannah and the Cassowary Coast, to first-class facilities and a
wide range of adventure activities, TNQ is well positioned to attract both
the first-time visitor and the repeat traveller.
Key Strategic ISSUES
In terms of charting a direction for the next three years (2007-2010), key
strategic priorities have been identified through a process of industry
feedback and key stakeholder workshops. These priorities are:
Destination Sustainability and Competitiveness
n Competitively position the destination to airlines
n Growth of identified target markets in visitation, length of stay,
expenditure and regional dispersal
n Address variation in seasonal visitation (visitation to TNQ is more
seasonal than most other Queensland destinations)
n Reliable and relevant data as a basis for decision making
n Development of accommodation and tourism product within
regional areas such as the Cairns Highlands, Cooktown, Port
Douglas, Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria, which suffer from
a lack of critical mass
n Focus on addressing the decline of Japanese visitation and future
growth of the overall market share
Access and Transport Services
n Improve visitor access to, and within, TNQ and promote Cairns as
a main point of entry for international arrivals
n Capitalise on the development and marketing opportunities
presented by the Great Tropical Drive project
n Gain State and Federal Government support for cooperative
activity to develop a Regional Aviation Strategy, as well as
upgrading of roads including highways.
Destination Marketing
n Broaden consumer knowledge of TNQ’s diversity of experiences
within natural attractions
n Address the low level of awareness, preference and conversion in
some key markets
n Improve the distribution of quality destination product information
to visitors
Attractions, Tours and Activities
n Capitalise on the distinctive experiences unique to the Torres Strait
and Cape York
n Encourage continued improvement of services such as tours,
access and interpretive signage for special interest activities
Conferences, Events and Festivals
n Increase awareness in key markets of TNQ’s existing events
n Maximise growth of the meetings, incentives and business events
market
Accommodation, Retail/Food and Beverage
n Encourage the integration of local produce and merchandise within
TNQ’s brand delivery
Customer Service
n Work with appropriate agencies to address skills shortage issues
and inconsistency of customer service across TNQ to meet visitor
expectations
Signage
n Encourage the consistency and connectivity of both directional and
interpretive signage across TNQ
Industry Development, Community Education and
Coordination
n Support the tourism industry to continue to grow and develop
n Promote tourism workforce priorities
n Assist Indigenous participation in the tourism industry
n Focus on a collaborative approach to tourism planning in TNQ
n Promote growth of sustainable tourism
n Encourage increased community and government support for
tourism in TNQ
n Secure additional resources to benefit tourism across TNQ
Goals and Measures
To assist TNQ in achieving its vision, the following goals and performance
measures have been identified for the next three years (2007–2010):
Goal
Increase the economic
contribution of tourism
throughout TNQ by increasing:
• Visitor numbers
• Length of stay
• Visitor expenditure
• Dispersal of visitors throughout
the destination
Maintain consistent brand
positioning to ensure the delivery
of life-enhancing tropical moments
Support sustainable management
and development of tourism
across the destination
Encourage appropriate tourism
investment in the destination
Measure
Increased visitor numbers
throughout TNQ
Increased length of stay
Increased visitor expenditure
Stakeholder incorporation of the
refreshed destination brand into
marketing activity
Increased recognition of policies/
plans promoting sustainable
tourism development and
management
Growth in appropriate tourism
investment

Market Intelligence and Insights
S T R A T E G I E S F O R S U C C E S S
Gather the following information to achieve optimum results from marketing and development activities:
• Changing consumer trends/perceptions
• Destination performance
• Market trends
• Visitor satisfaction
Ensure stakeholders and industry have access to relevant market intelligence as a base for decision making.
The Tropical North Queensland Brand
Ensure the region’s tourism industry and non-tourism sectors (such as local government) support the refreshed brand – e.g. through industry
marketing activity and regional signage – to establish it both domestically and internationally.
Marketing the Tropical North Queensland Experience
Encourage uptake of marketing activity by both individual and cooperative operators to consolidate brand awareness.
Develop marketing campaigns and activities to:
• Raise awareness, preference and conversion in primary, secondary and developing target markets
• Increase consumer awareness of the destination’s diversity of experiences and the cluster of natural attractions
• Improve consumer perceptions of Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) as a year-round holiday destination
• Increase first time visitation
• Increase repeat visitation
• Increase visitation during shoulder periods
Augment the impact of the Great Tropical Drive project by maximising marketing and development opportunities.
Improve the dissemination of quality information to target markets.
Continue to leverage from an online strategy for the destination.
Developing a Sustainable Tropical North Queensland Experience
Maintain and improve air access to, and within, TNQ by supporting the Cairns Aviation Strategic Team and consulting with both Federal and State
Governments to support Regional Economic Aviation Development.
Maintain and improve access across TNQ by:
• Maintaining sustainable visitor access to the destination’s protected and remote areas
• Promoting improved directional/interpretive signage and travel planning tools for visitors
Increase coordination of key stakeholders to improve consistency and continuity of signage across TNQ.
Identify and support initiatives to address the decline in visitation of the Japanese market.
Encourage visitation to areas outside the Cairns Corridor (stretching from Cairns to Port Douglas), including remote areas e.g. Torres Strait, Cape
York and Gulf Savannah, by:
• Encouraging investment
• Encouraging development of tourism product
• Marketing of product and packages
Increase Indigenous participation in the tourism industry by:
• Encouraging the implementation of the Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait Tourism Development Action Plan
• Identifying and encouraging appropriate Indigenous tourism products and experiences
Develop strategies to overcome consumer perceptions of increasing cost of travel due to rising fuel costs (particularly for the long-distance drive
market).
Encourage the growth of the meetings, incentive and business events market and existing cultural/heritage events across TNQ.
Work with key stakeholders to develop a cruise strategy.
Build on the range of structured visitor touring circuits based on core product themes such as heritage, fishing and food trails offered through the
Great Tropical Drive.
Support relevant stakeholders to further develop and market nature-based products such as tours and walks.
Strengthen access to, and infrastructure within, natural attractions to improve services for special interest activities.
Develop the ‘Planet Safe’ concept to maintain a sustainable industry and to position TNQ as the number one tropical holiday destination.
Increase the profile of events, where appropriate, by encouraging long-term planning and improved coordination of cooperative marketing activity.

Planning and Policy Coordination
E N A B L E R S O F S U C C E S S
Facilitate a collaborative approach to implementing key strategic plans for TNQ by leveraging from the destination’s strong industry network. Key
strategy plans include:
• The Tropical North Queensland Destination Management Plan
• A Regional Tourism Investment and Infrastructure Plan
• The Cape York and Torres Strait Tourism Development Action Plan
• Queensland Tourism Strategy (including the Queensland Aviation Strategy)
• Far North Queensland 2025 Statutory Regional Plan
Promote the sustainable management and long-term viability of TNQ’s natural assets, especially the World Heritage protected areas.
Industry Leadership and Coordination
Establish/enhance strong relationships with key national, state, regional and local stakeholders.
Raise government and industry awareness of, and support for, the economic, social and environmental value and potential of tourism across TNQ.
Industry Development
Further develop the professionalism of the tourism industry by upgrading the skill level of managers and staff in order to continuously improve
customer service, delivery and profitability of products and services.
Secure additional funding (e.g. government grants), support and resources to benefit tourism across TNQ.
Community Engagement
Continue to promote the value of tourism and economic benefits to the community (e.g. jobs, career paths) to encourage community support for
sustainable tourism growth.
Workforce Development
Continue to support a collaborative approach to attract, retain and train the tourism workforce.
Support programs that stimulate employment of Indigenous people in the tourism industry.
The Destination Management Plan (DMP) is available online through Tourism Queensland’s and Tourism Tropical North
Queensland’s websites, along with links to a range of reference and supporting material.
www.tq.com.au/tropicalnorthqueenslanddmp
www.tropicalaustralia.com.au
For further information please
contact either:
n GREG HOWE Regional Director
Tourism Queensland
Ph: 07 3535 5423 Fax: 07 3535 5421
Email: greg.howe@tq.com.au
n ROB GIASON Chief Executive Officer
Tourism tropical North Queensland
Ph: 07 4015 1200 Fax: 07 4051 0127
Email: rob.giason@tnq.org.au