destination management plan highlights - Tourism Queensland

Destination MANAGEMENT
Plan HIGHLIGHTS
for Tourism in Queensland’s Outback
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Destination Management Planning
The Destination Management Plan (DMP) for Tourism in Queensland’s Outback is a destination-specific plan that delivers on the vision and actions of
the Queensland Tourism Strategy (QTS). The DMP for Tourism in Queensland’s Outback is the strategic plan for tourism in the destination. It outlines
the vision, goals and strategies for the destination and provides background information on how these were developed. The DMP is essential for the
sustainable and profitable growth of the destination’s tourism industry. It provides a central reference point for the development and delivery of tourism
product and services and the implementation of marketing strategies.
How can you use the Destination Management Plan?
The DMP is a useful plan that can assist you to:
V I S I O N
Queensland’s Outback will become the premier Australian outback destination through a committed
approach to sustainable tourism development and by encouraging growth through strategic marketing,
development and training.
n Align your business, council or department marketing and development plan to best leverage from the resources being invested to grow tourism in
Queensland’s Outback.
n Engage with the stakeholders identified in the plan to further network your business, shire or department in the tourism industry.
Destination background
Queensland’s Outback is a vast, rugged and unspoilt destination,
offering numerous natural, cultural and historical attractions. National
parks and the natural features of the landscape cater for a range of
special interest activities including inland fishing, dinosaur “digs”,
fossicking, bird watching and four wheel driving as well as some of the
world’s best stargazing and rural experiences.
Queensland’s Outback boasts a number of authentic heritage
attractions, many of them icons of the Outback legend. Queensland’s
Outback is synonymous with a real Australian experience that embraces
the nation’s cultural heritage and pioneering spirit.
Visitation to the destination is primarily domestic, with 94% of all visitors
to Queensland’s Outback from Queensland or interstate. Although
international visitation is only a small percentage of total visitor numbers
and expenditure, there has been an increase over the three years to
December 2006. Significantly, international visitor nights have increased
by 25% over the same period.
Destination brand
The brand positioning for Queensland’s Outback communicates the
destination’s unique natural, cultural and Indigenous heritage, combined
with the Outback lifestyle and true Australian hospitality.
The destination is positioned as offering a genuine Australian bush
experience. Queensland’s Outback offers the chance to discover the
place where legends were born, meet colourful characters and explore
the history, open landscapes, abundant nature and beauty of the land.
goals and measures
To assist Queensland’s Outback in achieving its vision, the following goals
and performance measures have been identified for the next three years
(2007-2010):
Goal 1: To increase total visitor expenditure in Queensland’s Outback
through a combination of:
n Attracting the most profitable visitor segments
n Reducing seasonality
n Increasing repeat visitation
n Attracting new market segments
n Increasing length of stay
Measure: Increase in total visitor expenditure.
Goal 2: To attract strategic tourism investment and operators to
Queensland’s Outback.
Measure: Increase in the value of direct investment, the commitment of
national and international operators to Queensland’s Outback and the
ability to develop a competitive advantage for the destination.
Goal 3: To improve target market awareness of Queensland’s Outback
and increase leisure visitation to the destination.
Measure: Growth in leisure visitor numbers.
Measure: Increased consideration of Queensland’s Outback as a
holiday destination.
Goal 4: To up-skill, train and retain a quality tourism workforce.
Measure: Increase staff retention, career path development and
availability and uptake of training and development programs.
target markets and positioning
Domestic
Core Leisure Target Markets
n Intrastate self-drive market – mid-life households and older (45 years
plus), living in Queensland
n Interstate self-drive and fly/drive market – mid-life households and
older (45 years plus), living in New South Wales and Victoria
Developing Leisure Target Markets
n Intrastate self-drive market – young parents and mid-life families,
living in Queensland
Other Developing Target Markets
n Education (school groups and study tours)
In addition to the lifestyle and geographic segmentation, Queensland’s
Outback is targeting visitors seeking a range of special interest
experiences:
n Palaeo-tourism
n Astronomy
n Bird watching
n Special events
n Fossicking (opal and gem)
n Four wheel driving
n Fishing
International
International visitation to Queensland’s Outback accounts for only 6%
of total visitation to the destination. For this reason, all international
markets are secondary targets for Queensland’s Outback.

KEY STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
The key strategic priorities for the destination are drawn from the results of broad industry consultation and are a synthesis of the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats) Analysis, the target market overview and the competitive environment (all of these sections can be found in the full DMP).
QTS Theme One: Coordination, partnerships and community engagement
n Work with local and state government and media to enhance the awareness and understanding of tourism
n Engage with local, state and national networks to support tourism product within Queensland’s Outback sub-regions
n Work with local communities to aid the development of tourism in the destination
n Engage with government departments and agencies to leverage their expertise
n Work to overcome limitations on the development of special interest experiences
n Improve scheduling and cross-promotion of events
QTS Theme Two: Investment, infrastructure and access
n Support the development of sustainable infrastructure (reinvestment and refreshment is required)
n Access additional funding, support and resources for regional development
n Facilitate ongoing development of regional infrastructure to meet current and future visitor needs
n Increase access to and within the destination, improving transport infrastructure and services to facilitate the dispersal of visitors throughout the destination
n Attract investment and operators to develop new and revitalise existing products
n Encourage investment to develop authentic Outback products and services to meet visitor expectations
n Improve the range, consistency and quality of visitor experiences with regard to accommodation, retail, food and beverage
QTS Theme Three: Workforce development
n Continue to implement and expand hospitality and customer service training programs for the destination
n Further develop the professionalism of the tourism industry through initiatives such as Outback Tourism Education Development (Outback TED)
program and Skills Gap
QTS Theme Four: Developing and marketing a Queensland style visitor experience
n Increase interstate and international visitor market share
n Investigate options to minimise the impact of seasonality of visitation
n Increase level of participation and funding for cooperative marketing and product marketing
n Improve the quality and distribution of packaged product
n Expand the marketing program utilising new media (i.e. digital marketing) and distribution channels
n Communicate ease of access to Queensland’s Outback
n Capitalise on the significant potential for special interest experiences
QTS Theme Five: Natural environment and culture
n Develop the range and quality of tourism products and services that capitalise on the destination’s natural environment and cultural heritage
QTS Theme Six: Future insights and research
n Disseminate research findings to industry to identify key trends and development opportunities and increase visitor expenditure

The full Destination Management Plan for Tourism in Queensland’s Outback is available online through the Tourism Queensland and
Outback Queensland Tourism Authority websites, along with links to a range of reference and supporting material.
www.tq.com.au/outbackdmp
www.outbackqld.com.au
For further information on the
DMP please contact either:
n denise deveney
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
QUEENSLAND’S OUTBACK
Tourism Queensland
Ph: 07 3535 3535
Email: denise.deveney@tq.com.au
n BILL TATCHELL
GENERAL MANAGER
OUTBACK QUEENSLAND
TOURISM AUTHORITY
Ph: 07 3236 4996
Email: bill.tatchell@outbackqld.com.au