Selling Indigenous Tourism Experiences to the Domestic Market

Selling Indigenous
Tourism Experiences
to the Domestic Market

Introduction
In 2009, Tourism Australia and the Department of Resources, Energy
and Tourism (RET) commissioned Jones Donald Strategy Partners to
undertake research to better understand what the domestic market
thinks about Indigenous tourism experiences.
The key finding was that Indigenous tourism was behind other
Australian experiences, such as beach holidays and city breaks, in
both appeal and participation, due to its limited ability to satisfy
the key domestic holiday needs of refreshment and indulgence.
For example most Australians go on holiday locally for a chance to
relax and unwind, which most Australians perceive as best done at
the beach. Indigenous tourism activities however are perceived as
being more intensive and whilst they might be rewarding, they take
substatintal time and effort.
However, older Australians (with children
no longer living at home), and families
with older children were more likely to find
Indigenous experiences appealing,
as they like the learning aspect.
The main reason that domestic tourists are
generally not participating in Indigenous
tourism experiences is that Australian
holidays are primarily considered an
opportunity for fun and relaxation. Whilst
they don’t dislike Indigenous activities, a
perception exists that the holiday would
not be enjoyable and refreshing. Further,
most Australians are very familiar with
stereotypical Indigenous experiences such as
boomerang throwing and the corroboree, and
thus these experiences are often perceived to
be mostly inauthentic, clichéd and designed
for the international tourist market.
While participation is currently low, the
good news is that Australian audiences
respond positively when told about the
amazing things they are able to do as part
of an Indigenous experience. Thus it can be
concluded that, although there was initially
limited enthusiasm for Indigenous tourism,
a level of demand exists and Australian’s will
participate if they can be convinced of the
quality of the experience.
To follow is a summary of the key findings
from the research to help Indigenous
tourism operators to understand
domestic tourists, their motivations and
their perceptions of Indigenous tourism
experiences.
Selling Indigenous Tourism Experiences to the Domestic Market
2

Perception Versus Fact
The information contained in this document is not the opinion of
Tourism Australia or RET, its staff or contractors. It summarises the
opinions of a wide cross section of domestic tourism participants
who were interviewed as part of an Indigenous focussed domestic
tourism research project.
It is important to understand that these findings reflect the
perceptions and opinions held by potential customers and this
information should be considered when developing and marketing
tourism products in order to attract the domestic tourism market.
WHY TARGET DOMESTIC VISITORS
Tourism Research Australia found that the
domestic market represented 71% of all
Indigenous tourism visitors in Australia in
2009. Most destinations in Australia receive
significantly higher numbers of domestic
visitors than international visitors, as such
many Indigenous tourism businesses need
to also appeal to the domestic market
to grow their visitation and ensure long
term profitability. For further information
on domestic participation in Indigenous
tourism, please read Tourism Research
Australia’s Indigenous Tourism in Australia:
Profiling the Domestic Market report.
WHO SHOULD I BE TARGETING?
Older Australians (with children no longer
living at home), and families with older
children were more likely to find Indigenous
experiences appealing as they are more
interested in learning.
Tourism Research Australia has also
found that there is an opportunity for
Indigenous tourism operators to leverage
off the convention and conference market.
People on business meeting excursions
were one group identified in the research
that while they don’t participate in many
Indigenous tourism activities, there is a real
opportunity to use these familiarisations/
field trips to create an interest and desire to
engage in an Indigenous tourism experience
in future personal travels.
Selling Indigenous Tourism Experiences to the Domestic Market
3

WHAT ARE DOMESTIC TOURISTS LOOKING FOR?
Domestic and International visitors each have
very unique motivations and aspirations which
affect their purchasing decisions.
> > Australian tourists are primarily
looking for fun and pampering in their
holiday choices.
> > Experiences which portray the
Indigenous cultural element as an
addition to an already appealing
experience will be more attractive to
Australians, for example:
−−
A professionally run fishing trip is fun
and relaxing, but with an Indigenous
guide who has local expertise it
becomes even more attractive
−−
A stay at a quality eco tourism
facility can be more appealing with
the offering of cultural dinners or
interpretive tours
−−
A knowledgeable Indigenous guide
can add value to a tour which includes
a number of iconic landmarks and
destinations where people really want
to go to
> > People like to learn and ‘get their hands
dirty’ so operators should highlight both
informative and hands on elements of
their experience.
> > Many tourists feel that Indigenous
activities are remote, can be
uncomfortable and sometimes
dangerous. Images and text should
communicate wherever possible,
the safety, comfort, consistency and
professionalism of their product and that
it is in an easily accessible location.
> > Fun (fishing/hunting, bush tucker,
stories), variety of activities and learning
increases appeal, as does portraying the
experience with Australia’s beautiful
scenery in the background
WHAT SHOULD I AVOID?
> > Australian’s generally want to touch
feel and taste their experiences, as
such it is important that we do not
portray (through images or text) passive
activities where people are primarily
watching.
> > Domestic tourists want to see people
interacting and being engaged in the
activity, they want to be ‘shown how’
and then allowed to do it themselves (eg
catching a fish rather than watching a
demonstration).
> > Most Australians have thrown a
boomerang or watched a corroboree, it is
important when marketing to domestic
tourists to focus on activities that are
new and unique.
“Experiences which portray the
Indigenous cultural element as an addition
to an already appealing experience will
be more attractive to Australians”
4 Selling Indigenous Tourism Experiences to the Domestic Market

Guidance For The Development Of Indigenous Product
Guidance For Promotion Of Indigenous Product
The promotion of Indigenous product
requires an approach that has broad appeal.
All promotional material should highlight
where possible;
> > Safety and comfort
> > Consistency and professionalism
> > Ease of access
Research has shown that Australians prefer a
fun, hands on experience. It is the combination
of enjoyment, variety of activity and learning
that increases the appeal of Indigenous
tourism experiences. Thus the following types
of elements should be highlighted:
> > Fun – entertaining activities (fishing/
hunting, coastal exploration, eco, bush
tucker, stories)
RELATIVE APPEAL OF INDIGENOUS TOURISM EXPERIENCES
Coastal/fishing tour
Short Tour - urban/city
Self contained eco/luxury accommodation
Hot springs/massage/healing retreat
Short tour - country
Performance/theatre
Longer tour - outback/remote/4WD
Restaurant
Stay with an Indigenous community
Learn to create arts and crafts/workshop
See arts and crafts being created/gallery
Cultural centre
Volunteer project/nature
Adventure tour
Purchase art/retail
> > Learning – enrichment and education
(history, tradition, different perspectives)
Adding an Indigenous perspective to an
already appealing experience will make
a good experience better. For example, a
wilderness cruise that includes an authentic
Indigenous interpretation element will have a
competitive advantage over one that doesn’t.
Though the experience itself needs to be
attractive, in addition to the cultural appeal.
Experiences which held the most appeal can
be seen in the graph below:
(% Respondents)
9
39 52
11
44 45
15 40 45
16 39 45
16 41 43
18 40 42
22 38 39
13 48 38
23 41 35
27 37 35
25 42 33
19 49 32
24 43 32
30 37 32
28 51 21
Low
Medium
High
It is important that you understand who
you are talking to with your marketing so
you can tailor your marketing message
(text and photos) to meet their needs.
Broadly speaking:
> > Australian travellers will be engaged
by experiences that are promoted
as offering interactive learning in
an authentic outdoor environment.
Highlight key themes: Getting your
hands dirty, touching, tasting, feeling,
fresh air.
> > Experiences that are unique and
incorporate natural elements such as
water, earth, fire and rainforest hold
broad appeal.
> > Furthermore, there are some segment
differences that should also be noted;
> > Young adults respond best to
opportunities for group interaction and
involvement, satisfying this segments
needs for fun and bonding - show groups
having fun and interacting.
> > Adults without kids favour experiences
that are more intimate and allow direct
engagement in a dynamic setting - show
smaller groups, timeout for couples,
spirit of adventure.
> > Families with younger children seek
outdoor, interactive experiences with a
variety of activities, whilst those with
older children prefer an additional
learning element - show a safe
environment for fun and learning.
> > Older adults that are still working but
with no kids at home are motivated
by opportunities to connect with
Indigenous people in a natural
environment - show active participation
in activities, where they can feel they are
still young enough to be hands on.
> > Retirees require a safe and comfortable
environment, as well as opportunities
for meeting other travellers - show
social interaction in a comfortable and
learning environment.
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Indigenous tourism businesses need to have
a great online presence. Tourism Research
Australia found that more than half of all
domestic Indigenous tourism visitors use the
internet for trip planning.
A large share of visitors used travel books and
brochures to find information about their
trip and they also relied upon word of mouth
recommendations. This highlights the need
for consistency in product quality and delivery.
Note: Appeal rated on 0-10 scale. low (0-4), Mid (5-7), High (8-10)
Base: All respondents who saw concepts. A1(n=217), A2(n=233), AC1(n=308), AC2(n=219), AC3(n=270), CC1(n=322),
PA1(n=322), T1(n=259), T2(n=231), T3(n=227), T4(n=227), T5(n=238), O1(n=322), O2(n=267), V1(n=318)
Source: Q3.1 - Using a scale of 0 to 10, please indicate how interested you would be in having this experience.
5 Selling Indigenous Tourism Experiences to the Domestic Market

IMAGES
Images that are found to be most appealing are those that take
consumers outside their everyday experiences to provide a unique
perspective. The inclusion of an Indigenous guide, story teller or host
increases the authenticity of the experience and adds credibility to the
product. Image types that are generally favoured are shown below;
Images which domestic tourists felt showed clichéd, passive or
inauthentic depictions of Indigenous experiences did not appeal.
6 Selling Indigenous Tourism Experiences to the Domestic Market

MESSAGES
The language used when communicating with domestic
tourists should stress the active, enriching and fun elements
of Indigenous experiences.
WORDS TO USE
−−
Interactive
−−
Inviting
−−
Dynamic
−−
Relaxed
−−
Fun
−−
Bright
−−
Colourful
−−
Intriguing
−−
Inspiring
−−
Entertaining
−−
Active
−−
Well organised
MESSAGES TO AVOID
Some Australian’s perceive that Indigenous experiences
will involve a level of discomfort (getting hot, dusty
or roughing it). You need to be careful when selecting
images or writing descriptions to make sure negative
perceptions are addressed, for example “Enjoy a
tour of the spectacular ranges in our comfortable
air-conditioned bus with gourmet food supplied and
overnight accommodation provided in a well appointed
four star hotel.”
Avoid descriptions that indicate a passive experience
for example, instead of writing “watch a display of
Aboriginal dancing” try “enjoy an entertaining evening
of music and celebration, where you will be invited to
join in and learn how to do an Aboriginal dance.”
7 Selling Indigenous Tourism Experiences to the Domestic Market