Part 1 - Shire of Ashburton

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Shire of Ashburton Tourism Strategy January 2011 - Difficulty in maintaining rates of pay for staff within the local tourism industry in relation to other employers in the town. - Very little communication occurs between Pilbara based Visitor Centres and to date a lack of coordination and sub regional destination marketing occurs. More specifically, little communication occurs between the Tom Price, Onslow and Karijini Visitor Centres. Although both the Tom Price and Onslow visitor Centres perform a good job in servicing the needs of visitors through their doors there is only minor networking with industry and a more coordinated approach should deliver more effective results. - The Warlu Way has been a major promotion of the self drive traveller route from Exmouth to Broome with a major focus upon Pilbara based tourist assets in between. Although a concept with merit there is a lack of recognition (and understanding) for the Warlu Way concept amongst local tourism and hospitality industry operators and as well as within the local Shire communities. - Tourism is a relatively small industry membership base within the Shire compared to the larger more prevailing local resources sector. - The Paraburdoo and Tom Price towns are not located along a traditionally busy traveller route (being remote and inland), but rather benefit from tourist visitation due largely to the strong drawing power of the neighbouring Karijini National Park. As a remote destination potential visitors must make a deliberate decision to want to visit Karijini and the challenge lies with local industry to encourage these visitors to overnight for extended stays in the area in addition to time spent in the National Park. - Mainstream RPT bus services (eg, Greyhound Australia) do not include Tom Price or Paraburdoo on their routes, however stops are made at the Onslow and Pannawonica turnoffs. - Karijini National Park, although highly rated, lacks the promotion and profile of similar iconic attractions. - Perception amongst travellers that there is a lack of things to see and do in the townsites of Tom Price and Paraburdoo. - Both Onslow and Pannawonica require significant additional travel time from main highway turnoffs which can be a deterrent to potential visitors. Travelling up and back along the same road creates a negative perception amongst self drive travellers. - Pannawonica is not geared to actively attract visitors to the town except for its annual Rodeo event which is considered successful. - High capital start up costs can also be an inhibiting factor to local industry undertaking tourism investment due largely to the remoteness of locations and/or generally high sub contracting costs competing with the local resources sector. - Of the main tourism focused towns within the Shire, both Tom Price and Onslow lack clear marketing messages/positioning statements that effectively leverage their respective points of difference. - Lack of upmarket resort style commercial accommodation throughout the Shire however the Mackerel Island Resort is currently being constructed in Onslow and plans are still being considered for an upmarket accommodation facility for Tom Price. The lack of high quality accommodation facilities will continue to deter high yield tourist markets. - The region experiences an undersupply of budget and caravan accommodation capacity during the peak visitor months. There is a lack of a dedicated backpacker accommodation operation within the township of Tom Price and this is a missed opportunity to capture additional visitor expenditure for the local destination. - Lack of reliable visitor research on a local government and even regional level. The annual International Visitor Survey (IVS) and National Visitor Survey (NVS) only survey a relatively small number of respondents for the region and therefore the accuracy of the research compiled is largely untested. 17
Shire of Ashburton Tourism Strategy January 2011 - The Shire of Ashburton operates in an environment of limited resources, and therefore must have realistic and cost effective tourism strategies. - Seasonality impacts of tourism to the region works to dissuade future investment. The inland region can experience extreme heat temperatures during summer months. Domestic holiday visitation is low during this period however northern hemisphere overseas travellers are less deterred (and in some cases even attracted) by the extreme heat. - Apart from the Karijini Visitor Interpretive Centre there is very little emphasis upon, and lack of business ready ventures that focus upon local Aboriginal culture to current visitors to the region. - Large geographical distances to travel from major population and access points such as Perth. Direct regular passenger transport services are via Paraburdoo airport however light aircraft can land at Tom Price and within the Karijini National Park. - Visitor attractions of the region are promoted in isolation from each other, or in the case of National Parks, managing body DEC undertakes minimal external promotional activities leaving this role largely to TWA and the respective RTO’s. - On the whole, the natural and built tourism industry is poorly coordinated and promoted for tourism use from a regional point of view. - The region offers limited tourist accommodation and the majority of this is of a low cost nature (caravan parks and camping areas) or is of a poor hotel/motel standard servicing the mining industry needs of the region. The hotels and motels offering private facilities are not oriented towards the holiday traveller type. - Visitors to the region generate relatively low value in economic terms – this can be attributed both to a history of attracting low yield caravan/camping and packaged group tour types and a general lack of upmarket tourist accommodation types. 2.5.3 Opportunities - To develop a vibrant and successful local tourism industry that delivers real socio economic benefits to the local community. Tourism is characterised by a large number of small business operators thereby spreading potential over‐reliance risks. Tourism is also a people business where employees cannot be replaced by machines or made redundant by new technologies. The long term employment opportunities of a successful tourism destination are therefore strong. - Tom Price Visitor Centre to focus upon realistic and cost effective income producing activities by establishing itself as an important stopping point for visitors; for example providing the primary booking agent for local tours, specialised services such as vehicle washdown facility and so on. - Establish a regular passenger shuttle service between Tom Price and Karijini NP operated during the peak visitor season periods. Possible income source for the Tom Price Visitor Centre by either being responsible for delivering this service or at least taking bookings and generating commissions. - To develop a broader range of station stay accommodation and pastoral station visitor activities. Good opportunity to develop additional pastoral station/heritage visitor experiences leveraging off the visitor interest surrounding the Karijini and Onslow destinations. - To encourage the development and sale at the Tom Price and Onslow Visitor Centres of locally made souvenir and crafts. - To advertise Visitor Centre services to better effect locally. - To increase awareness in the community of the value of tourism and its flow on effects so as to encourage membership. - Opportunity to integrate Indigenous tourism into the Tom Price and Onslow tourism products. 18
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Location Amenities Tourism Destinat
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Part 1 - Shire of Ashburton

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