Part 1 - Shire of Ashburton

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Shire of Ashburton Tourism Strategy January 2011 While improving service standards is not a role or responsibility of local government, the Shire can be leader in this area by ensuring its own staff (in particular front counter Shire office and Shire managed Visitor Centres) are well trained and possess genuine welcoming attitudes. The Shire can also encourage local business associations to adopt a more proactive role in this area by coordinating, supporting, and even sponsoring local service standard awards. Recommendation 41: the Shire to ensure its own staff are well trained in customer service standards and should investigate working with local business associations to create a service standard awards program. 7.7 Product Development Strategies 7.7.1 Build tourism product The Shire, through its “Ashburton Vision” program, has developed an ambitious yet highly visionary economic development plan for each of its major townships. The features of these plans has been detailed in an earlier report section and the Shire is to be commended for its extensive forward planning initiative. Many of these projects will deliver major positive impacts to the tourism industries in each of these destinations and therefore should be strongly supported and encouraged by local industry. In short, successful tourism economic development requires projects that will entice visitors and businesses to the area, and that injects additional visitor expenditure into a local economy. Once these major projects can be established there will be many opportunities for local entrepreneurs to leverage off and maximise the potential economic benefits. Potential “flow on” tourism product development that will differentiate the region from others include; - Visitor trails and activities: increasing food and restaurant services, nature based experiences, Indigenous cultural camping tours, heritage trails (self drive and walking tours), horseriding trails, and even Indigenous cultural bushtucker, bush medicine and hunting experiences. - Tourist accommodation, establishing specialised tourism focused accommodation such as backpacker lodges, station stay, Indigenous eco lodges, additional and expanded range of accommodation capacity as deemed sustainable. - Visitor‐oriented retail businesses; encourage the creation of critical mass precincts of tourist based retail and food businesses, tourist retail strips and visitor precincts. 7.7.2 Tourism Policy The Shire’s Strategic Plan is reviewed on a regular basis and it is therefore considered very timely to review the Shire’s involvement in tourism and broader economic development. The Shire has and continues to be an active planner and driver of major infrastructure projects. It is understood the Shire is currently undertaking a review of its current operational structure and a strong focus upon economic development can be an expected outcome. At present within the Shire operational structure there appears a separation between the Shire’s Economic Services unit from some of the major tourism infrastructure projects such as the proposed Tom Price Hotel/Resort, the Tom Price airport and the like. Ideally, the management unit for Economic Development within the Shire should be involved in planning for all major tourism infrastructure projects. 57
Shire of Ashburton Tourism Strategy January 2011 Recommendation 42: It is strongly recommended that the Shire include the preparation of a tourism policy and develop a strong tourism destination vision in any new strategic planning work. Ideally, tourism development of major projects and infrastructure should include involvement from the Shire’s economic development unit. 7.7.3 Shire Tourism Development Manager/Officer This tourism report outlines a large number of recommendations that the Shire can consider for implementation. Additional resources will be required to action many of these items and it recommended that the Shire employ a full time Tourism Development Officer/Manager whose primary role would be to managed Shire tourism related issues. The role would be responsible for implementing the approved recommendations of the Tourism Plan with a strong focus upon destination marketing, working with neighbouring LGAs and ANW, and assisting in the coordination of two major hallmark special events each year. More specific actions and roles could include; - Shire Tourism Officer to prepare relevant grant applications for tourism and special event activities. - Develop effective partnerships with Tourism WA, Australia’s North West, other local government(s), business groups and the community. Be the main contact point/coordinator of local Tourism Advisory Group (to be formed). - Assist in establishing and coordinating 2 major special events each year. These would be large scale hallmark events with the capability to attract significant visitor numbers to the destination from outside the region. These special events are discussed under a separate report section. - Coordinate service standard awards and training programs (e.g. work with these service providers to develop programs focusing upon service quality excellence, cooperative marketing initiatives); - Through the creation of this LGA funded role, the Shire will display leadership in delivering an effective destination development program, the role would facilitate stakeholder cooperation for the sustainable development, management and marketing of tourism. - Establish effective communication channels with local industry; the role would be responsible for producing a regular quarterly email newsletter to local industry/stakeholders, updating and communicating via new tourism webpage including a local industry login section. - The new tourism role will assist Council in implementing the tourism development plan recommendations. - Responsible for coordinating marketing activity, building and maintaining tourism industry networks within the region. - Coordinate quarterly networking meetings/functions for local industry. - The role would work closely with the Visitor Centre managers/supervisors within the Shire ensuring a coordinated approach to visitor servicing delivery and local promotional activity. Recommendation 43: the Shire to employ a full time Tourism Development Officer whose role would be to manage the delivery of Shire related tourism activities. The TDO would operate under the Community & Economic Services of the Shire structure and report directly to the Executive Manager of this section. 58
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The Shire of Ashburton Tourism Dest
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CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Rep
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Page 15 and 16: 1.10 General Global Trends in Trave
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Part 1 - Shire of Ashburton

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