Strategy Background

The project will produce a strategy to deliver cultural heritage tourism in the Sapphire Coast.

The Sapphire Coast has rich natural, Aboriginal and European historic and cultural heritage, and boasts magnificent outdoor recreation opportunities as well as spectacular world class coastal wilderness and forested scenery.

The region is a key component (along with Victoria’s East Gippsland) of Australia’s Coastal Wilderness National Landscape (ACW)

The SCT Business Plan has a section on Cultural and Heritage Tourism (Section 5.4) which discusses the nature of the Indigenous, historic, cultural and natural heritage in the region.

Section 5.5 outlines plans for new tourism product.

5.5.3 Cultural and Heritage Tourism

See section 5.4. In line with the socio-demographic trends (section 3.1.4) and emerging preferred activities (section 3.2.1) the Board will develop a program to enhance cultural and heritage tourism. The Board will in particular foster partnerships with community organizations and assist where practicable with the development of cultural events, artistic programs and the provision of information and interpretation programs.

The Cultural Heritage Strategy will compliment the Australian Coastal Wilderness initiative of the National Landscapes program and its target Market The Experience Seeker:

There are three things enunciated by Tourism Australia as being at the core of Australia’s global tourism appeal – our people, lifestyle and environment. There is also a global consumer who finds these assets appealing (Experience Seekers).

National Landscapes identify those areas that provide the very best of Australia for the Experience Seeker – people who travel to experience difference and like to “get off the beaten track” and immerse themselves in local culture. Importantly, the Experience Seeker also stays longer and travels more widely than other visitors – bringing greater benefit to Australia’s regional economies.

SCT wishes to maximise the opportunities provided by the region’s recognition as a world class attraction. This strategy is based on three elements:

1. Keep the target market longer

Having attracted the ‘experience seekers’ to the region SCT wishes to entice them to increase their length of stay with products that match their aspirations to learn, engage and experience. SCT believes that, within the NL core experiences there are a further suite of outstanding attractions in the region (particularly the region’s natural, historic and cultural heritage) that will be of particular interest this market.

2. If you are renowned to one discerning and demanding market others will follow.

SCT is motivated by the tourism axiom:

Get the message right for the few ideal visitors and the rest will respond- always. A cutting edge brand position statement with exceptional delivery of the brand promise will attract and audience to that brand whose depth and breadth will be astounding. (G Whitfield).

The basis of the strategy is thus, by getting it right for one demanding market (Brand Australia’s experience seekers), the offering will have a very high degree of relevance to a range of other potential visitors, domestic and inbound. The appeal of this element is enhanced by the finding quoted above that, re domestic tourism “ the largest average annual growth is in cultural and heritage activities, forecast to increase by 1.7% per year on average between 2006 and 2020.”

3. If the visitor is coming here for a top class event – keep them here

The region is becoming increasingly well known for quality cultural events, in particular the Four Winds Festival, the Merimbula Jazz Festival, the Cobargo Folk Festival and the Bermagui Sculpture on the Edge event.

The strategy will seek to provide a framework for event organisers to weave the region’s brand edge into their event presentation and promotion.