EDA Journal Vol 12. No.1 Autumn 2019 | Page 31

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
Figure 1. Tourism in Regional Australia by the Numbers
Source: Tourism Australia (2018) with interpretations by SC Lennon & Associates
However, grey nomads are not the only ones
driving demand for visitor experiences in regional
Australia. With millennials being the next wave
of travellers, demand for travel experiences that
resonate on a deeper emotional level is also
driving travel brands to develop product that is
more adventurous, more personalised, and more
attuned to local culture, inspiring consumers
toward a path of self-discovery. Regional Australia
is well-placed to capitalise on this trend.
So the race is on! Nationally, the tourism pie is
growing, and Australia’s regions are well-placed to
share in this growth. But with competition for the
tourism pie being fierce, regions need to carefully
consider what to do to ensure they don’t miss out.
This takes us back to the enablers of a vibrant
visitor economy.
HOW TO GRAB A BIGGER SLICE OF
AUSTRALIA’S TOURISM PIE
Tourism Australia sets out a holistic process for
preparing a Destination Management Plan for a
region. Such a plan (or alternatively, a ‘Tourism
Strategy’) may be framed around what we term the
‘enablers of a vibrant visitor economy’.
These enablers refer to the things that local
and regional Councils, in concert with tourism
organisations and other key stakeholders, including
regional development organisations, may take
strategic actions to influence key economic
development outcomes.
Figure 2. The Enablers of a Vibrant Visitor
Economy
A conducive
Environment
Quality
Infrastructure
and Services
Effective
Information
Management
Collaborative Governanace
© SC Lennon & Associates
1. A Conducive Environment: In order to attract
and hold visitors there are three aspects of the
environment that must be attended to:
• The natural environment must be as close
to pristine as possible with appropriate
management of all aspects of land, air and
water - and habitats for flora and fauna;
• The built environment must be attractive and
safe (i.e. liveable) and based on the principles
of ecologically sustainable development; and
VOL.12 NO.1 2019 | 31