A Case Study - Tourism for Tomorrow Spotlight Session, SEGRA 2017

1. TOURISM OF
TOMOR R OW
S E G R A C o n f e r e n c e 2 0 1 7
P o r t A u g u s t a
C a s e S t u d y :
D i g i t a l To u r i s m D e v e l o p m e n t
L o n g r e a c h R e g i o n a l To u r i s m
K e v i n L i e p i n s
D e s t i n a t i o n D e v e l o p m e n t
S o l u t i o n s

2. OUTLINE
BACKGROUND
STRATEGY
IMPLEMENTATION
OUTCOMES
Need for tourism
growth
VisitLongreach.com
Facebook
You Tube
VIC focus 24/7
Appointment
of
Tourism Development
Officer
63% Yearly increase in
page visitors
+ 4 video’s
Digital analysis
Increased engagement
operators & visitors
& stronger branding
Longreach Region
Digital Tourism Strategy
Digital Tourism
Workshop
Web & Video
Development
Marketing
Campaign Outback
Fiesta
Research &
Benchmarking

3. Background
Informa tion

4. Over 35 years experience as a Tourism Development Officer
Kevin Liepins
Professional Background
Queensland – TEQ, Brisbane, Logan,
Scenic Rim & Outback
UK – London Tourist Board
Nottingham City Council
Development of tourism plans,
projects & new events
Tourism consultant in
Destination & Tourism Development
Specialist Areas

5. Located 1200km North West of Brisbane , Longreach is at the heart of
Queensland's outback
Longreach Region
Visitor Profile
2012 figures
161,000 overnight & day visitors
348,000 nights
3.1 nights per visit
80% arrive by road
73% + 45 years
$41 million expenditure per yr.
2 international standard visitor attractions
2 river cruises

6. Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame & Qantas Founders Museum
Longreach Key Attractions

7. Outback Pioneers Stagecoach Ride & two sunset river cruises.
Longreach Key Attractions

8. Situational background - 2015
Longreach Regional Council possessed limited digital capabilities
1.
• Council had limited trust over digital sources
2.
• LGA & Tourism websites separate
3.
• No Facebook presence
4.
• No digital management internally

9. Destination Audit
Concluded poor digital tourism presence
Focus
“Identify opportunities for strengthening & growing
tourism & events in the Longreach region”
Role and Investment in Tourism Report
2014
Review 1: Need for Tourism growth
July 2015
Appointment of
Tourism Development Officer
Focus on development of product & market opportunities
1.
2.
3.

10. Mixed Brand Messages
Content posted was not up to date
& lacking good imagery.
Ineffective LGA Websites
Tourism website was outdated & not
mobile compatible.
Content not applicable to modern audience
Digital tourism usage & benchmarking other destinations
Review 1: Destination Audit – Desk Research
Lack of Social Media Presence
No regional Facebook page or videos
1.
2.
3.
Hard to obtain
regional
information
Limited
engagement
Confused
consumers

11. The development of the digital tourism strategy focused on
progressing through 6 key stages.
Digital Tourism Strategy
Research
Benchmarking
Training Development
Launch &
marketing
campaign
Review
outcomes

12. Queensland Government report
‘Consumer Tourism & Reviews in Queensland 2014’
Highlighted the need to develop good imagery.
Review
Consumer Perception Inconsistency
“Consumer perception
of Outback QLD did not
align with destination
market positioning”
Visitor posts were of
ancient landscapes &
endless roads”
NOT
Destination imagery of
“Colorful characters;
fossils; quirky events”

13. Simmering sunsets
The road less travelled
Examples of social media postings by visitors to Outback Queensland
Visitor Social Media

14. Iconic outback imagery used in new website to better connect with visitors
Review Outcomes

15. Digita l Tourism
Development
S tra tegy

16. Strategy Development
Development Focus Areas
Benchmarking
Identify priorities
Budget
Staffing
Timeline
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Video
Wi-Fi in VIC
Training
Longreach Region
Digital Tourism Development Strategy
End 2015 to Oct 2016

17. Implementation Timeline
2016
Aug – Oct
New imagery
shoot.
Engaged local
photographer
2016
March - April
Nov 2015 –
Jan 2016
2015
Sep - Oct
Development of
site – key words;
script; imagery;
testing
Council elections.
Re-focus
on digital
communications
Four videos shot
for YouTube
channel
Review of
campaign
TV, radio, print &
digital marketing
campaign
Selection &
appointment web
design company
Benchmarking
review.
Digital Coaching
International
VisitLongreach.com
& 2016 visitor
guide launched
Digital VIC officer
1.5-2 days a week

18. Measure the digital footprint & capability in the Longreach tourism region
Step One: Digital Benchmark Report
Liz Ward
Former CEO of Australia
Tourism Data Warehouse.
CEO Digital Coaching
International & Tourism Tribe
Brief
Analyse the digital assets,
websites & social media of 21
local businesses & destinations
Aim
Provide research to aid
development of a digital
tourism strategy

19. The report highlighted that Longreach region & businesses lacked
digital competencies
Report Outcomes
No best practice
example within region
Only 17 of the 22
businesses &
destinations reviewed
had a website to
evaluate
Benchmarking
Witches’ Falls Cottages
Gold Coast Hinterland
18 on Facebook 13 using Trip Advisor
2 using Instagram 4 with YouTube videos

20. Analysis of digital trends indicated importance of digital media for
travellers & aspiring visitors
Digital Consumer Trends
85% Leisure travelers use search
engines via smart phones to find
destination information
Source: ThinkwithGoggle.com (2014)
Since 2015 Google penalises
websites in their search rankings if
their website is not mobile friendly.
95% of Australians
use social media
& 50% access every day
Source: Sensis Social Media Report 2014 & 15
45-54 year age bracket is the fastest
growing demographic on Facebook
33% change choice based on reviews
50% won’t book accommodation with
zero review
Source: World Travel & Tourism Council
65+ age group use of social media
increased from 32% to 39%
2014-15
Source: Sensis Social Media Report 2015
Outcome
These powerful statistics highlighted
the importance of a digital tourism strategy to connect with the target market

21. Outcomes
Operators updated their websites
& increased social media engagement
Aimed at educating operators importance of digital presence
Action– Workshop
Digital Coaching
International
5 tourism businesses
& 2 VIC staff
‘Live’ review of websites’
& Tutorials
Focus
“To highlight the importance of online reviews
& how to adapt a strategy to grow business”

22. www.visitlongreach.com
New website created to increase consumer engagement
& provide up-to-date travel information
Action 2: Website Redesign
Selected relevant imagery and
key words
Transferred and updated
tourist information
Mobile/iPad compatible
Benchmarking of websites
• Visit Scenic Rim
• Central Highlands
Launched April 2016

23. A professional production company was engaged to produce a video of the
region highlighting its natural beauty to further engage consumers
Action 2: Video Production
5 day shoot
incorporating drone imagery
Four videos
Regional overview
Heritage - Nature - Regions
Operators fully engaged
& able to use imagery
Overview
Experienced
“The Great South East” TV

24. Drone Video clip of Longreach Region

25. October 2016 was rebranded as ‘Outback October Fiesta’ month
Action 3: High profile promotional campaign linked to new event month
ImplicationsOverview
Events
Linked across month
Ballet – Concert – Picnic Races
Colour Run – Parade
Longreach for laughs
Objective to
Extend season
High profile
TV, radio, print & digital
marketing campaign
Sept - Oct 2016

26. Instagram
Online & Print
Ads
To promote region
to urban & coastal
areas
Used to engage
directly with visitors
TV & Radio
Campaign
Utilised Channel 7
& 4KQ channels as
high ‘Grey Nomad’
usage
Instagram

27. A 4KQ radio competition was also used to increase traffic to the website
www.visitlongreach.com.au
Marketing Activities
Consumer call to action

28. Key Ta kea wa ys

29. Immediate & significant customer engagement with the target market.
Outcomes
+154%
Page views
+397%
users
142%
VIC visitation
Web traffic increases 3 months
pre/post launch

30. New website a year on
April 2016 – April 2017
Outcomes
+25%
Page views up to
12,696
+63%
In total visitors to
3,608
1,400
YouTube views in 4
videos
6,900
Trip Advisor
Reviews
500
Facebook likes

31. Key Takeaways
On-going budget provision for
digital activities
Digital Tourism Strategy
separate from Council
Need for a
digital management structure
Internal
Adoption of destination website
by industry
Time limitations
Need for training
External

32. Three pieces of advice for launching your own tourism digital strategy
Key Takeaways
1.
2.
3.

33. www.visitlongreach.com
Legacy
Visit Longreach You Tube introduction video

34. THANK YOU
K e v i n L i e p i n s
D e s t i n a t i o n D e v e l o p m e n t
S o l u t i o n s

35. Introduction to Longreach Region
You Tube Video