CEO Report on
Key Activities
August 2015
Competitor Activity
Geelong Bellarine Peninsula has been granted Regional Tourism Board status by the
Minister for Tourism announced at the Victorian Tourism Industry Summit in mid July.
Yarra Valley and
Dandenong Ranges
Visitor Arrivals doing
well against other
Regions
Comparison over the last five years
Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges has:
- The highest Annual Average Growth over last five years for International Visitor
Arrivals 8.3% (Phillip Island saw an annual average growth of 7.5%, Great Ocean
Road 5% and Mornington Peninsula 3.7%)
- The highest percentage increase in Domestic Daytrip Visitors 2010 to 2015 19.2%.
(Daylesford 14.7%, High Country 15.5%, Mornington Peninsula 6.7%, Great Ocean
Road – 15.7%, Phillip Island – 14%)
- Equal highest Annual Average Growth in Domestic Overnight Visitors last five years
with Mornington Peninsula 1.3% increasing over 20% over five years.
Comparison YE March 2015 to YE March 2014
Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges has:
- 18.1% increase in both International Day and Overnight visitors. State average
11.6%
- Second most visited region for International Day visitors
- 8.1% increase Domestic Day Trip Visitors (Mornington Peninsula 3.7%, Great Ocean
Road down 2.1%,
- 8.3% increase in Domestic Overnight Visitors
- 76% of Domestic Overnight visitors come from within the State 24% from InterstateInterstate visitors were up 9.9%
KEY STRATEGY AREA: DIGITAL
Website Development
Content is the area being addressed. Information that has been scattered across
various servers, brochures, maps, etc. are being collated and uploaded to the specific
website. The developers are working on a standard report for both staff in-house and
for operators. Example of a report
Social Media
Performance
Facebook
Increasing Assets:
Video Production
Now have 32,101 ‘Likes’ – our target was to gain 30,000 ‘Likes’. Posting approx. 32
posts per month. Utilising the articles that have been developed throughout the ‘Find
Yourself Campaign’, partner articles in other online publications such as ‘Weekend
Notes’ and ‘Broadsheet’ we have found an increase in total ‘reach’ has been achieved.
There has been a focus on including both Warburton and Marysville in our mix recently
and this has been positive with ‘snowplay’ being a topical story to run.
Dandenong Ranges have received a strong share in the social media attention on the
Facebook platform with links being active back to the website. The focus now is to
strengthen our Instagram and Twitter platforms in an efficient and effective manner.
The recent changes in Hootsuite will assist with this.
In 2014/15 we developed 25 videos in partnership with industry (16 videos in Yarra
Valley and 9 videos in the Dandenong Ranges).
Some recent activity includes:
Buxton Trout and Salmon Farm
https://youtu.be/OB6uzySbEjQ
Yarra Valley Dairy
https://youtu.be/IhMUhcnZwOA
KEY STRATEGY AREA: MARKETING
FIND YOURSELF
CAMPAIGN
May to July 2015
FIND YOURSELF was developed as the regions new brand campaign. It has dual
meanings – the literal of actually finding yourself in the Yarra Valley or Dandenong
Ranges or the spiritual sense of finding yourself – slowing down and getting in touch
with yourself. The concept of FIND YOURSELF can reach across both regions and link to
both websites.
Australian Geographic
– Dandenong Ranges
promotion
Yarra Valley Food
Group Bloggers visit
Melbourne Tourism
Industry Exchange – 1st
September
Melbourne
International Film
Festival promotion
31 July – 17 Aug
Campaign two key objectives were:
- Increase visitation to websites
- Increase our assets for future marketing (Facebook followers / database)
Yarra Ranges Tourism hosted three bloggers visits creating native content with banner
advertising to drive visitation to our website. A consumer competition was used as a
hook to entice click throughs to the website.
Find Yourself Campaign generated 5,924 entries into the competition to win a holiday
to the region. 3,857 entries were generated via the Dandenong Ranges website.
Links to the blogs were in the last industry newsletter.
Following a 12-page feature in the July/August edition of Australian Geographic on the
Dandenong Ranges, we have been working with to extend this coverage online. This
will include taking over the front page of Australian Geographic Website and digital
advertising featuring that will take visitors to our website.
The aim of this activity is to help create some stronger brand awareness around the
Yarra Valley Regional Food Groups Market at Yering Station. There was visits to YVRFG
business’, a market visit and a cooking school utilising local produce and with
representatives from the YVRFG hosting at Locavore-Studio in Lilydale. There will be 5
bloggers in attendance and we are hoping utilise their work on our
visityarravalley.com.au and yarravalleyfood.com.au as well as be promoted through
their personal pages.
Sally Coyle from Yarra Ranges Tourism is sharing a booth at this event with Puffing Billy.
It is an opportunity to meet with key Melbourne information services such as hotel
concierges, and visitor information centres as well as businesses.
This is the artwork that is shown at every screening of the film festival.
Vote on the best film
for MIFF and go into
the draw to win a Yarra
Valley escape for two
Tourism Victoria New
Zealand Mission 9 – 14
August
Tourism Victoria UK /
Europe Mission – 6-17
September 2015
Australian Tourism
Exchange ATE
21 – 25 June
Melbourne Convention
& Exhibition Centre
Simon O’Callaghan represented Yarra Ranges Tourism in New Zealand undertaking
agent training in Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown plus a
media event in Auckland. Tourism Victoria have organised Victorian operators to
participate including Australian Wine Tour Company and Healesville Sanctuary who will
be promoting activities in this region. The Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Product
Guide will be distributed at each event.
Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges will be represented at the Tourism Victoria
UK/Europe Sales Mission along with a number of Victorian Regions. Four industry
partners: Balgownie Estate, Puffing Billy, Healesville Sanctuary and Australian Wine
Tour Company will be partnering in equal partnership with Yarra Ranges Tourism. Matt
Noble from Australian Wine Tour Company will be representing the group in London,
England, Ireland and Paris. Front line training will be undertaken in key wholesalers
such as Flight Centre, Travel2, Gold Medal plus meetings with key Product Planners in
London, Ireland and Paris. The Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Product Guide will
be distributed at each event.
Held over 6 days ATE is the major International Trade Event for Australia, Agents and
Media from all over the world are flown in to meet with Australian Tourism Product.
Being hosted in Melbourne this year the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges benefited
from many pre-post event famils to our region.
This included a dinner at TarraWarra Estate that was attended by several Board
members.
Julie attended the Media event, while Simon and Brook met with over 110 delegates
promoting the region, delegates included wholesalers, online travel agents, retailers,
inbound tour operators and overseas Managers from Tourism Australia and Tourism
Victoria.
ATE was also attended by Puffing Billy, Healesville Sanctuary, Chateau Yering, Rochford,
Australian Wine Tour Company, Rayners Orchard, Yering Gorge Cottages and Eastern
Golf Course, Fergusson’s Winery, and Go West Tours (Segway).
The Victorian Showcase event featured wines sponsored by Oakridge and Domaine
Chandon, that we were very grateful for their support.
A number of businesses from our region also had the opportunity to attend a walk
through of the ATE to learn more about participating in the future. These included
Buxton Trout and Salmon Farm, Valley Ranges Getaways, Oakridge, Cherryhill Orchards,
and De Bortoli. Several Board members also made it along including James, Kathie,
Michael and Peter.Follow up from ATE for listed product in our International Guide will
include a summary of relevant contacts for them to follow up direct. This will be
coupled with contacts from our New Zealand Trade Mission.
Dandenong Ranges
Touring Map
Visiting Journalists in
the next month
An updated map of the Dandenong Ranges and Surrounds featuring regional attractions
and operator listings (82 businesses paid to participate) was completed end of July.
Distribution throughout the region by 14th August and distribution outside the region
(Melbourne Airport, Fed Square and Melbourne Hotel concierges) via brochure
distribution company to ensure collateral is monitored and well stocked.
Registrations for the new edition of the Yarra Valley map are now being taken.
Yarra Ranges Tourism is targeting a number of journalists to visit the region over the
next month including:
Traveller, Editor Anthony Dennis – September
Leader Newspaper Group, Nicole Precel, Leader: James Halliday Trail 5/6 Sept
Herald Sun, Coldstream Trail - September
Peppermint Magazine, Kelley Sheenan – late August
KEY STRATEGY AREA: VISITOR SERVICING/ TOURISM EXCELLENCE
Visitor Information
Centres
Yarra Ranges Tourism
Calendar of Events for
Training & Networking
The Centres’ major issue is volunteer numbers. Our recruitment program has been
working however it is taking time. We have had a number operators take up the
volunteering invitation as part of their annual partnership and extend a grateful thank
you for their time and commitment to visitor service. Many of our volunteers are
business owners who are not generally available on weekends, which is the key need at
the current time. Bookings were slow in July being our quietest month in both centres.
Industry Network Function – Yarra Ranges Regional Museum, Monday 7 September
6.00-8.30pm. Private Viewing of “Oil Paint and Ochre” Exhibition, examines the
relationship between Wurundjeri leader William Barak and the de Pury Family of
Yeringberg showcasing paintings and memorabilia never seen in public before. Sandra
de Pury will be the guest speaker.
Save the Date: Christmas Function: Venue TBC Monday 30 November 5-8pm
KEY STRATEGY AREA: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Regional Events
Attraction Strategy
Yarra Valley Balloon
Festival 25/26 October
Reefton Fondo Cycling
Event – Warburton –
22 November 2015
Cyclingtips.com.au
Dandenong Ranges
Gardens
Business Events
Yarra Ranges Tourism has the Events Strategy available on yarrarangestourism.com.au
Yarra Ranges Tourism has been working with Yarra Valley Racing to establish the
regions first balloon festival. Held on Saturday 24 October – Cox Plate Racing Day,
visitors can enjoy a day at the races and then prior to the late telecast of the Cox Plate
new visitors can enter the racecourse and enjoy an evening of festivities including a
Night Glow of balloons lighting their balloons to music. Early on Sunday morning
visitors to the region will see over 15-20 balloons in the sky.
Event planning is ongoing with the organisers currently securing support from other
sponsors and Murrindindi Council and the Road Authorities.
Group met on 30 July 2015. Developing three week long, seasonal Dandenong Ranges
Gardens Festival ‘ Secret Gardens of the Dandenong Ranges’ to drive mid-week
visitation (Spring, Summer, Autumn) Monday to Friday. Using the website from Villages
of Mt Dandenong www.gardenersintheirgardens.com.au. Have some funding from
Villages of Dandenong Ranges and Dandenong Ranges Tourism to help market the
events. Currently developing the product and talking to private garden owners to
create a directory of garden openings and offerings and package pricing. Aware of
issues such as parking and will be marketing to gardening groups around Victoria and
Melbourne as core market will be small groups who organise own buses.
Group met on 28 July and meeting again on 25 August. Created two Committees – one
to develop plan to host a series of Business Events Famils over the next year. Second
Committee to review website yarravalleybusinesseventscom.au. Both Committees have
International
U Pick
Coldstream Trail
Cycling
Arts and Culture
Families Working
Group
Accommodation
a Chair and at least 2 other industry members. Aim to have clear activity plan for
2015/16 at August meeting. Have $7944.00 funds in bank for this group, contributed
by the group. Group decides when they will next be required to contribute to
additional marketing activity.
Group developing an International Ready Workshop in the next month. Inviting guest
speakers to talk about the international distribution system including Tourism Victoria
and a key Inbound Tour Operator.
Met 16 July to develop the concept of a U Pick group, creating a U Pick illustrated map
and target markets in Melbourne Eastern Suburbs. One of the target markets is the
‘new Melbournians’ a significant group of Asians and middle eastern families now living
in Melbourne. Aim is to develop a trail that can easily be printed off from website,
shows u pick hours, seasons, locations. Need to highlight the short Cherry season from
the other U Pick operators. Plan to have the trail ready by mid November.
A new shopping cart item has been created by Gateway Estate that features items for
sales throughout the trail, which will be used as our first e-commerce sales item.
Group has not met again in 2015 and the Group Leader is now on extended leave.
Simon is participating in the workshop party for the Warburton Valley Outdoor Tourism
opportunities. Cycling content is current being uploaded to the website from know
brochures and tracks across various disciplines.
Next meeting scheduled for 25 August 2015
Family friendly wineries group have combined with the activities groups to consolidate
and enhance product. A trail is underway in time for a September school holiday
launch.
Take Time Accommodation Working Group will reconvene on 26th August to set agenda
and priorities for the year ahead. The group want to ensure they are appropriately
linked into the Marketing Group and capitalise on the FIND YOURSELF concept.
KEY STRATEGY AREA: INDUSTRY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Yarra Valley Food
Group Update
Yarra Valley Wine
Growers Update
Developing a digital food trail, filmed a farmers market and video in final edit.
Developing a social media strategy and Yarra Ranges Tourism is managing a bloggers
visit to the food trail. Participating in a number of consumer events such as Melbourne
Show.
New website to be delivered 31 August 2015 www.wineyarravalley.com.au.
KEY STRATEGY AREA: SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION
Presentation to
Councillors – 4th
August 2015
Government Visitor
Economy Review –
Delayed
Mark Lucas and Julie Sampson presented to the Yarra Ranges Shire Councillors on
Tuesday 4th August as part of our biannual communication with the Council.
The findings of this review and other reviews the Government had undertaken over
recent months have been delayed. Tourism Victoria’s commitment to RTB’s funding
expires on 30 June 2016. Regional Tourism Boards are united in trying to negotiate
future long-term commitment.