Visitors to our region are starting to roll in and the numbers of vehicles, caravanners and non-locals are thick on the ground, especially in the shopping centres, Visitor Information Centres and generally out and about.
It would be fair to say that the season started a little later this year and now that the weather is cold below the Dirranbandi line, the warmer temperatures are encouraging travellers to head north. Our Gilgandra, Coonamble, Walgett and Roma counterparts are reporting good numbers on the Great Inland Way and we can only assume that the bulk of these are Carnarvon bound and then travelling further north into the Central Highlands.
Developments such as the new caravan camp ground in the Carnarvon region will complement the current accommodation options in the area and construction of the Sapphire Gemfields Interpretive Trail is well underway, and will be launched as part of this year’s Gemfest – Festival of Gems.
To build awareness of the attributes of our region and to encourage travellers to include the Central Highlands in their travel plans, CHDC and local operators have attended three consumer shows in 2017 and another three are in the diary for the second half of the year. It is great to see our operators participate because having passionate and knowledgeable people who live and work in the region engaging with the crowds enhances the authenticity of our message.
We all know the importance of digital marketing and how it can significantly increase the awareness and, indeed, sales of your product. I have had the pleasure of participating in two digital marketing workshops over the past month and I look forward to implementing the strategies to help build that awareness and support your tourism product. If you as an operator would like the benefits of such training, then I encourage you to contact me and I can put you in contact with the facilitator, Liz Ward. We have previously had Liz present at one of our industry forums and Liz and her team are ready and willing to assist to build your digital marketing skills.
For more information or a catch-up, contact Peter Grigg E: tourism@chdc.com.au or T: (07) 4982 4386.