Assessing the 'Product'
Throughout Australia there are many communities trying to promote their particular towns and regions to the visitor market. Rarely is the fundamental question asked: “ Do we have products and experiences that will appeal to particular segments of the market” ?
Tourist needs and demands are generally defined in terms of the following 5 A’s:
- Attractions
- Activities
- Access
- Accommodation
- Amenities
Attractions:
Attractions are key elements that need to be considered in assessing the tourism potential of an area. Many communities can claim to offer scenic and natural attractions, cultural and heritage attractions, entertainment and recreational facilities. What makes some successful and others less successful ? The technical term ‘distance pull’ defines the difference between the two.
Distance pull refers to how important or interesting an attraction or activity is to a visitor, compared to the distance that has to be travelled to experience it. Some attractions have very strong distance pull and people are prepared to travel long distances, spend money and perhaps even undergo some inconvenience to visit them.
When evaluating attractions in terms of their distance pull, it is important to be realistic. Almost every region or community can claim things such as shopping, parks and gardens, heritage buildings and entertainment. What needs to be examined is what specifically is it about them that makes them special and distinctive ? To have distance pull characteristics, an attraction generally needs to be relevant and compatible with the product strengths of the area or region.
Activities:
While attractions are things that can have strong distance pull, activities are things that can be defined as things that are more common, but provide interesting or entertaining diversions for people once they are in the area. Activities add variety and can make a visit more enjoyable, but it is important to understand that they cannot replace attractions.
The major requirements for visitor access include:
- Safe and convenient public transport (especially for international visitors)
- Well signed and maintained roads
- Parking facilities at major attractions
- Links between transport modes and attractions
- Public transport from parking areas to the site of activities, such as special events or festivals
- Safe walking and cycling
Sometimes modes of transport can be attractions in their own right. Ferries, steam trains and scenic roads with viewing areas both provide access and serve as attractions.
Accommodation:
Although day trippers spend money on consumable items, overnight visitors have a variety of needs, including accommodation, dining and are also more likely to spend on attractions and activities. A variety in style and quality of accommodation in a region/ town provides an important means to increase the economic impact of visitors
Amenities:
Amenities are services that most visitors take for granted until they are not there: visitor information centres, telecommunications, roads, drinking water, toilet blocks, rubbish bins, signage, park benches etc.
A community that provides attractions but no amenities is unlikely to maximise economic benefit from tourists, while destinations that develop amenities without attractions will be frustrated by the lack of visitors.
Click here to download a checklist of infrastructure, product and other resources that a destination should consider when determining its ability to deliver a quality tourism experience to meet the demands of today’s consumer.
Click here to read a presentation made on tourism for small communities at the First National Conference on the Future of Australia’s Country Towns
Click here to read how a small municipality with limited funds, 3hrs drive from Melbourne, developed an ongoing tour program that has ensured a steady flow of visitors.