 | | Sapphire Coast Tourism (SCT) Update September 2017 | This issue highlights our work 'hunting in packs'. Our friends at Visit Canberra use the phrase regularly to describe the focus of the Canberra and region team that collaborate to build their domestic and international profile. Down here we think we have well and truly embraced the values of 'hunting in packs'. So when looking at opportunities consider partners and ask "how can I make this opportunity bigger/louder/better and more cost efficient?" ▪ Our South Coast Unspoilt collaboration, a $700,000 advertising campaign, includes a pack of coastal destinations from Shellharbour to Sapphire Coast.
▪ Our international pack, which brings business together to lift the profile of Sapphire Coast in international and domestic trade markets, has grown from 4 to 15 businesses, enabling us to sell the whole region internationally.
▪ Our Canberra Coast & Region Touring route partners include operators and tourism agencies from Eurobodalla, Canberra and others, adding real depth to the Canberra story.
▪ 25 industry have so far joined the pack participating in our off-peak summer campaign.
▪ Light2Light Coastal Walks has invited partners including Light to Light Camps, SCT and other Sapphire Coast experiences to join them at the Canberra Leisure Show in late in October.
| ▪ | Our South Coast Unspoilt collaboration, a $700,000 advertising campaign, includes a pack of coastal destinations from Shellharbour to Sapphire Coast. | | ▪ | Our international pack, which brings business together to lift the profile of Sapphire Coast in international and domestic trade markets, has grown from 4 to 15 businesses, enabling us to sell the whole region internationally. | | ▪ | Our Canberra Coast & Region Touring route partners include operators and tourism agencies from Eurobodalla, Canberra and others, adding real depth to the Canberra story. | | ▪ | 25 industry have so far joined the pack participating in our off-peak summer campaign. | | ▪ | Light2Light Coastal Walks has invited partners including Light to Light Camps, SCT and other Sapphire Coast experiences to join them at the Canberra Leisure Show in late in October. | Here's to hunting in packs! And If you are looking for a pack then please feel free to call us on 6495 7031 or email. Cheers, Anthony Osborne
Executive Officer
Sapphire Coast Tourism This update includes
* Join our Off Peak Summer Campaign
* PR wins
* Understanding Asia Presentation
* International Marketing Update
* Light2 Light Coastal Walks
* Tourism Australia Presentation
* Cruise News
* Aussie Specialists Famils
* Whale Watching comp success
* Australian Bowls Championship
* Digital Update
* Social Media Tips | Invitation to participate in 2017 'Off Peak Summer' promotion In 2016 our local industry clearly identified pre-xmas December as a low period, but one with significant appeal. To address this challenge 30 industry members joined forces with Sapphire Coast Tourism to present the 2016 'Off Peak Summer' campaign. Some key 2016 campaign results were;
* Leads to campaign participants: 1864
* Unique clicks to campaign content: 5583 We are now developing our 2017 campaign and so far have 25 partners for our 2017 campaign and would love some more to get on board. |  A feature story plus the cover of Rex's inflight magazine will be picked up by Rex passengers nationwide. | PR wins Publicity is low cost and super effective media for destination marketing. Of late we have had significant media attention in 'Out There' Rex Magazine, Country Style, The Australian, Traveller and a number of international publications including Food & Travel Magazine Malaysia with a feature on local Oyster and other food experiences.
Many of our wins have come from our investment in the South Coast pack through the Unspoilt 'South Coast' Campaign. |  Richare Beere from FastTrack Asian solutions | Understanding Asia tourism presentation in Merimbula Understanding Asian visitors and how they engage with tourism products and experiences was the focus of a workshop delivered by Asian tourism expert Richard Beere in Merimbula recently. Around 20 operators were enlightened over a 2 hour presentation on market characteristics and cultural differences.
Stay tuned for another presentation later in the year. |  Sapphire Coast's Natalie Godward met with a dozen key distribution partners at Canberra on Show | International marketing update Canberra On Show
Sapphire Coast joined the ''Canberra on Show'' pack in Sydney recently and talked international opportunities with 10 Inbound Tour Operators (ITO). SCT is starting to build some strong relationships with the ITO's after repeated missions with key partners.
New international ready operators
SCT recently welcomed Coast Resort Merimbula, Lakeside Holiday Apartments Merimbula, Seashells Merimbula and Seaspray Merimbula to our international program. They join a pack, of other accommodation operators working hard on international, that include Bellbird B&B, Tathra Beachhouse, Tathra Beachside, Sapphire Waters Motor Inn, Crown & Anchor Eden, Tanja Lagoon Camp and Robyn's Nest Merimbula.
Meeting Place 2017
SCT will again attend ATEC Meeting place. The flagship industry event includes 22 one on one appointments, networking events and a conference program. |  These guys know how to celebrate! | Cruise News Dredging up a party
There was excitement in Eden again as the dredge arrived at 3pm on Monday 4th September, to a great local fanfare! Dredging work is expected to take place over the next 6-8 weeks. ACA Conference
Sapphire Coast Tourism attended the ACA Conference in Mooloolaba in early September. The conference included presentations from major cruise lines, ground handlers, ports across Australia and tour operators - it was a fantastic opportunity to benchmark the Port of Eden and grow the number of contacts in order to further leverage visitation growth opportunities for Eden and the Sapphire Coast. Experience Audit
Sapphire Coast Tourism is currently conducting an audit of approximately 20 tourism operators who supply product for the cruise market. This audit will ensure clear expectations are set for both partners and standards are being met. New Cruise Tours
Photography Walking Tour
Peter Whiter of Eden has started up a photography walking tour that showcases some of the amazing sights of Eden including Eagles Claw and the Lookout Point headland while detailing the amazing history of Killers of Eden. During the walking tour Peter offers photography tuition and tips to photographers at all levels using all photography equipment (including smart phones). Peter's Photography Walking Tour has been contracted by ground handler Intercruises and will be offered to passengers visiting Eden on Norwegian, Oceania and Regent Cruise Lines. Green Cape 4X4 Discovery Tour
Merimbula Coach Tours has developed a new half-day tour taking passengers to iconic Green Cape Lighthouse, Disaster Bay lookout and Bittangabee Bay packed with sights and history along the way. Merimbula Coach Tours
has been working with Cruise Eden for some time and will deliver this tour for the first time during the coming season to passengers visiting Eden on Norwegian, Oceania and Regent Cruise Lines. Kangaroo & Nature Tour
Eden Country Club will be offering tours to international passengers that allow them to see Kangaroos and Australian nature up close and personal, followed by refreshments and lunch at the Eden Fishermen's Club. This tour has been picked up by Intercruises and will be offered to passengers visiting Eden on Norwegian, Oceania and Regent Cruise Lines. |  Paul Pincini with his new toy ready to transport passengers for Light2Light Coastal Walks and his Green Cape 4X4 Discovery Tour. | | Light2Light Coastal Walks launch with special offer for locals Capacity on the Light to Light walk has again grown with new tour business Light2Light Coastal Walks offering a range of experiences from transport for experienced walkers to fully guided tours.
And to help locals discover the walk they are offering an early bird 30% discount to Bega Valley Residents. More info here
More about the launch in the Eden Magnet here | Tourism Australia wowed by Sapphire Coast They say hang out where you feel celebrated and Tourism Australia's team certainly make us feel celebrated whenever we get the chance to work with them. A Sapphire Coast pack including Magical Oyster Tours & Light to Light Camps joined us for an update on the region and enjoy some experiential operator presentations. | Is it time to re-stock Journeys brochures? The set of four Journeys brochures continue to be heavily distributed in and out of region and we again encourage operators to stock them and share with visitors. The practical guides to walks, parks and history can be sourced from your local Visitor Information Centre. A free display stand is available on request. | Aussie specialists in town Three groups of Aussie specialists will visit Sapphire Coast as part of Tourism Australia's Corroboree West program and Destination NSW. Corroboree West is an Australia-based trade event run by Tourism Australia. It combines a training workshop and familiarisation visits exclusively for qualified Aussie Specialist agents from the UK, Europe, and the Americas. Aussie Specialists are front-line travel sellers from retail agencies and wholesale who actively sell Australia as a preferred long-haul destination to travellers.
The three groups of around a dozen people will enjoy whale watching, oyster tours, local restaurants and the landscapes of the Sapphire Coast. | Sapphire Coast Whale Watching Holiday a big hit Our 5 night whale watching holiday competition has closed, with two very happy ladies bringing their spouses to the Sapphire Coast in the coming months.
The key competition stats were...
140k Facebook users reached through advertising.
7000 Referrals from social media to Sapphire Coast branded content.
4000 Entries
3700 Clicks on Digital Advertising
10.5k Unique page views of competition at www.sapphirecoast.com.au | National Bowls Championships come to Merimbula Sapphire Coast Tourism has partnered with Club Sapphire to make the most of the Australian Bowls Championships which run from November 29 to December 1. In an effort to encourage the bowlers, families and spectators to extend their stay, 20 operators joined us to offer a"Pay 5 Stay 6"offer with local experiences also creating bowls specials. |  Tourism Australia shared a photo by Sarah, tagging both her & @sapphirecoastnsw in the post which reached over 50,000 people. Click to see it in real time. | Digital Update End of financial year stats
3.4m Facebook users reached
218k Social Media engagements
317k Unique Web Visitors Instagrammers Lauren Bath and Matt Donovan stayed with us for 5 nights as part of the South Coast Unspoilt campaign. Their collective audience on Instagram alone is over 500k. We'll have the full report soon. The itinerary included whale watching, kayaking, coastal walks, snorkeling, history and local produce, and lots of golden hour shoots. OTHER DIGITAL HIGHLIGHTS There were almost 4000 referrals from www.sapphirecoast.com.au to local businesses during the winter period. Activities like dining, galleries, wildlife and marine experiences, along with accommodation, whales and produce were the most popular triggers. In terms of popular overall web content the whale watching competition reigned supreme, followed by whale watching, accommodation, regional information, and pet friendly holidays. Visit NSW shared 7 photo's from our region on Facebook and Twitter. Tagging works! |  Social Media Examiner (Click for article) | Social Media Tips How many times a week should you be posting?
On Facebook, the general consensus in the industry is that once a day is best. For Instagram post 1 to 2 posts per day, morning and night. Don't skip the weekends, or evenings, as this is when most people are online. Check out this link for more info and lovely infographics from CoSchedule. Video will be 80% of internet content in 2018 It really is time to start practicing and publishing with your smart device! People gaze five times longer at video than static content on Facebook and Instagram (Social Media Examiner:Facebook Marketing, why it's time to rethink everything). Some of the most popular videos have been shot on an phone with no edits. Here's what Tourism Australia has found works best. ▪ Optimum length is 30 seconds to 1 minute long, with a minimum of 30 seconds.
▪ No talking heads or voiceovers.
▪ No special effects or fade-ins.
▪ Music & Sound Effects: Royalty-free or none. (Try Premium Beat or JukeDeck for free tunes)
| ▪ | Optimum length is 30 seconds to 1 minute long, with a minimum of 30 seconds. | | ▪ | No talking heads or voiceovers. | | ▪ | No special effects or fade-ins. | You can also cheat a little by using animated visuals. Read more here. If you are flummoxed for content ideas, email Sarah. CoSchedule collated the findings of 14 studies on the frequency of posts. The studies were from leaders like Forbes, Hubspot & Buffer. Click the image below to read. | Stock Images to save you time Lochiel photographers Dennie and Glenn of Dee Gee's Photography have curated together a stock image library, starting with Merimbula. Prices are $10 for social media resolution, or $60 for print resolution. For royalty free, generic shots try out Pexels, or Unsplash, but choose your landscapes wisely, someone will always know if it isn't from here! | Previous newsletters If you want catch up on previous newsletters we have an archive on our industry page here | Must reads and subscribes in 2017 Keep on top of local tourism and digital marketing with these newsletter subscriptions
Visit NSW insights
Tourism Australia News
Think with Google
Tourism Australia Insight Files | Sapphire Coast Tourism Ltd
PO Box 89 Merimbula 2549
02 6495 7031 Media Enquiries
Anthony Osborne
aosborne@sapphirecoast.com.au Executive Officer
Anthony Osborne
aosborne@sapphirecoast.com.au | | |
