South Australia is in the throes of a tourism boom and regional areas are cashing in on the increased visitation.<\/p>\n
But while some regions have already hit their 2025 targets and some have experienced record tourism-related income, the Limestone Coast has some work to do.<\/p>\n
Operators and associated industries throughout the Limestone Coast have also seen strong numbers on the back of postCOVID travel and the increased special events that are placing South Australia in the national and international spotlight but Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell believes now is the time to ramp up efforts and be part of the economic windfall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wider Limestone Coast has an opportunity to learn from other successful regional areas experiencing tourism growth,\u201d Mr Bell said.<\/p>\n
Regional South Australia has rocketed toward its 2025 tourism target and a new record-high, hitting almost $4 billion in 2022 \u2013 some three years ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n
Latest data shows regional visitor expenditure hit an all-time high $3.98 billion in 2022, just $200 million shy of its $4billion target set for December 2025.<\/p>\n
Six of the state\u2019s 11 tourism regions have surpassed their 2025 visitor expenditure target, with four regions hitting a record high.<\/p>\n
The Barossa and Yorke Peninsula have hit an all-time high and surpassed their 2025 targets by $35 million and $65 million respectively.<\/p>\n
The targets are set as part of the South Australian Regional Visitor Strategy 2025, a strategy developed by the regions for the regions which outlines priority action areas as identified by the state\u2019s 11 tourism regions after extensive consultation with more than 800 stakeholders.<\/p>\n
The 2025 Strategy is the second iteration after the 2020 plan was released in May 2018 with the then regional tourism target of $3.55 billion.<\/p>\n
The South Australian Regional Visitor Strategy 2025 aligns with the South Australian Visitor Economy Sector Plan 2030, which sets a target for total visitor expenditure in the state of $12.8 billion.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour regions, including Barossa and Flinders Ranges & Outback, have hit record high visitor expenditure so let\u2019s look at what they are doing right and take our lead from that,\u201d Mr Bell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPost-COVID people are enjoying travelling again and we need to look at what we can do to continue their journey down to the Limestone Coast.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Member for Mount Gambier said it was imperative the local industry needed to plan and foster partnerships to maximise visitor movement from such major events as the AFL Gather Round and LIV Golf.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are plenty of incredible attractions in the Limestone Coast but perhaps they are not marketed as well as they should be, with a region-wide approach,\u201d Mr Bell said. \u201cThere\u2019s not too many places in South Australia you can walk along the crater rim of a dormant volcano or snorkel in a sinkhole but we have those experienced right here just 10 minutes drive from Mount Gambier.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the South Australian Visitor Strategy, the Limestone Coast\u2019s priorities are marketing, experience and supply development, collaboration, building industry capability and opportunities around leisure and business events, \u201cWe have many successful tourism operators and accommodation providers and now\u2019s the time to spruik them.\u201d<\/p>\n
And as far as the Member for Mount Gambier is concerned, his first step in ramping up the region\u2019s tourism-related revenue will be a visit this month from the new South Australian Tourism Commission CEO Emma Terry where Mr Bell will showcase the region and tap into the CEO\u201ds expertise to see how we can join other SA regions in smashing records and targets in the tourism space.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve just had a bumper summer season in the Limestone Coast and I\u2019d like our tourism operators to be able to say they\u2019re experiencing that year round,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
SA Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison was thrilled to be able to announce the strong regional tourism figures.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegional tourism is a huge contributor to South Australia\u2019s visitor economy \u2013 now worth a record-high almost $4 billion to our state,\u201d Minister Bettison said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor every tourism dollar spent in South Australia, 48 cents is spent in the regions \u2013 up from 44 cents in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith six of the 11 regions having already beat their targets set for 2025, and four regions cracking an all-time high \u2013 these are fantastic indicators that our plan to recover the industry from the impacts of the pandemic is on track.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe South Australian Regional Time to pounce Visitor Strategy sees the sector working together to continue to drive this strong progress for our state.\u201d<\/p>\n
SA Regional Visitor Strategy steering committee chair Helen Edwards also welcomed the trajectory of regional tourism.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt we\u2019ve made fantastic inroads for regional tourism,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an outstanding result, achieved through strong collaboration across the regions involving local, state and federal governments, regional tourism bodies, and importantly, hundreds of operators.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe results also reflect the support from many South Australians who visited our regions during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a strategy developed \u2018by the regions for the regions\u2019, the Regional Visitor Strategy is our roadmap to continue to drive outcomes for regional tourism and keep the industry strong for the tens of thousands of South Australians it employs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regional SA is booming in the tourism sector South Australia is in the throes of a tourism boom and regional areas are cashing in on the increased visitation. But while some regions have already hit their 2025 targets and some have experienced record tourism-related income, the Limestone Coast has some work to do. Operators and […]<\/p>\n