Visitor Servicing In Western Australia

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Visitor Servicing In Western Australia
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Peter Hill Director Quality
Tourism Western Australia
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What Will We Cover Today

• Structure of visitor servicing in WA
• Visitor Servicing Study
• Importance of visitor servicing
• Case studies from WA
• Where to from here discussion.

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101 Visitor Centres across Western Australia 50
Level one and two accredited Visitor Centres
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Levels of Visitor Servicing
State Government Providing state-wide information
through the WA Visitor Centre, 1800 1300
numbers, westernaustralia.com, wavc.com.au
Service arrangement with Best of
Australia Volunteers.
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Levels of Visitor Servicing
Level 1 VCs Strategically located within
regions, providing state, regional and local
information.
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Broome Derby Karratha Kununurra Tom Price
Carnarvon Cervantes Exmouth Geraldton Kalbarri Sha
rk Bay
Where WA needs Level 1 Visitor Centres
Esperance Hyden Kalgoorlie Norseman
Albany Bunbury Busselton Collie Denmark Dunsboroug
h Margaret River Pemberton Walpole
Criteria based on visitor numbers, proximity to
icons, and regional service centres and gateways
to the State
Armadale Dwellingup Fremantle Mandurah Mundaring N
ortham Perth Rockingham Swan Valley York
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Levels of Visitor Servicing
Level 2 VCs providing local information, in
lower tourism traffic areas.
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Levels of Visitor Servicing
Staffed Information Points - Where the primary
activity is non-visitor servicing with people
available to give limited information and advice
(eg hotels, roadhouses).
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Levels of Visitor Servicing
Unstaffed Information Points Roadside
Information Bays, Electronic Kiosks, Notice
Boards.
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Visitor Servicing Study
Released May 2004. The study can be found on
www.tourism.wa.gov.au Provided 69
recommendations to develop visitor servicing in
WA.
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What We Learned The really important bits!
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• Visitor servicing has most influence on decision
  making at destination.
• Travel throughout WA is largely unplanned most
  planning done by high end international
  travellers, those with children.
• Accommodation houses are primary contact for
  information in Perth followed by Visitor
  Centres, advice from locals.
• Visitor Centres are primary contact for
  information in regions followed by
  accommodation, roadside information bays.
• Local Government offices are not favoured by
  visitors as sources of information.

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• 15 of visitors stayed an extra night
• 21 took an additional tour
• 56 visited additional attractions and
• 22 spent more than budgeted.

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• Improved tourism outcomes people have better
  experiences, stay longer, spend more, come back,
  tell others.
• Improved community outcomes enhanced community
  esteem, focused use of community resources,
  stability, employment opportunities, less
  conflict.
• Improved safety enhanced information to avoid
  tourists getting lost and hurt.
• Improved environmental and cultural outcomes
  directing tourism activity away from
  inappropriate places.

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• Both local and regional information is sought at
  destination.
• The importance of personal and professional
  service.
• Interpretation and local product inspire people
  to explore.
• Technology is a major driver of change.
• Booking services are important for tourism
  operators and Visitor Centres but not so much for
  visitors.
• There is little scope for expanding the
  membership.

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Visitor Servicing Study Implementation
VSSIG established Includes representation
from Visitor Centres Local Government
Hospitality and Tourism Industry Training
Council, Dept. of Local Government and
Regional Development Tourism Council WA.
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• Key projects of the Visitor Servicing Study
  Implementation Project.

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Visitor Centre Training

• Includes
• Operations Volunteer Manuals
• Familiarisation Opportunities
• VCAWA Conference Sponsorship.

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Indigenous Traineeships

• Includes
• Fourth intake currently underway.
• A total of 22 trainees have completed or are
  currently completing traineeships.
• Networking and AITC attendance.

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Business Development

• Includes
• Visitor Servicing Guide for Local Government
• Online Bookings
• Retail Activities Scheme
• Digital Strategy
• Corporate Governance Training
• Entrepreneur Capacity Building.

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Marketing

• The s have it campaign radio, print and
  billboards

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VCKit

• 30 Visitor Centres have VCkits.
• Bunbury established that it increases yield by
  12 million.
• VCAWA managing and collating data.

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Case Studies

• From the Visitor Servicing Guide for Local
  Government.

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Margaret River
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Where to from here ?

• Opportunities and challenges - Discussion

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Engaging Stakeholders

• KPI measurements
• P L
• Retail sales
• Door stats
• VCKit
• Members
• Brochures distributed
• Newsletters
• Feedback forms
• Surveys
• Focus groups
• VC operations manual.

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Automations and threats of changing consumer
behaviours

• The internet
• Google
• What is your website like?
• S.E.A.
• E-Kit
• Word of mouth
• Consumer news letter
• Collect their information
• Refer amongst each other
• Value of VCs
• Common branding
• Use the i on everything.

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Building capacity of staff and operators

• STCRC
• Business Enterprise
• Share trainers - Shires
• Use local people
• Engage staff values
• VC operations manual
• Famils
• Volunteers.

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• Thank you