Flinders Enterprise Consulting XXXXXXXXXX Project Brief
Overview detail
Organisation
District Council of Robe
Business
Local Government – working for and on behalf of the community and visitors to our town
Contact
Camille Lehmann, Manger Tourism & Events
Address
3 Royal Circus, Robe SA 5276
PO Box 1, Robe SA 5276
Phone
Email
Website
www.robe.sa.gov.au
Project name
Re-imagining the visitor experience in Robe, including the role of the Robe Visitor Information Centre. Robe Visitor Experience Project
Flinders Enterprise Consulting 2020 Project Brief
This project
ief guides the scope and focus of your project. Please make sure to include all information and requirements as fully as possible. The information herein will provide the basis of the project work and identify goals, resources and limitations. It forms the basis of the project and will guide the student teams.
1. What is the business need, pain-point or problem to be addressed? Or, what is your idea?
The Robe Visitor Information Centre (RVIC) has been operating in its cu
ent state for approximately 15 years with no real updates or improvements over this time. Technology, the way visitors access information and visitor servicing have all very much evolved dramatically over this time.
A review of the RVIC is required to assess the cu
ent needs and wants of today’s (& future) visitors in order to best service our significant tourism market in Robe. What does the cu
ent traveller need and want from a Visitor Information Centre? How do we convert enquiry into longer length of stay and increased expenditure to grow the visitor economy?
It is notable that a majority of visitors to Robe do not cu
ently utilise the RVIC as their main information source. They may either search online, use social media, or receive recommendations from their accommodation providers to navigate and plan their time in Robe. Is there a way that we can increase visitation to the RVIC or how do you recommend we best provide information to visitors to Robe? What role does the RVIC play in the visitor experience?
It is important to note that we have a strong connection with the Robe Tourism Association (RTA) and we will be doing a joint Robe Tourism & Event Strategy with the Council and RTA. This will provide a clear and collaborative focus for the strategy, with a joint vision for its purpose.
The RTA own and run the website www.robe.com.au. To be a local business or accommodation provider on this website they need to be a financial member of the RTA, therefore not every business in town will be featured on this website (unless they can somehow get everyone to sign up). Are there alternative models that could be considered? Would there be value in a joint partnership with this website or due to their membership model is it worth leaving things as they are? RTA also run the ‘Robe South Australia. take me back’ Instagram and Facebook pages. The Robe VIC has the ‘Robe Visitor Information & Public Li
ary’ Instagram and Facebook pages and we can utilise the District Council of Robe’s website www.robe.sa.gov.au – specifically the Explore tab. which is not cu
ently utilised well.
Here is some insight into how other Limestone Coast towns operate their online visitor presence:
Tourism Mount Gambier own the website www.discovermountgambier.com.au, however the Mount Gambier VIC (Council owned) run this site and keep the content up to date, through a unique funding agreement. The Mount Gambier VIC also have Instagram and Facebook pages they run.
Kingston District Council have a Discover tab on their council website which serves their visitors with a great deal of information, and all listings are provided free of charge by the council. They also have Kingston District Council Facebook and Instagram pages as well.
There is also a tourism business in Kingston called Kingston Connect. They have the website: www.kingstonconnect.com.au and people sign up to be members and pay to be listed on this website. They also have Kingston SE. Local starts here. Facebook and Instagram pages.
Beachport, Millicent and Penola VIC’s (Wattle Range Council group) all have Instagram and Facebook pages and they utilise the Discover tab on the Wattle Range Council website for tourism information as well. Beachport also has a community group which have instigated the development of the www.beachportsa.com.au website and Penola & Districts Business & Tourism has a website www.penola.org which is coming soon (both of which are separate to the Wattle Range Council VIC’s).
Due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions to other states, we have noticed that we are having many South Australian’s visiting Robe for the first time and commenting that they would love to come back. To ensure we are not complacent, how do we best capitalise on the first-time visitor to Robe, and ensure they become repeat visitors in future? How do we best market our town to keep Robe on the forefront of potential visitors’ minds?
What is the sense of a
ival or first impression of Robe and how does this effect the visitor experience?
Would there be value in common
anding between the District Council of Robe, Robe Visitor Information Centre and Robe Tourism Association?
What is the value of being an accredited visitor information centre?
The Robe Visitor Information Centre is actually combined with the Public Li
ary, and a li
ary is a community service provided by local councils, therefore we do have the benefit of not paying for a staff member in two different locations. We are however, not a profitable venture in terms of the VIC due to our offerings, we are very much just a service, making a small amount from souvenirs. Are there many profitable VIC’s? Is there a way we can cover our operating costs or become a profitable venture?
2. What are the core requirements or outcomes as you see them? List your ‘essential’ (must have) and ‘desirable’ (would be good to have) wishes.
· An overview of what the cu
ent visitor is looking for from their visitor experience and visitor information centre (essential)
· Recommendation of updates/improvements (physical and digital) needed at the Robe Visitor Information Centre (essential)
· Recommendation on a direction for the online presence of Robe to the visitor market (essential)
· Recommendation on the
anding of Robe (desirable)
· The value of being an accredited visitor information centre VS a non-accredited visitor information outlet (essential)
· Recommendations on how we can increase our RVIC’s revenue, even just to cover operating costs (essential)
3. Are there any strategic considerations to take into account; limitations, key milestones, existing knowledge or approaches, business processes or other projects to be aware of during the course of the project?
· Our limited resources as a small council is worth noting. There is myself (Manager Tourism & Events) and one staff member that works daily at the visitor information centre as part of the tourism council staff.
· Robe Tourism Association members are all volunteers, except for the social media/publicity officer which receives a small monetary sum for their work.
· We need our review and recommendations to be prioritised in order to be able to deliver these in order of importance.
· We are putting together the Robe Tourism & Event Strategy over August – September if you believe anything needs to be
ought to our attention.
· The Robe Visitor Information Centre & Public Li
ary is attached to the Robe Institute – which is a heritage listed building. Therefore, alterations to the external aspects of the building would need to take this heritage element into consideration.
4. Is there anything else you feel the group needs to know with respect to this project before proceeding?
Wattle Range Council (one of our neighbouring councils) have recently conducted a Review of Business Operations of their Visitor Information Centres (VICs). They have three VICs in their council area – Beachport, Millicent and Penola. I can provide a copy of this report to the group. These are all accredited VIC’s.
Kingston District Council run a Visitor Information Outlet (not accredited).
We would be happy to facilitate conversations with:
· Council/Robe Visitor Information Centre
· Robe Tourism Association President & Secretary
· SA VIC Chair – Andy Glen
· Other Visitor Information Centres
· Limestone Coast Local Government Association – Tourism Development Office
· Regional Development Australia, Limestone Coast – to get data and statistics
Flinders Enterprise Consulting – Flinders University Commercial in confidence
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Activity
Week
1st Class
1
2
3
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5
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10
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Team allocations
Self-Introduction
Industry Research
Group Meeting
Client Initial Meeting
Summarise Client meeting
Draft Return Brief to Project Executive
Client Meeting Presentation
Robe Visits
Individual Assignment
Environmental Scan
Document of all secondary data/ research results
Draft Presentation to PWC
PWC 1st Presentation
Team Performance Review
Report Structure
Putting together of report
1st Client Presentation
Submit Slides
Book Client Session
Refine Final Results
Presentation to Board
Final presentation to client
Work on Report
Final Report DUE!!