The City of Ballarat has appointed TRC Tourism Pty Ltd (TRC) to develop a Traveller Experience Plan (TEP), that will focus on creating memorable visitor experiences that reflect Ballarat’s unique DNA.
The new plan will take an innovative approach to the visitor economy, providing a pathway for resilience, differentiation, and making it the first of its kind in Australia.
Over the past few years, the City of Ballarat and local Ballarat businesses have invested heavily in Ballarat’s visitor economy. In that time, the number of visitors and their spend in our community has not grown at a rate that is satisfactory when compared to regional state averages. The TEP will provide a clear roadmap to develop and grow Ballarat’s visitor economy both in terms of future product offering including accommodation, attractions and marketing.
The TEP will also acknowledge and address that COVID-19 has changed tourism locally and globally. It will support the recovery and reopening of our visitor economy and be the first in Victoria to address what tourism will look like after COVID-19.
Mayor Cr Ben Taylor says the TEP is an exciting development that will ensure Ballarat is ahead of the trends.
“Ballarat is a unique city which offers so many iconic experiences – from culinary and recreational offerings to renowned attractions and events.”
“Our tourism sector is vital to our economy. With the tourism industry undergoing such significant change, this is a great opportunity to develop a new approach to attracting visitors, one that focuses on curating experiences locals and visitors adore.”
From a competitive list of applicants, TRC, an international recreation, tourism and planning consulting firm, was chosen as the successful consultant to develop the plan.
As a response, TRC has assembled an exceptional team of internationally recognised sustainable tourism and experience designers. TRC will support the Ballarat community to develop a new approach to destination planning where experiences are curated by the community, enduring memories are created for the travellers, and the value of tourism is shared amongst both.
Penny Spoelder, a Senior Associate at TRC says: “Now is the perfect time to think about how to shape and drive a unique and innovative future experience for visitors to Ballarat post COVID-19. We want travellers to fall in love with your beautiful city again and again. It’s an exciting project and TRC are delighted to work with the industry and community to create a thriving and sustainable visitor economy.”
Consultation with industry and the community will commence in June and the draft Traveller Experience Plan is expected in August.
CEO of Ballarat Regional Tourism (BRT) Natalie O’Brien says the TEP will be a collaborative effort to ensure Ballarat is well positioned to maximise its visitor potential for years to come.
“Ballarat Regional Tourism is excited to be an active contributor alongside our industry members and stakeholders to provide valuable industry input into the TEP. This is an important opportunity to input visitor economy insights and experiences from our sector.”
