Drive Tourism and Road Tourism

Road Tourism

Regional tourism lifeline (and strategic opportunity)

Regional tourism growth and development have long relied on drive or road tourism, including

self-drive and coach driven travel options.

In reality, visitor access via highways and link roads has come to represent the basic tourism lifeline for most rural and coastal destinations ... particularly those without airports, or distant from major population centers. Higher fuel prices affect, but do not eliminate, this basic truth.

And while some travel routes have been officially designated as scenic byways, scenic drives or touring routes, it is still surprising to find that a more strategic and traveler-focused approach to acknowledging

and fostering the wider context & role of road tourism has not been adopted in many regions and states.

Even where government policies exist to boost rural economic growth by encouraging the regional dispersion of

visitors away from larger cities, the focus has often been placed on only marketing each regional destinations' attractions. (With the key travel routes, driver/passenger needs, transport links & modes and necessary facilities

and support services only lightly addressed and unsatisfactorily integrated.)

One symptom of this outlook - that clearly ignores visitor behavior and travel interests - is the way many official regional or state maps simply 'stop dead' at their (administratively defined) road borders. But in practice (from a traveler's perspective at least), borders are just imaginary, historically created 'dotted lines' on the landscape. Frequently the companion tourism websites also reflect such short sighted ('border-limited') approaches to road tourism content provision & marketing. Yet cross-border content options are feasible.

Integration and simplification

Integrated and effectively targeted, 'one-stop' information supply for visitors should be a vital contemporary marketing goal ... one that structures and simplifies their planning process as much as possible.

This is certainly not the case when the marketing simply ceases at borders and additional phases of visitor

information gathering are made necessary. The road based travel behaviors & patterns of many 'longer distance'

visitors are basically being dismissed (and many worthy travel options, including extra experiences and destinations,

potentially closed off). Extra time for experience/destination options must be planned for in advance by most visitors.

Sadly, these problems can be compounded if industry fails to meet tourists' desires for the best tips and best advice

(i.e. trustworthy/'conflict free') on the most rewarding & memorable local and regional travel experiences along a route - whether food, accommodation, attractions, scenic drives, etc. (See '16 Tips for Greater Visitor Center Impact'.)

TCDS Services:

Drive tourism strategies.

Drive assessments.
Strategic route marketing. Route experience audits.

Themed trails development.

Trails assessment.
Drive website assessments.

Information delivery reviews.

Route & market enhancement.

SERVICE:

Drive/Road Tourism

Regional tourism lifeline.

Integration and simplification.

Tourism trails - reality check.

"Road-based tourism is one of the fastest growing and most important (tourism) niches ... (recreational vehicle sales having increased dramatically) ... travellers using these transport modes ... have become vital players in the economic fortunes of regional and remote (areas)."

Source: Australian Government's

2004 Tourism Policy White Paper

TCDS can significantly contribute to these assessment, delivery, strategy development and market enhancement processes. Assistance with identifying priority drives and their marketing strengths, from a regional, state, national or international perspective, also provided. (See 'Services' list above left.)

Projects:

In collaboration with our international associates - 'Supply Analysis' to the Australian Government's National Road Tourism Strategy; Comprehensive audit of Australia's major tourism routes for Tourism Australia; and analysis & reviews (from an intending traveler's perspective) of the structure and impact of leading government and industry tourism agencies' drive websites.

Themed trails and tourist drives - reality check

Occasionally even specially created 'themed trails' (focused on regional wines, heritage, etc.), when put to the test, do not fit readily or logically with actual visitor driving patterns. These may have lacked initial market research and ignored factors like visitors' time allocation & availability, or a preference for hub & spoke travel behavior over trips involving lengthier loops, trails and circuits.

Alternatively, the actual extent of destination options or experiences desired by visitors may not be addressed properly, or sufficient attention given to visitors' related personal needs and trip aspirations - including ease of accessibility, food and lodging choices, activities, etc.

Some trails can lack a sufficient mix of wider visitor experiences - and have failed to tackle related strategic

product development, rejuvenation and enhancement requirements.

(However trails in smaller or newly emerging wine regions - particularly when conveniently located near bustling cities - can be competitive with daytrippers and market niches seeking low stress 'short breaks', without the crowds, congested highways and 'overdevelopment'.)

Tourism drives: Gaps can also exist in the way visitor information needs are perceived and met by some road & transport authorities for their official touring routes and tourism drives. Untapped opportunities commonly exist here.

Value of state and regional cooperation

Success with road tourism certainly requires productive forms of cooperation (not unthinking competition) between adjoining regions and states and all relevant agencies ... if enhanced visitor respect and impact is truly desired.

Practical research data and a strategic approach to evaluating drives or converting market & product opportunities will focus local and state development actions.

SITE MAP

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