Part 3: Discovering your own backyard

How well do you know your place? Are you cheering for your hometown? If you’re not, it’s time to pick up those pom poms and get dancing.

Let’s talk about the importance of becoming an advocate for your own region.

Make discoveries in your own backyard

Put yourself in your guest’s shoes. Become a traveller yourself – in your own backyard. VIC’s have the opportunity to become destinations for visiting family and friends of the locals.

VIC’s can become the place, where locals can showcase the uniqueness of the region to family and friends both via experiences and product.

Ask yourself this. Why can’t the VIC be one of the first starting points when a resident is introducing a friend or relative to the region?

This reinforces the positioning of the VIC as the passionate and informed experts within their own region. Let’s take greater advantage of it.

 

Use local talent too. Celebrate local events.

VIC’s of the future will create hands-on experiences for the guest to interact with regional producers and suppliers. To feel the story, the history, the heritage and the vision.

Guests will want something that is unique and quality – a product or experience that generates emotions and memories, well after the holiday is over.

The VIC will become a catalyst and a beacon for bringing industry together so both locals, intrastate, interstate and international guests can benefit. VIC’s will become destinations of unique gifts for locals. This is a largely untapped market and one the VIC can utilise in the future while benefitting the producers, artisans of the region.

So, what do you think of this all so far? Again, this entire framework is designed to arm you with strategies you can apply to your own VIC to remain relevant and productive. You can use this across the tourism industry as a whole, like we’ve said before. The same principles apply.

Next up, we’re talking about the inside of your VIC. Stay tuned for the release next Friday!

At Kiikstart, we’re dedicated to helping people have more choice, influence and control about how they live, work and learn. If you’d like to hear more about what we do, contact us today on 0428 593 400 or enquiries@kiikstart.com.

Photo credit: Steve Rosa, Manager of Southern Highlands Welcome Centre.