GOLD003_Sustainable_Tourism_Final

T H E C E N T R A L V I C TO R I A N

WO R L D H E R I TAG E B I D

INVESTING IN A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM MODEL “The gift of World Heritage is forever.”

– Kristal Buckley AM

World Heritage expert

GROW JOBS AND BUSINESSES

We’re planning for a better type of tourism – a new approach that will benefit all parts of our community, our economy and our heritage across the entire region and state.

DELIVER CULTURAL BENEFITS

Sustainable tourism Victorian Goldfields World Heritage destination

The strength of our proposition is an enduring and highly motivated regionwide partnership – committed to working together to build stronger, more sustainable communities, grow the regional economy and jobs, and get ready to step onto the world stage.

INSPIRE ENVIRONMENTAL CUSTODIANSHIP

We need to be ambitious. We need strategic investment focused on exceptional world-class experiences that elevate our World Heritage brand to the global level.

GUIDE INVESTMENT AND COLLABORATION

“Sustainable tourism values and measures tourism’s contribution to individual and destination wellbeing.”

ENSURE VISITOR SATISFACTION AND YIELD STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES AND BUILD PRIDE

– Paul Rogers Co-Founder and Director, Planet Happiness

Challenges The Goldfields region’s globally significant heritage assets and First Nations’ Peoples’ stories are underrecognised and untapped.

Competitive, localised and untargeted investment in the past has demonstrated little capacity to contribute to region-wide growth and sustained job creation.

This severely limits their potential to benefit communities across the region.

As a result, the private sector has not had the level of certainty needed to commit to high impact investment in tourism businesses.

There is uneven socio-economic distribution across the region with pockets of extreme disadvantage and population decline.

Opportunities

This embeds vulnerability and makes COVID recovery difficult.

There is a prevalence of poor-quality visitor experiences, products and services throughout the region.

This severely impacts the potential, attractiveness, resilience and recovery of the sector.

Tourism jobs fell by 13% in the region as a direct result of COVID-19. This is almost double the 7% fall across regional Victoria.

Research shows it could take five years for the tourism industry to recover.

The bid process for World Heritage listing takes around five years.

Successful bid examples show that a strong and public government commitment to the bid process has a positive impact on tourist numbers that starts immediately and builds.

Modelling shows that targeted investment would bring an additional $25 million (minimum) in tourist dollars per year.

Over five years, this would generate an additional $125 million and an estimated 1,250 permanent jobs across the region.

We’ve identified...

Current status of tourism across the region

$$$ $

75%+

of visitation and expenditure Ballarat, Bendigo

Lowest

levels of visitor expenditure Central Goldfields, Loddon, Moorabool, Mount Alexander

Highest

number of tourism businesses Ballarat, Bendigo, Macedon Ranges

Lowest

number of tourism businesses Ararat, Central Goldfields, Loddon, Pyrenees

There are considerable gaps in the offerings, including Aboriginal tourism opportunities and quality accommodation, and basic services such as road improvements, mobile coverage, public amenities and town/village improvements.

The lowest socio-economic areas are also rich in gold heritage. This potential is untapped.

The Goldfields communities told us…

In an Australian first, the OECD-recognised Happiness Index survey for the Goldfields region was launched in March 2021. It measures individual and destination wellbeing as well as community sentiment about the way tourism is being managed.

Insights Insights There is a considerable clustering of offerings in Ballarat, Bendigo and communities in the east of the region.

There are limited offerings in Ararat, Central Goldfields, Loddon and Northern Grampians.

Residents value tourism and support an increase in tourism, but want to make sure it benefits communities right across the region.

There are some areas of concern regarding the management of tourism.

The community wants First Nations’ Peoples’ stories told.

There is a desire for slow change and the need to respect local community values.

Residents value heritage and the natural environment.

We’ve identified where investment is needed to elevate the region.

World Heritage listing has been shown to be a catalyst for effective partnerships, greater civic pride, increased social capital, more extensive learning, education and training, and increased funding and private investment.

However, these benefits do not come automatically. They come as the result of a strategic and targeted approach to investment. As we recover from the devastating impact of COVID-19, this has never been more important.

Strategic investment framework

Visitors

Tourism industry

Deliver exceptional worldclass World Heritage experiences tailored to attract and satisfy target markets.

This will result in increased length of stay and dispersal of visitor expenditure.

Stimulate and support competitive and sustainable tourism businesses tailored to target markets.

This will result in maximum social, economic and cultural benefits for the community from tourism.

Heritage

Victoria and Australia

In partnership with national, state, regional and local stakeholders, plan for, develop and manage tourism to conserve sites of outstanding universal value.

This will result in programs that support and enhance the region’s unique heritage values.

In partnership with national, state, regional and local stakeholders, plan for, develop and manage tourism according to sustainable tourism principles.

This will result in programs that deliver state-wide and national benefits.

Communities

Working with the community, plan for, stimulate and support types of tourism that enhance communities as great places to live.

This will result in an improved quality of life for all residents.

Investment in heritage sites and areas and along touring routes will particularly benefit communities that are economically vulnerable. The spread of tourism activities outwards from high profile locations to less visited communities will disperse the benefits of tourism.

Source: TRC, Sustainable Tourism Investment Priorities, 2021

We’ve developed a distinctive brand.

The brand will bring the Goldfields World Heritage bid to life and elevate the region to a global level. It is designed to be used by partners and industry, acting as a rallying call for building the profile of one of Australia’s great heritage tourism regions.

Primary logo

The brand was co-designed by community, industry and government stakeholders.

The brand The brand depicts core attributes of the region’s culture, heritage and environment.

In recognition of the importance of First Nations’ Peoples’ stories as part of the region’s varied history and stories, the brand reflects a dual branding scheme and features two design icons.

Secondary logo

The primary logo represents the broader Goldfields story and features a number of elements: the goldrush, heritage, diversity, creativity, contemporary culture and Aboriginal culture.

The secondary logo represents the Aboriginal experience and culture and features a unique Aboriginal design created by local Wadawurrung artist, Deanne Gilson.

Tourism marketing logo

“… The design depicts the golden murnong daisy that is connected to Aboriginal ontology of being connected to Country, the sky knowledge of the stars, depicted here is the Southern Cross and the underground knowledge of what we call upside down Country… A man, woman and child are sitting around the murnong design, camping, sharing food, yarning and connecting… “ – Deanne Gilson Wadawurrung artist (excerpt from artist’s statement)

Our investment priorities Priority 1

Priority 4

World Heritage journeys

Placemaking, community connection and storytelling

A series of signature touring routes with thematic storylines that focus on the region’s strengths: heritage, culture, culinary and creatives

Interpretation and storytelling, telling the human stories of the region’s extraordinary history, heritage and First Nations’ Peoples

World-leading digital information strategies and contemporary navigation

Streetscape transformations and revitalisation of towns and villages

World-class infrastructure, products and experiences

Opportunities for creative connection

Priority 2

Priority 5

World Heritage Experience Centres

Capacity building Targeted industry development

The anchor experience for all visitors, international and domestic Places offering a range of exciting experiences that celebrate the World Heritage status and amplify the region’s story, including repurposed Visitor Information Centres

World Heritage-ready quality assurance Cultural and environmental stewardship

Priority 6 Marketing and promotion

Priority 3 Accessible heritage World-class visitor infrastructure Conservation/restoration works

World Heritage brand implementation strategy and co-operative marketing strategy developed in partnership with regional tourism organisations, local governments and industry

“Victorian leaders have known since the 1980s that this bid has merit. The region’s heritage is unquestionably amongst the best in the world.”

– The Hon John Brumby AO Co-Patron World Heritage Bid, Premier of Victoria 2007-2010

“The recent and successful bid to list the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape… has put the region on the map.”

– The Hon Denis Napthine AO Co-Patron World Heritage Bid, Premier of Victoria 2013-2014

The opportunity is now.

The urgency is now.

We’re ready.

T H E C E N T R A L V I C TO R I A N

WO R L D H E R I TAG E B I D

goldfieldsworldheritage.com.au

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