COBARGO
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
AND MARKETING PLAN
2006 - 2010
Prepared by
Redd Dog (Australia) Pty Ltd
for The Cobargo Tourist and Business Association Inc.
as part of the NSW Department of State and Regional Development’s
“Towns and Villages Futures” Program
Cobargo Tourist & Business Association Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... II
1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1
1.1 BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................... 1
1.2 W HY DEVELOP A TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING PLAN............................... 2
1.2.1 Value of Tourism ................................................................................................... 2
1.2.2 What is Marketing, and Why Market....................................................................... 3
1.2.3 A Tourism Development and Marketing Plan for Cobargo ...................................... 4
1.3 STRUCTURE OF THE COBARGO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING PLAN ......... 5
2 COBARGO - AN OVERVIEW......................................................................................... 5
2.1 THE VILLAGE ........................................................................................................... 5
2.2 REGIONAL CONTEXT ................................................................................................ 6
2.3 VILLAGE SERVICES................................................................................................... 6
2.4 VILLAGE PRESENTATION AND AMENITY....................................................................... 7
2.5 COBARGO’S ATTRACTIONS AND PRODUCT BASE ........................................................ 8
2.5.1 Accommodation and dining.................................................................................... 8
2.5.2 Retail therapy! ....................................................................................................... 9
2.5.3 Festivals and special events .................................................................................. 9
2.5.4 Our artists, craftspeople, designers and musicians............................................... 10
2.5.5 Environmental and eco-system attractions ........................................................... 10
2.5.6 Heritage and cultural attractions........................................................................... 12
2.5.7 Recreational, sporting and special-interest attractions.......................................... 12
2.5.8 Tourist drives....................................................................................................... 13
2.5.9 Other................................................................................................................... 13
2.6 MARKETS ATTRACTED TO COBARGO – A PRELIMINARY TOURISM AUDIT ...................... 14
3 “THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY” FOR TOURISM IN COBARGO................. 15
3.1 KEY ISSUES FACING TOURISM IN COBARGO .............................................................. 15
3.2 SOME POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR COBARGO’S TOURISM DOWNTURN .................... 15
3.3 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS .......................................................................................... 16
3.4 THE “SITUATION” AND IMPLICATIONS FOR COBARGO’S TOURISM FUTURE ................... 20
4 TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING IN COBARGO – OUR VISION AND
OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................... 20
4.1 VISION ................................................................................................................. 20
4.2 KEY OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................... 21
5 TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING IN COBARGO – STRATEGIC
DIRECTIONS AND ACTION GUIDE............................................................................. 23
5.1 STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND
MARKETING IN COBARGO ....................................................................................... 23
5.2 SUMMARY OF KEY OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS ..................................... 47
5.2.1 Tourism and Trading............................................................................................ 47
5.2.2 Destination Awareness ........................................................................................ 47
5.2.3 Recognition and Branding.................................................................................... 47
5.2.4 Targeted Marketing and Marketing Methods ........................................................ 48
5.2.5 Village Presentation & Infrastructure .................................................................... 49
5.2.6 Festivals and Special Events ............................................................................... 49
5.2.7 Networks & Collaborative Marketing .................................................................... 49
5.2.8 Research and Market Intelligence ........................................................................ 50
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5.2.9 Self-sufficiency and resourcing ............................................................................ 50
5.2.10 Local Level Benefits, Initiatives, Commitment....................................................... 50
5.2.11 Think outside the Square ..................................................................................... 51
6 DIRECTIONS FORWARD ............................................................................................ 51
6.1 SHORT TERM FOCUS.............................................................................................. 51
6.2 MEDIUM TO LONG TERM FOCUS .............................................................................. 52
6.3 DESIRED OUTCOMES.............................................................................................. 53
7 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................... 53
APPENDIX A: THE NINE STEP TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN ................................ 56
1 FIGURING OUT W HO YOU ARE – ESTABLISH YOUR IDENTITY ......................................... 56
2 DECIDING ON YOUR PRODUCT - DEVELOPING A THEME .............................................. 56
3 DECIDING W HO YOU W ANT TO ATTRACT - IDENTIFYING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE ............ 56
4 W HAT DO YOU W ANT TO ACCOMPLISH W ITH YOUR STRATEGY - .................................
ESTABLISHING YOUR OBJECTIVES ................................................................................ 56
5 GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS - DEVELOPING YOUR MESSAGE CONTENT ................. 57
6 DECIDING HOW TO SAY IT - DEVELOPING YOUR MESSAGE STRUCTURE ........................... 57
7 DECIDING HOW TO PRESENT IT -DEVELOPING YOUR MESSAGE FORMAT ......................... 57
8 TAKING YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR AUDIENCE - CHOOSING YOUR DELIVERY SYSTEM ....... 57
9 HOW IS IT GOING? - EVALUATION .............................................................................. 58
APPENDIX B: THE NINE STEP TOURISM MARKETING PLAN...................................... 59
1 BUSINESS OBJECTIVES........................................................................................... 59
2 MARKET ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................ 59
3 BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES ................................................................. 60
4 MARKET IDENTIFICATION (SEGMENTATION) .............................................................. 60
5 MARKETING OBJECTIVES FOR EACH SEGMENT.......................................................... 61
6 MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR EACH TARGET MARKET ............................................... 62
6.1 External Mix .............................................................................................................. 62
6.2 Internal Mix ............................................................................................................... 63
7 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN........................................................................................... 63
8 MARKETING BUDGET .............................................................................................. 64
9 EVALUATION .......................................................................................................... 64
APPENDIX C: COBARGO – A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ......................................... 65
APPENDIX D: JULY 1994 COBARGO VILLAGE SITUATION ANALYSIS ...................... 67
APPENDIX E: PROMOTIONAL MEDIA – ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES ............... 69
1 BROCHURES .......................................................................................................... 69
2 NEWSLETTERS....................................................................................................... 69
3 NEWSPAPERS ........................................................................................................ 69
4 MAGAZINES ........................................................................................................... 70
5 RADIO ................................................................................................................... 70
6 TELEVISION ........................................................................................................... 71
7 PAY TV ................................................................................................................. 71
8 DIRECT MAIL.......................................................................................................... 71
9 OUTDOOR/TRANSIT – BILLBOARDS, PAINTED BULLETINS ........................................... 72
APPENDIX F: RESPONSE TO COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE DRAFT COBARGO
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING PLAN ................................................ 73
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Cobargo Tourism Development
and Marketing Plan 2006-2010
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Cobargo Tourist and Business Association Inc. gratefully acknowledge the financial
contribution of the NSW Department of State and Regional Development’s “Towns and
Villages Futures Program” in the development of this Plan. The Association would also like
to express their thanks to the many businesses, community groups, agencies and individuals
that contributed towards the development of our Tourism Development and Marketing Plan.
At a minimum, we hope that this Plan will help Cobargo to foster long-term economic growth
and tourism development in our small regional community, and help our Village take a
strategic and proactive approach to economic development.
CITATION
When citing this document, it should be referenced as follows:
Cobargo Tourist and Business Association Inc. (2006)., “Cobargo Tourism Development and
Marketing Plan 2006-2010”., Prepared by Redd Dog (Australia) Pty Ltd for the Cobargo
Tourist and Business Association Inc., as part of the Department of State and Regional
Development’s “Towns and Villages Futures” Program, September 2006.
Page i
Cobargo Tourism Development
and Marketing Plan 2006-2010
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 2006-10 Cobargo Tourism Development and Marketing Plan has been prepared with
realistic, achievable objectives and actions aimed at improving opportunities for tourism
within Cobargo and the surrounding rural villages and towns of Quaama, Wandella, Yowrie
and the Locality of Brogo. In particular, the Plan documents alternative marketing and
promotional measures which aim to boost tourism and business trading, and encourage long-
term business survival and growth, in Cobargo and surrounding towns and villages.
The development of the 2006-10 Cobargo Tourism Development and Marketing Plan has
been jointly funded by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development’s “Towns
and Villages Futures Program” and the Cobargo Tourist and Business Association (CTBA)
Inc. The Plan was prepared for the CTBA by Dr Jay Gomboso from Redd Dog (Australia)
Pty Ltd, with input from the local community (including Cobargo business community).
Like many small towns involved in tourism, there are a number of issues which limit tourism
business success in Cobargo. Cheap airline prices, higher fuel costs, increased highway
congestion and traffic delays on public holidays, insufficient resources (people, time, funds,
and at times “motivation” due to community burn-out), out-of-date marketing material,
insufficient targeted advertising, agency funding cuts to tourism industry (particularly
tourism information centres), coastal travellers by-passing Cobargo for the alternative
Bermagui-Tathra route, and the need to compete with larger Festivals (with bigger
advertising budgets and resources) are some of the key issues discussed in this Plan.
As well as the above, there are factors which also constrain our festival promotion efforts:
§ small towns generally have small budgets (and pool of volunteers etc) within which to
promote and implement their festivals;
§ the huge levels of (unpaid) time and effort goes into organising festivals often leads to
community/volunteer burnout.
§ funding is sometimes available to secure resources for Festivals, but it requires
substantial time and skills to write grant applications (a large investment for, in nearly
all cases, an uncertain outcome);
§ the matching funding or co-contribution (required by the town) to secure grant funding
is often not available; and
§ increasing costs of public liability insurance and legal requirements at public events.
In an attempt to address these issues and strengthen Cobargo’s tourism industry and business
sustainability, 12 primary objectives have been identified. These relate to: tourism and
trading; destination awareness; recognition and branding; targeted marketing; marketing
methods; village presentation and infrastructure; festivals and special events; networks and
collaborative markets; research and market intelligence; local level benefits, initiatives and
commitment; and thinking outside the square! These objectives (and their sub-objectives) are
summarised in Table 1:
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TABLE 1: Key Objectives for Tourism Development and Marketing for Cobargo
Tourism and Trading
Objective 1a: For Cobargo to exhibit steady, positive, long term growth in tourism and business
income.
Objective 1b: For Cobargo to become a thriving, self sufficient rural Village.
Objective 1c: To improve low-season (particularly winter) tourism and trading in Cobargo.
Destination Awareness
Objective 2a: For Cobargo to become a highly recognised drive tour destination for families,
couples and special interest groups.
Objective 2b: For Cobargo to become a preferred and planned destination for overnight (or
extended) holiday/visit.
Objective 2c: Put Cobargo on the (tourist) map!
Objective 2d: For travellers using the Princes Highway as a thoroughfare to an alternative
destination, to view Cobargo as an ideal tourist break, and stop in Cobargo for
their coffee, dining or shopping break.
Objective 2e: To identify incentives which encourage people who are attending nearby festivals
and events (eg Showground-based events) to visit the main street/trading precinct
Recognition and branding
Objective 3a: For Cobargo to be recognised for their high quality arts and craftwork and their
highly regarded, award-winning artists, artisans and designers.
Objective 3b: To raise the profile of our arts/design “Working-Village” personality of Cobargo.
Objective 3c: Encourage tourists’ awareness and recognition of Cobargo as an area of National
heritage significance.
Targeted marketing
Objective 4a: For Cobargo’s tourism development and marketing efforts to positively influence
our target markets
Marketing methods
Objective 5a: Develop innovative and imaginative marketing material for existing/new/niche
target markets
Objective 5b For our tourism marketing material to be advertised in the right promotional/
communicative media
Objective 5c For Cobargo to take a coordinated, effective and efficient approach to tourism
marketing
Village presentation and infrastructure
Objective 6a: Village presentation and amenity encourage tourism.
Objective 6b: Local & linked Tourism Information Centres attract tourism business to Cobargo.
... continued overleaf
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Festivals and special events
Objective 7a: For Cobargo to continue to maintain its excellent reputation as a key venue for the
nationally significant annual Folk Festival.
Objective 7b: For Cobargo to initiate and implement successful, existing and alternative one-off
and/or regular (e.g. annual) festivals, special events, community fund-raisers.
Objective 7c: To increase the number of children-friendly festival-type activities.
Networks and collaborative marketing
Objective 8a: To improve tourism development and marketing networks with neighbouring
villages and towns.
Objective 8b: To develop strong tourism and business industry partners and networks.
Research and market intelligence
Improve local-level information gaps
Objective 9a: To gain better awareness and understanding of the environmental and eco-tourism
attributes in and around Cobargo.
Objective 9b: To gain better awareness and understanding of the cultural and heritage attributes
in and around Cobargo.
Objective 9c: To gain better awareness of recreational pursuits currently (and potentially)
feasible in Cobargo.
Objective 9d: To gain better awareness of arts-related attributes in and around Cobargo.
Objective 9e: Learn from others.
Monitoring & evaluation
Objective 9f: To identify and monitor positive/negative tourism trends and changing/evolving
target markets, over time (particularly those resulting from the implementation of
key tourism development and marketing initiatives identified in this Plan).
Objective 9g: To be aware of new tourism initiatives, and changes in circumstances (e.g.
economic) which may positively/adversely impact tourism in Cobargo, over time.
Objective 9h: To modify the Tourism Development and Marketing Plan over time, as required,
to incorporate changes in information and circumstances, and to implement those
modifications.
Self-sufficiency
Objective 10a: To ensure adequate resources (people, funds, time) to implement tourism
development and marketing initiative.
Objective 10b: In the long-term, for Cobargo to become self-sufficient in their ability to
implement tourism initiatives.
Objective 10c: To ensure that appropriate organisational and volunteer-based structures (eg
associations) are in place to implement tourism development and marketing
initiatives.
Objective 10d: To enable tourism-related structures (eg business associations) to work effectively
and efficiently at Plan implementation and decision-making.
... continued overleaf
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Local level benefits, initiatives and commitment
Objective 11a: To improve local-level tourism and recreational initiatives in the Village (making
it a fun place for the locals!).
Objective 11b: To encourage the benefits from tourism (economic, cultural, community-
empowerment, etc) to be directed back into our local community.
Objective 11c: For the local community and businesses in Cobargo to be interested and actively
involved in local tourism development and marketing initiatives.
Objective 11d: For the role of tourism development, marketing and implementation to be a shared
responsibility, rather than being left to the same key volunteers and community/
business members.
Objective 11e: For the non-tourism-related businesses to (recognise the importance of and)
contribute towards tourism development and business growth in Cobargo.
Thinking outside the Square!!
Objective 12: Take an open-minded approach to new tourist development and marketing ideas.
Following from these tourism development and marketing objectives, a number of key
strategies and actions have been identified for Cobargo, which are aimed at helping to meet
those objectives. These are presented in detail in the Report. A summary of these strategies
and actions are presented below:
Tourism and Trading
The primary objectives for Cobargo is to exhibit steady, positive long term growth in tourism
and business trading. Related to this objective are the two sub-objectives of trying to
improve low-season trading and tourism (for example, during winter months, or non-holiday
periods), and, in the long term, for Cobargo to remain a thriving, economically viable rural
village. Achieving this tourism and trading objective requires the successful implementation
of all the following tourism and marketing objectives identified in the Plan (that is,
Objectives 2-12).
Destination Awareness
It is important that travellers view Cobargo as an ideal travel destination and to select
Cobargo when planning their next holiday/get-away. To do this, however, Cobargo must:
identify its target tourism markets (where they live, and their travel preferences); produce
effective promotional material (and make sure it reaches our target market); create a good
“first impression” for visitors (particularly to those parts of the Village which are looking a
little worn); promote our festivals and our Village’s identity; and encourage festival-goers to
venture beyond the “Festival-gate” and come and see the main town, whilst here.
Recognition and Branding
A critical activity to any tourism business is promotion. And the very important first step to
promotion is “product identification”. It is important to know what we are marketing (that is
“what is our product” that we are trying to promote). We are not just marketing our Village,
but a Village-experience. And as a small Village, with limited resources, it is important to
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focus on promoting the right “experience” for Cobargo. Some actions and strategies that
may assist to achieve this include: establishing a clear understanding of our Village’s arts-
based and historical “product”; improving local-level information gaps (for example, by
developing up-to-date registers about our arts-based and heritage-related attributes); and
promoting our Village’s identity as (amongst other attributes) a “Working Village” and arts-
precinct. Cobargo’s characteristics and personality is diverse. It is important to have a good
understanding of these diversities and the opportunities that lie within.
Targeted Marketing and Marketing Methods
Objectives four and five deal with promoting to the right market (targeted marketing) and
promoting using the right media avenues (marketing methods), respectively. Marketing
efforts that are targeting the wrong locations and wrong audience can be a highly expensive
and inefficient use of resources. Knowing what influences traveller behaviour is important.
Knowing what influences the behaviour of travellers to Cobargo is vital. Knowing the
geographic location of these travellers is equally important.
For Cobargo, our tourism marketing efforts must be implemented in such a way that it
influences our target market. To do this, we need to: improve information gaps relating to
our target markets - where are they from, what are the demographic characteristics of our
tourists, what motivates them to travel, how do they travel and when do they travel; identify
which media best influences these travellers (newspapers, magazines, E-marketing, television
advertisements, other), so we can target these areas; and in particular, build a stronger web-
marketing presence (faster, fancier, with good linkages to/from other sites and a strong hit-
rate).
Village Presentation & Infrastructure
Town presentation plays a major role in a traveller’s decision to stop and visit. This is
particularly the case for short break stops, which are often an impulse decision. If a town
presents well and looks interesting, travellers will often decide to stop and have a quick look
around. If the experience gained is positive, then there is a likelihood of repeat visitation
and/or the traveller recommending the town to other travellers. Although village presentation
and amenity is quite positive in Cobargo, there are some areas for potential improvement.
These include: improving promotional signage surrounding (and within) the Village;
improving park safety and facilities (including toilets); restoring Village streetscape (signage,
vegetation, condition of buildings); having modern, clean, safe public toilets; and improving
the presentation, services and promotional materials available at Cobargo’s Visitor
Information Centre.
Festivals and Special Events
Festivals and special events are an important part of Cobargo’s tourism and business trading,
as they have the potential to draw in large numbers of visitors.
A range of festival-related strategies and actions have been identified in this Plan to address
festival resourcing and management issues. These include: securing financial (and other)
resources to help establish, coordinate, promote and support Village events; streamlining the
coordination of future festivals and major events in the future (eg through the development of
festival-specific Implementation Guides); strengthening festival promotional and marketing
efforts (at the lead-up to festivals and during the festival); and making festivals more family-
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oriented (for example, by incorporating children-friendly activities into Festival programs).
Networks & Collaborative Marketing
Building marketing networks with neighbouring villages and towns, and working
collaboratively with agency, business and community is an important way of sharing
marketing costs, maximising exposure and/or keeping abreast of tourism developments and
initiatives. Where feasible, it is important to look at opportunities to work in partnership with
adjoining businesses, towns, villages and festival-organisers; and continue working to grow
strong partnership with relevant agencies and the tourist industry.
Research and Market Intelligence
Research and market intelligence is about knowing what we’ve done in the past, where we’re
at now, and where we might be in the future. It involves improving local-level information,
monitoring and evaluation. Key research and market intelligence initiative identified in the
Plan include:
§ gaining a better awareness and understanding of our Village attributes and skills (our
environmental and eco-tourism features, our cultural and heritage characteristics, our
recreational, sporting and special-interest attributes, and our arts-based attributes and
skills).
§ gaining a better awareness and understanding of other villages’ tourism and travel
initiatives;
§ undertaking tourism audits, visitor surveys and/or research to monitoring changes in
tourists’ preferences and in our target market (both positive and negative) over time;
§ monitoring external influences that may impact tourism in Cobargo; and
§ evaluating and (where necessary) redefining our tourism marketing strategies and
actions accordingly.
Self-sufficiency and resourcing
Relying on long-term government and private funding to achieve our tourism and business
growth objectives is unhealthy for long-term sustainability of our Village. Similarly, relying
on the same volunteers, year-in-year-out, to organise festivals and implement tourism
development initiatives is also unsustainable. In order to survive, in the long-run, it is
important for Cobargo to maintain its self-sufficiency. This means:
§ we should be identifying and implementing tourism project which seek only short-term,
start-up funds (if any), rather than those which require regular, on-going, maintenance-
type. It also means:
§ having there adequate resources (people, funds, time, skills, equipment) available to
implement the various actions and strategies identified in this Plan;
§ utilising the skills of a tourism marketing coordinator to oversee the implementation of
tourism actions in the first year; develop comprehensive implementation guides;
undertake relevant research, surveys and analyses; developing registers/databases;
improving our E-marketing initiatives; writing grant applications; and coordinating
general tourism activities;
§ maintaining links with agency and business;
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§ streamlining workloads required of volunteers and businesses (for example, through the
development of guides, manuals and information kits); and
§ exploring and encouraging new projects which promote self-sufficiency in the long-
term.
Local Level Benefits, Initiatives, Commitment
It is important that our tourism development and marketing initiatives yield positive flow-on
effects which can be re-directed back into our community. Three community-focused
strategies and actions have been identified in this regard:
§ Firstly, identify tourism and leisure-based activities which the village can participate in
and enjoy;
§ Secondly, identify (and work with) community groups to ensure that resources are
directed back into Cobargo – by identifying our community needs, and getting them
involved in the tourism activity; and
§ Thirdly, encourage stronger awareness and involvement (particularly within the non-
tourism business sectors) in town and tourism development initiatives.
Think outside the Square!!
Finally, it is important to take an open-minded approach to new tourism development and
marketing ideas, as long as they do not compromise our social fabric and identity. This might
mean: researching at new ways of influencing travellers to Cobargo; building a stronger E-
marketing presence (faster, fancier, more hits); exploring incentives, packages and programs;
evaluating alternative festival ideas; and looking out for new/niche target markets.
The focus of this Plan is on the identification of objectives, strategies and actions to improve
tourism and trading in Cobargo. The next stage for Cobargo’s tourism marketing, would be
the development of a “Tourism Development and Marketing Implementation Plan”, with the
focus of implementation on:
§ prioritising the objectives and actions identified in the Tourism Development and
Marketing Plan. There are too many initiatives and actions to tackle all at once;
§ estimating resources and time lines required to undertake each priority action (financial,
time, people, etc);
§ identifying lead responsibilities for overseeing implementation and completion of each
action (business member, community group, Shire, etc); and
§ securing other involvement of individuals/groups/businesses needed to ensure each
action is successfully implemented.
As people come and go and businesses change hands over time, so too will Cobargo’s
personality change. It is important that this evolving personality continues to be effectively
promoted and reflected in the qualities and attributes that lie within this quaint, historic, arts-
proud Village.
Ultimately, through improved tourism development and marketing, Cobargo hopes to achieve
four long-term goals:
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§ to be a successful, thriving, and popular rural village with strong business trading, low
unemployment and high tourism trading;
§ to be recognised for our unique, highly-talented and well-respected artists, craftspeople
and designers;
§ to be a popular, well recognised New South Wales tourist drive destination; and
§ to allow our Village’s personality to grow and prosper, whilst still maintaining our
historic, community-focused, small rural village identity.
It is our hope that the future custodians of our small Working Village will prosper in the
tourism development and business success built up over years gone by.
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Cobargo Tourism Development
and Marketing Plan 2006-2010
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Like many small rural communities, the Village of Cobargo recognises the importance of
tourism and how it contributes to economic and social development, and the quality of life in
their local community. Tourism also helps support quality of life amenities for our residents.
The key to business and tourism success however, – whether it be a major service industry, a
small business or, in this case, Village tourism – is all in the approach taken to “marketing”.
It doesn’t matter whether Cobargo has great furniture-makers and artisans, or makes one of
the best coffee’s around, or has fantastic accommodation. Nor does it matter how picturesque
it (and the surrounding hinterlands) are - if tourists do not know of its existence, then they
wont travel to buy the furniture, no one will order a coffee, no one will stay for the weekend,
and they won’t absorb the stunning countryside and Village life, unless by chance.
For Cobargo, that means getting travellers to make “planned visits” rather than “chance
visits” – encouraging tourists to visit Cobargo as a planned travel destination, rather than as a
stop-over or short break to an alternative holiday spot. To do this, Cobargo has looked at
embracing a range of tourism development and business growth opportunities available
through marketing.
The 2006-10 Cobargo Tourism Development and Marketing Plan documents alternative
marketing and promotional measures which aim to boost tourism and business trading, and
encourage long-term business survival and growth, in Cobargo and surrounding towns and
villages.
The principal aims for the development of this Plan are to:
§ increasing visitation, visibility and the resulting economic impacts from new marketing
and tourism promotional activities.
§ increase community awareness of Cobargo as a tourist destination, particularly within
New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.
§ augment future funding for Cobargo for the implementation of tourism development
and marketing program initiatives in the short term.
§ and in the medium-long term, for Cobargo to become a vibrant, self-sufficient Village.
The Project methodology includes:
§ identifying the cause, extent and nature of declining tourism, business trading and
festival attendance within Cobargo;
§ identifying the primary objectives for tourism development and marketing for Cobargo,
which will encourage long-term tourism and business trading success and self-
sufficiency.
§ identifying clear strategic directions and actions which need to be implemented to
Page 1
promote and boost business and tourism in the town and surrounding villages. These
include:
§ marketing and promotional measures which significantly improve the visitation rates
and business turnover at major local events and festivals;
§ marketing and promotional measures which boost annual and seasonal tourism and
business trading, and encourage long-term business survival and growth.
This report focuses on the identification of objectives, strategies and actions to improve
tourism and trading in Cobargo. Once completed, the next stage for Cobargo’s tourism
marketing, would be the development of a “Tourism Development and Marketing
Implementation Plan”, with the focus on: prioritising objectives and actions; estimating
resources and time lines required; identifying responsibilities for implementation and
completion; and securing resources (people, financial, etc). This prioritisation is vital, as
there are too many initiatives and actions to tackle simultaneously, particularly by such a
small community;
The development of the 2006-10 Cobargo Tourism Development and Marketing Plan has
been kindly funded by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development’s “Towns
and Villages Futures Program” and the Cobargo Tourist and Business Association Inc. The
Towns and Villages Futures Program aims to foster economic growth and job creation in
small regional communities (with a population of less than 2,000) and help communities to
take a strategic and proactive approach to economic development.
The Plan has been developed for the Cobargo Tourist and Business Association by Dr Jay
Gomboso from Redd Dog (Australia) Pty Ltd, with input from the local community
(including business community). In addition, the Draft Plan was made available to the
community, business, industry, and the co-funding body (the Department of State and
Regional Development) for a six week public comment period.
The comments received from these groups have been incorporated into the final version, and
are now reflected a 5-year “Tourism Development and Marketing Plan” for Cobargo. The
comments received and the responses to those comments have been summarised at the end of
this document (refer Appendix F).
1.2 Why develop a Tourism Development and Marketing Plan
The following section identifies the value of tourism to small rural communities, like
Cobargo, and the importance of developing a Tourism Development and Marketing Plan. As
well as clarifying what is meant by “marketing”, this Section also identifies the steps that
should be considered when developing such a Plan.
1.2.1 Value of Tourism
Tourism is important. It not only provides significant economic benefits, and economic
opportunities to the community; but tourism also helps support quality of life amenities for
our residents.
As indicated by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation (2005), tourism is important
in a number of ways:
§ Tourism is uniquely effective in bringing money into the community; in fact, that is the
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essence of the industry; it brings in visitors who carry their money with them and leave
it behind. It is a true export industry and major ‘economic engine’ for our community
and region.
§ In light of this factor, any expenditure on strengthening tourism will generate economic
returns to the community. It is, in fact, an investment with real returns.
§ Tourism supports a diversity of businesses, of all types and sizes, providing investment
and employment opportunities for a wide range of people – those entering the
workforce or looking for seasonal or part-time work, those seeking a rewarding career,
and those looking to start a business on their own.
§ Visitors help support community attractions, events and other amenities through their
spending, thereby enhancing their revenue base and their sustainability as community
assets. Tourism also provides a justification for a greater investment in community
amenities that also benefit local residents.
§ In spite of periodic ups and downs, the industry is in a long-term growth cycle, thereby
offering economic growth potential to the community.
§ If properly managed, tourism is a relatively more sustainable industry than many
others: it is less consumptive and less environmentally damaging.
Cobargo has the ideal dual-reputation of being not only a vibrant and attractive “Working
Village” (showcasing quality arts, design and related works) but is also a major “service
town” for the Village and the surrounding rural areas. It is important to recognise, however,
that these two business-types rely on each other for survival. Cobargo relies on its “service
town” benefits (medical, services, professional, trade skills, etc) to survive as a “tourism
town” and vice versa. If one sector dies (and businesses/people leave the community), it has
significant negative impacts on the other. Conversely, if one sector grows, (bringing in more
business, more people, more residents), it has positive flow-on effects to the other sector. It
is important to recognise these strong linkages and work towards sustaining and growing
both.
But it is more than just economic benefits: Tourism helps support community quality of life
amenities - it helps support our recreational and sports facilities, our arts and cultural
programs, and our heritage facilities. Tourism obviously supports our community festivals
and events too.
It is important to realise that involvement in tourism development and marketing in Cobargo
should be seen as a shared responsibility.
1.2.2 What is Marketing, and Why Market
As stated by Mahoney and Warnell (1987), people commonly confuse marketing with selling
and advertising. Selling and advertising are actually types of promotion which is only a
component of marketing. Marketing involves much more, including product/service
development, place (location and distribution), and pricing. It requires information about
people, especially those interested in what you have to offer (your "market"), such as what
they like, where they buy and how much they spend. Its role is to match the right product or
service with the right market or audience.
Marketing can be defined as "the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing,
promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy
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individual and organisational objectives." Simply stated it is about creating and promoting a
product (ideas, goods or services) that satisfies a customer's need or desire and is available at
a desirable price and place.
Modern marketing requires that businesses and organisations: design their products/services
to meet customer needs and wants; focus on those people most likely to buy their product
rather than the entire mass market; and develop marketing efforts that fit into their overall
business objectives. The aim in this Plan is to also focus on these areas.
Tourism is primarily a service-based industry, and the principal products provided by tourism
businesses are tourism-related experiences and hospitality. These are intangible products and
more difficult to market than tangible product. For example, instead of moving the product to
the customer, the customer must travel to the product (area/community). Travel is a
significant portion of the time and money spent in association with recreational and tourism
experiences and is a major factor in people's decisions on whether or not to visit your
business or community.
As an industry, tourism has many components comprising the overall "travel experience."
Along with transportation, it includes such things as accommodations, food and beverage
services, shops, entertainment, aesthetics and special events. It is rare for one business to
provide the variety of activities or facilities tourists need or desire. Consequently, it is
important for businesses, agencies, and organisations to work together to package and
promote tourism opportunities in their areas and align their efforts to assure consistency in
product quality.
1.2.3 A Tourism Development and Marketing Plan for Cobargo
According to Mahoney and Warnell (1987), one of the most important steps a business or
community can take to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their tourism marketing
efforts is to develop a written marketing plan. This plan will guide their marketing decisions
and assist them in allocating marketing resources such as money and personnel time.
Generally, a tourism and marketing plan should include the following nine components:
1. the overall business objectives: what you want to accomplish;
2. an assessment of the market environment: what factors may affect your marketing efforts;
3. a business/community profile: what resources are available;
4. market identification (segmentation): the specific groups or clientele most interested in
your product;
5. the marketing objectives for each segment;
6. the marketing strategies (or mixes) for different markets you target: the best combination
of the 4 Ps (product, price, place, promotion) for each segment;
7. an implementation plan: how to "make it work;"
8. the marketing budget: how much you have to spend; and
9. a method for evaluation and change.
There are a number of ways to approach “Tourism Development and Marketing” planning.
Appendices A and B, for example, identify the steps involved for the development of a
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Tourism Development Plan and a Tourism Marketing Plan, respectively.
As there is considerable cross-over between these two Plans (both require the defining of
program objectives, assessing target markets, developing appropriate delivery mechanisms,
evaluating project outcomes, etc), in this Report, these two Plans have been developed as one
“Tourism Development and Marketing” Plan.
1.3 Structure of the Cobargo Tourism Development and Marketing Plan
The 2006-10 Cobargo Tourism Development and Marketing Plan focuses on establishing
target markets, setting objectives, identifying key actions and tasks required to satisfy these
objectives. In particular, the Plan incorporates the following methodology:
§ Overview of Cobargo and surrounding villages;
§ Assessment of the tourism development and marketing issues facing Cobargo;
§ Identification of tourism development opportunities and threat to tourism for Cobargo
§ Identification of strengths and weaknesses and which can impact tourism
§ A summary S.W.O.T. (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis.
§ Identification of our Vision, and our Objectives for tourism development and
marketing.
§ Detailed presentation of the strategies and actions required to help achieve our tourism
development and marketing objectives and vision.
§ Summary of these strategies and actions.
§ Where to from here! – developing an “Implementation” Plan.
§ Conclusion and Recommendations;
§ Additional information (Appendices) on: steps to develop a Tourism Development Plan;
steps to develop a Tourism Marketing Plan; advantages and disadvantages of various
promotional media.
2 COBARGO - AN OVERVIEW
2.1 The Village
The picturesque rural Village of Cobargo, in south-east New South Wales, has a small
population of approximately 400 people, and is located approximately midway between
Sydney and Melbourne. Located in the Bega Valley Shire, its closest major towns are Bega
(42 kms) to the south and Narooma (40 kms) to the north. The nearest coastal town to
Cobargo is Bermagui (20 kms). The nearest capital city is Canberra (250 kms), and its nearest
State border is Victoria (approximately 150 kms).
What makes Cobargo unique is its “Working Village” atmosphere and reputation. It is a great
place to see the artisans at work – wood turners, potters, broom-makers, furniture makers.
For example the wood turner works behind a glass workshop located within their retail stop;
the potter works behind his glass shopfront; and other artists and craftspeople have
workshops attached to their shopfront. Cobargo also markets a lot of its own (as well as
others) art and craftwork, and has a range of antique, arts, crafts and clothing outlets. It
boasts a number of popular cafes and restaurant including a restaurant, motorcycle cafe, train-
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cafe, and both boutique and budget accommodation.
What also makes Cobargo important is that it is also a major service town for this and
surrounding rural villages (eg Wandella, Yowrie). Unlike other small rural art and craft
destinations, Cobargo provides a number of vital and general village services (such as
medical, groceries, veterinary, pharmacy, fuel, postal, butchery, fresh produce, hardware).
Cobargo also provides a number of vital trades and professional services (such as engineering
and construction, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, etc).
Cobargo is surrounded by mountains and picturesque scenery – and provides endless avenues
for bush walking, mountain bike riding, scenic driving, and other outdoor activities. It is also
a popular route for on-road motorcycling touring.
2.2 Regional Context
The township of Cobargo is located on the Princes Highway, in the Far South Coast Region,
which is a significant travel corridor for both business and tourism traffic.
The Far South Coast region is a very popular holiday destination, attracting visitors from
Sydney, Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Victoria, Canberra and the Snowy Mountains, and the
Riverina regions. The main tourist activity nodes for the Far South Coast are Narooma,
Bermagui, Tathra and the Tura-Merimbula-Pambula Beach areas (Rand & Associates, 2004).
However, as most of the coastal holiday traffic is focussed on the Princes Highway, there
may be scope to capture some of the tourism traffic travelling through Cobargo.
2.3 Village Services
Cobargo provides a number of vital and general village services. In fact, it services a much
wider geographical area than the town proper. Major town services include:
§ accountant § doctor’s surgery § police station
§ antiques § fire brigade (rural) § post office and bank
§ arts, crafts, curios § furniture (retail) § primary and pre-schools
shops/galleries § hairdresser § real estate agency
§ ATMs § leather goods § sporting facilities, 25m
§ bakery § market garden, fresh fruit heated swimming pool,
§ brewing equipment and vegetable supplies tennis courts, sporting
§ butchery § nursery (gardening ovals
§ cafes and restaurants supplies) § supermarket, grocery
§ chemist/pharmacy § motorcycle, mower, § tank, pump and
§ clothing (retail) chainsaws, and rural equipment suppliers
§ cooperative (home-ware, supplies § upholsterer
hardware store and § newsagency and § veterinarian clinic and
agricultural supplies) bookshops § of course – what no town
§ community halls § public parks, playground would be complete
§ churches and cemetery § petrol stations without – “the local pub”.
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Cobargo (and surrounding areas) is also home to a large number of non-retail professional
services and trades skills. These include:
§ architects and planners and general) § plasterer and render
§ builders § excavators and § plumbers and gasfitters
§ beauty therapists, earthmoving contractors § psychologists
massage § fencing contractors § refrigeration engineers
§ chiropractor and § landscapers, gardeners, § research consultants and
acupuncture property maintenance I.T. specialists
§ complementary health specialists § saw miller
professionals § local monthly § septic tank manufacturers
§ construction and concrete community paper and installers
workers § mechanics and motor § sign writers
§ electrical contractors services § viticulture, wine making
§ engineers (consultants § painters § welders and fabricators.
The dominant industry surrounding Cobargo is agriculture – with dairy and beef cattle
farming as the two strongest agricultural enterprises. Other (including niche) agricultural
markets include: sheep an poultry farming, alpaca farming, rabbit farming, tropical produce,
fruit, vegetable and herb growing, olives, lavender, viticulture and snail breeders!
As mentioned previously, Cobargo is also surrounded by mountains and picturesque scenery
– and provides endless avenues for bush walking, mountain bike riding, scenic driving, and
other outdoor activities (refer also Section 2.5). It is also a popular route for on-road
motorcycling touring.
2.4 Village presentation and amenity
For travellers, the presentation of a town or village plays a major role in their decision to stop
and visit. While most overnight stops and major attractions are generally programmed into
an itinerary, the short break stop is often an impulse decision. If a town presents well and
looks interesting, travellers will often decide to stop and have a quick look around. If the
experience gained is positive, then there is a likelihood of repeat visitation and/or the traveller
recommending the town to other travellers – ‘word of mouth’ is the most effective form of
promotion (Rand & Associates, 2004).
Rand & Associates (2004) identify the following key attributes and services that visitors are
generally looking for from towns and villages are:
§ Modern, clean, safe public toilets.
§ Information on the town, surrounding region and route ahead – map, directory and/or
Visitor Information Centre.
§ Attractive park with picnic facilities – playgrounds are also important for the family
market.
§ A safe, clean environment.
§ Food and beverage outlets – somewhere clean and inviting. City travellers in particular
often look for a place where they can get a cup of ‘real’ (as opposed to instant) coffee.
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§ Retail services – ATM, newsagent, service station, Post Office, ‘touristy’ shops and,
increasingly, an internet centre or café.
§ For travellers towing caravans / trailers – a place to park their vehicle legally and safely
close to services.
Cobargo has all of these attributes and services, although scope exists for improvement in
some of these facilities, particularly those related to safety and amenity. These addressed in
the Strategic Directions and Actions Guide Table 4, later in this Report.
2.5 Cobargo’s Attractions and Product base
Cobargo has a large number of attractions, products and events which appeal to tourists and
travellers. As well as catering for those who wish to stop and shop, Cobargo boasts a range
of arts and design-based attractions, environmental and eco-tourism services, drive tours,
historic and cultural attributes and recreational, sporting and special interest (including
craft/hobby) based activities. These are presented below.
2.5.1 Accommodation and dining
Cobargo’s accommodation base incorporates a range of self-contained, bed-and-breakfasts
(B&Bs), luxury, budget, in-town, farm-stay and retreat-style accommodation. These are
listed below:
§ Village accommodation: Cobargo Hotel/Motel; award-winning Old Convent Guest
House; Pete and Carla’s self-contained holiday cottages; and camping (at the
Showground during festivals/special events);
§ In the Cobargo area: Angels Rest Guesthouse and Farmstay; Bunnerong Cottage;
Currambene B&B; Eilancroft Country Retreat B&B; Camping (Wadbilliga National
Park camping grounds);
§ A little further a field: in the Locality of Brogo - Fernmark Inn; B&B; Rock Lily
Cottages B&B.
Although there are only a few places to dine in Cobargo, they vary widely in their menu and
atmosphere. We cater for motorcycle enthusiasts, train enthusiasts, restaurant-goers, and
those just after a coffee or meal. Cobargo’s eateries include:
§ Village dining: Cafe 59 (motorcycle cafe); Cobargo Hotel/Motel (Chinese restaurant
and counter-meals); Wattleton Junction Train Stop Cafe and Restaurant (a cafe literally
in a train!), Roley’s Village Kitchen (restaurant and cafe); and The Cobargo Bakehouse
(local bakery);
§ Special occasions: Ante’s Pizza (wood-fired pizzas that come to Cobargo once a month
and during festivals/major events); plus a variety of great food at the monthly Cobargo
markets).
There are also a number of local and nearby fresh produce businesses involved in innovative
or value adding food and wine products. Some of these include: Cobargo Farm Market
Garden (which picks daily farm fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers for supply to local
wholesale, retail outlets and farm-gate sales); Fruit Ballad Wines (fruit and vegetable based
wines); and Southern Gourmet Snails (who collect, breed and grow snails for the culinary
market); Sublime Lime Products (handmade regional food products using local ingredients).
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2.5.2 Retail therapy!
For those wanting to shop in Cobargo, there are a number of retail outlets offering a range of
locally-produced, as well as Australian and imported quality goods. Key tourist-related retail
outlets include:
§ Bangles Gallery Garments (Edna’s shop) § Cobargo Supermarket
§ Working Wood § White Horse Gallery - (and giftware)
§ South Coast Leather antiques and collectibles § From Trash to Treasure
§ No.72 Princes Highway § Cobala Workshop § Cobargo Farm (market
(arts and crafts with a Gallery Garden).
West African flavour) § ColourFlash Opals § The Showroom Arts
§ Cobargo Bazaar § Kinetix Sports Clothing Cooperative Inc.
§ Trading Post bookshop and Home Brew Supplies
§ Gifts, Gimmicks and § Cobargo Cooperative
And just out of the Village is Black Dog Furniture, Gecko Wood Design, RNT Leadlights,
Fruit Ballad Wines (Quaama), Sublime Lime Products, "The Shed" (north Cobargo), and
Southern Gourmet Snails (just outside Quaama).
2.5.3 Festivals and special events
Festivals and local events include the Local Cobargo Markets (4th Saturday every month); the
annual Cobargo Folk Festival (last weekend in February); Cobargo Country Lifestyle
Weekend (2nd Saturday in July, generally annually); and the Cobargo Annual Show
(February).
Cobargo is well known for its Yuin Folk Club’s Annual Cobargo Folk Festival - a unique
music festival, hosted every year in February. This year was their 11th festival. Performers
and audiences have described this Festival as “the best little folk festival in the country” (Bob
McInness – Cornstalk Gazette). Australian and international performers feature in a range of
performances encompassing traditional and contemporary folk, roots and world music,
dazzling instrumentalists, blues, bluegrass, jazz, acoustic, dance, spoken word. The Festival
features musicians, singers, dancers and poets concerts, workshops, dances, poets breakfasts,
comedy acts, sessions, sessions and more sessions, plus intimate blackboard concerts, exotic
food stalls, bar and refreshments.
Also held annually (with the exception of 2006!), is the Cobargo Country Lifestyle Weekend,
which presents a smorgasbord of arts, crafts, food and entertainment. The Weekend
promotes the Working Village atmosphere, enabling locals and visitors to see the local
craftspeople and artisans at work. Market stalls, historic engines, motorcycles and vintage
cars also add to the ambience of the day, and a reminder of yesteryear. The Lifestyle
weekend generally included demonstrations and crafts by the local broom maker, blacksmith,
wood turner, lead-lighter, opal-cutter, leatherworker, potter, fine furniture makers, quilters,
lace-makers, spinners and more. There was generally the opportunity to sample local, fresh
produce, pat farm animals, and browse the many stalls offering local arts, crafts and plenty of
home-made food. Children’s activities such as including jumping castle, clowns, and
children’s theme-based entertainment also feature on the weekend.
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For many years Cobargo has also hosted its Annual Show. The 2006 Cobargo Show was the
106th Show in 110 years of operation. One of the NSW far South Coast’s oldest agricultural
shows, it features an array of craft exhibits and popular ring events which include horse,
cattle and goats. Children's events (which are a large part of the Show) take place throughout
the day. The 'Dog high jump' has been a big attraction in the past.
Cobargo also holds a number of special-interest events during the year, including horse-
riding competitions and sporting events.
2.5.4 Our artists, craftspeople, designers and musicians
The Cobargo Village boasts a number of professional arts, crafts and design based businesses
including furniture making, wood turning, pottery, lead lighting, quilting, leatherwear as well.
But what makes Cobargo unique: it is a “Working Village”. It is a great place to see the
artists and craftsmen at work – for example the wood turner works behind a glass workshop
located within their retail stop; the potter works behind his glass shopfront; and other artists
and craftspeople have workshops attached to their shopfront. Cobargo proudly sells a lot of
our own art and craft.
Most of the art/craft/design-based businesses in and near Cobargo are involved in innovative
or value adding in some way. Some of these include: Black Dog Furniture Company,
Cobala Furniture and Gecko Wood Design (furniture and giftware designer/ makers);
Bangles Pottery (hand made pottery and giftware); Working Wood (wood-turning); R&T
Leadlight; Wicked Sticks (shaker-style broom maker) and The Shed (artist's garden and
studio of international award-winning calligraphic artist).
In addition there are a number of highly talented local singers, dancers and musicians, some
of which offer tuition. Quite often they can be seen performing at local venues (such as the
Cobargo Hotel and the School of Arts) and during Festivals.
2.5.5 Environmental and eco-system attractions
Cobargo is an excellent base for those wanting to visit national parks, forests and the
surrounding hinterland. There are a number of nearby excellent walking trails, wilderness
areas, watering holes and parks. At our doorstep is the magnificent Wadbilliga National Park
- an untouched wilderness area which is home to 122 species of native birds as well as
swamp wallabies, echidnas, possums, platypuses, eastern grey kangaroos and wombats.
Cobargo has its own community Sculpture Park/walking trail (which commences at the
public park on the corner of Princes Highway and Cobargo-Bermagui Road. The trail
features six topiary sculptures designed by the community and created in steel by Max
Sparrow.
Cobargo is also an ideal point of departure for some of our other State’s magnificent National
Parks including: Ben Boyd, Bournda, Mimosa Rocks, Mount Imlay, Nadgee, Wallaga Lake,
and the South East Forests.
Information about the attractions and features of Wadbilliga National Park, nearby Locality
of Brogo Dam and other nearby National Parks and Forests is presented overleaf.
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Wadbilliga National Park
West of Cobargo is the Wadbilliga National Park. This untouched wilderness area is home to
122 species of native birds as well as swamp wallabies, echidnae, possums, platypus, eastern
grey kangaroos and wombats.
The most spectacular features of the park are probably Tuross Falls (35 metres) and the 5 km
Tuross River Gorge. Both are on the western side of the park. The falls can be viewed from a
3 km walking track which departs from the Cascades camping area. The highly scenic
Wadbilliga Crossing Picnic Area, as well as the Falls and camping area, have toilets and
picnic-barbecue facilities. The parks' pristine state means that exploration is mostly by foot,
and for experienced bushwalkers and naturalists who enjoy lengthy walks and are prepared
for an overnight stay.
Brogo Dam
Just 23kms south of Cobargo is the stunning Brogo Dam, which is contained within the
Brogo wilderness area and the southern section of Wadbilliga National Park. The park
protects rugged coastal escarpment and plateau areas surrounding the Wadbilliga, Tuross and
Brogo Rivers. The Brogo Dam is situated in the southern region of the park and offers picnic
facilities, canoe hire and boat ramp from which to launch your canoe or row boat. Power
boats are also welcome in this area.
There are tranquil rainforest gullies, and rugged picturesque surrounds to explore. Sheer cliffs
overhang the water with rock orchids and ferns, while the surrounding bush harbours many
native birds and animals. Brogo Dam is also a bass fishing 'hot spot' and has been stocked
with trout.
Surrounding parks and forests
Cobargo is surrounded by some of our State’s magnificent nearby National Parks including:
Ben Boyd, Bournda, Mimosa Rocks, Mount Imlay, Nadgee, Wadbilliga (previously
mentioned), Wallaga Lake, and the South East Forests.
These National Parks and State Forests offer a wealth of eco-tourism and environmental
attributes to explore and enjoy. They provide:
§ remote and rugged mountain country (Deua and Wadbilliga National Parks);
§ coastal walks with endless trails and reminders of many thousands of years of past
Aboriginal habitation (from Bermagui to the border);
§ jagged rock formations and walking trails (Mimosa Rocks and Ben Boyd National
Parks);
§ rainforest gullies and old growth forests, and forests teaming rich in wildlife, including
rainbow lorikeets, and flocks of yellow tailed cockatoos, kangaroos which bound free
through forests and parklands (Ben Boyd, Bournda or Mimosa Rocks National Park);
§ endless scenery such as the rugged cliff faces of Red Rock in Ben Boyd National Park
and the impressive peak of Mt Imlay which provides a picturesque backdrop for Eden
and sweeping views of the coast from the summit;
§ landscapes of vast, rolling hills, and tall towering eucalypts covering the rugged terrain
of the escarpment;
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§ spectacular mountain stream and panoramic views (Tantawanglo river, forests and
Creek);
§ rich, indigenous cultural sites, such as the rainforests of Gulaga (Mt Dromedary) in
Gulaga National Park and Mumbulla Mountain in Biamanga National Park;
§ endless bird species and fabulous fishing spots (Wallaga Lake National Park);
§ wild tracks, undisturbed forests, rare wildlife (Nalbaugh section of the South East
Forests National Park); and
§ outstanding scientific, scenic and educational significance, native species such as
Endangered Eastern bristlebirds, little terns, potoroos, ground parrots, pygmy possums
and small colonies of dingo (Nadgee Nature Reserve).
2.5.6 Heritage and cultural attractions
Cobargo has a strong cultural fabric and community-minded spirit. Like many small towns
and villages in Australia, working together to build important town assets and services is
vital. Our volunteer Rural Fire Brigade, the Festivals (such as the Cobargo Folk Festival,
long running Cobargo Show, and Lifestyle Weekend) that we host annually, our Community
Sculpture Park (which was locally initiated, designed and maintained), and “ Painted Poles”
(18 telegraph poles which were painted by local artists and unveiled in 1999) are just a few of
the many examples of initiatives undertaken by a range of volunteers, community groups,
business associations and individuals (both young and old).
Cobargo is also rich in history. The area was settled in the late 1820s when a number of
graziers moved stock into the district. By the 1830s the Imlay brothers had substantial
holdings. It wasn't until the improvement of the coast road in the 1880s, and the construction
of a bridge over the Narira Creek in 1882, that the town really came into existence. In the
1890s the town, and surrounding district, was large enough to sustain a local newspaper - the
Cobargo Watch. It was around this time that the Bank of New South Wales was built on the
corner of Bermagui Road (Source: Fairfax digital: www.walkabout.com.au/locations/NSW
Cobargo.shtml). For a more detailed description of Cobargo’s origin and historical
significance, refer to Appendix C.
Our sense of pride in our town’s history and heritage (not only at a Village level, but even at
an individual level) is also strong. This is evident in a recent announcement (April 2006) at
the Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Awards, which “highly commended” the White
Horse Cottage in special recognition for the commitment made to restoring and nurturing
some of the older buildings of Cobargo. These annual awards provides well-deserved
recognition to those who protect New South Wale’s heritage across all sectors of society,
including government, community groups, commercial enterprises and individuals.
Although not as extensively documented, Cobargo has an important local aboriginal history
and significance. When the first white man to set foot in Cobargo, William Duggan
Tarlinton, set out in February 1829 to find new pasture for his cattle, he was accompanied by
three Aborigines. They camped where the showground is today and met and ate with other
local Aborigines. Information about indigenous culture and activities can be viewed at the
Umbarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre, approximately 10km north of Cobargo.
2.5.7 Recreational, sporting and special-interest attractions
Recreational, sporting and special interest attractions in and around Cobargo are numerous.
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They include:
§ bushwalking, canoeing, fishing, mountaineering, orienteering and rogaining, horse-
riding (rainforest, lakeside, bush trails, scenic bush rides), pony riding.
§ marathon running, mountain bike riding, trail/trials motorbike riding, on-road
motorcycling, off-road 4WDing;
§ swimming, cycling, tennis, football, soccer, league, cricket, tai chi, yoga, dancing, golf,
quilting, musicians as well as other craft-related interests;
§ eco-tours, Goldfield and local winery tours, trike tours.
Cobargo has a 25m heated swimming pool, tennis courts, sporting grounds, as well as regular
pony and horse-riding club events. Cobargo (and nearby Quaama) also have a number of
special interest clubs, community groups and (often not-so-conventional) associations. These
include:
§ Anglican Parish, Catholic, 7th Day § Quaama Morning Coffee Ladies
Adventist, Uniting Church/Groups § Quaama-Cobargo Quilters
§ Buddhist Group § Cobargo Market Day
§ Church Youth Group § Cobargo Area Committee
§ Cobargo Cub and Scout Groups § Cobargo Tourist & Business Association
§ Cobargo Gardening & Friendship Club § Red Cross Group
§ Cobargo Landcare Group § Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade
§ Dry River Rodeo Committee § Scrabble Club
§ QBC Country Music Club § Life Drawing Sessions
§ Scottish Country Dancing § Sophian Gnostic Circle Meetings
§ Quaama Big Band § Sapphire Coast Producers Association
§ Cobargo Country Women’s Assoc. § Yuin Folk Club Inc.
The recreational and special-interest attractions in Cobargo, like our other attractions, skills
and activities are always evolving. As new people move to Cobargo, they bring with them
new interests, new personalities, and new ideas. These attributes help make Cobargo, and its
tourism strengths, what it is today. As new sporting and other interests evolve (particularly
those related to outdoor pursuits) so too can Cobargo’s recreational and special-interest
tourist market increase.
2.5.8 Tourist drives
There are a number of scenic and special-interest tourist drives that can be commenced in
Cobargo. These include:
Tourist Drive (#8) Cobargo - Bermagui - Tilba Tilba: A 57 km tour with lots of history,
some amazing but restful picnic spots, and the craft towns of Cobargo and Tilba Tilba to
enjoy along the way.
Arts & Craft Drive: A basic guide to the artists and craftspeople of the Sapphire Coast,
including craft outlets, monthly markets and major annual exhibitions.
2.5.9 Other
To keep abreast of what is happening in Cobargo (and neighbouring Tilba, Quaama, and
Bermagui), the Triangle newspaper is published monthly. As well as advertising local
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events, community notices and business services, the Triangle presents articles about local
achievements, concerns and history.
2.6 Markets attracted to Cobargo – a preliminary tourism audit
Marketing efforts that are targeting the wrong location and wrong audience is an expensive
and inefficient use of resources – a bit like trying to sell ice-cream to Eskimos or surfboards
in the Nullarbor. Knowing what influences traveller behaviour is important. Knowing what
influences the behaviour of travellers to Cobargo is vital. Knowing where these travellers
live is equally important. The last tourism survey undertaken in Cobargo was completed in
2001. It was a geographic-focused survey aimed at identifying where travellers lived.
In general, based on 2001 survey results, as well as informal and undocumented reviews of
travellers to Cobargo (including general discussions with business-owners, family visitors
and accommodation-providers), our existing target markets, from both a tourism destination
and or short-stop perspective, comprise:
§ geographically – those travelling to Cobargo from Canberra, the Illawarra Region
(Wollongong etc), north-east Victoria, the Riverina (Griffith, Wagga Wagga etc) area,
and to a lesser extent, Sydney;
§ word of mouth travellers - locals friends and relatives;
§ festival-goers – those interested in rural shows (local agricultural market, families); folk
music lovers and musicians/entertainers; horse and pony enthusiasts; and those wanting
a taste of rural lifestyles;
§ coach travellers – Sydney, Illawarra, A.C.T. and Melbourne-based, and further afield
(Hunter Valley, Queensland, etc) coach travellers (predominantly organised coach tours
for retired/pensioner market).
§ in-transit visitors - north and south-bound travellers using the Princess Highway to get
from New South Wales to Victoria (and vice-versa) who need a short coffee/meal
break.
§ business traveller – using the Princes Highway to get to/from their destination.
§ motorcyclists in search of windey roads; and on their way to rallies and bike races (eg
Phillip Island GP and Superbikes, Victoria).
§ recreational enthusiasts – in search of good 4WD routes, bushwalking, the mountains,
and environmental features.
§ arts enthusiasts– those interested in viewing local arts, antiques, craft and design; and
only recently emerging, travellers with historical or heritage-based interests.
§ locals – those living in Cobargo, the larger area it serves (Yowrie, Wandella, Quaama)
and to a lesser extent, nearby towns and villages (Bermagui, Tilba Tilba, Central Tilba,
Bega, Narooma, etc).
One of the objectives identified in this Plan is the need to undertake a comprehensive, up-to-
date tourism audit/survey and/or research which helps identify a range of traveller-related
information which is relevant now. It is our aim that this survey-research focus on: where
travellers reside, their demographic characteristics; what motivates them to travel; how they
travel; and when they travel. This is presented in more detail throughout the Plan.
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3 “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” for Tourism in Cobargo
3.1 Key issues facing tourism in Cobargo
Unlike Sydney, and other major towns within NSW and Australia, Cobargo is not reaping the
benefits of a strong economic climate:
§ Retail sales in recent years have been down considerably from previous years.
§ Winter trading, in particular, is at its lowest in years, and the popular Cobargo Country
Lifestyle Weekend (held in July each year) has also followed the same pattern.
§ Some small businesses have recently closed down, and others have relocated to other
nearby towns.
These factors, combined with community/business burn-out has resulted in the 2006 Lifestyle
Weekend not going ahead.
Although this is an observed trend for many local businesses located in the town-proper,
(particularly those located on the main street), the extent to which this is also occurring in our
trades/other sectors (eg building, plumbing, electrical, excavation, medical, vet etc) is yet to
be determined.
The on-going drought, however, has had a severe, negative impact on our local and
surrounding farming community.
3.2 Some possible explanations for Cobargo’s tourism downturn
Some of the possible reasons behind this economic downturn in Cobargo are suggested
below:
§ Cheap airline prices are driving away tourists – particularly ACT travellers – who
would rather fly to Melbourne (for around $75) and get there quickly, than spend three
hours driving to Cobargo (and spend about the same on fuel and food).
§ The congestion on major highway during public holidays and peak holiday times
(which were generally busy trading days) is such that people no longer have the
patience to negotiate traffic delays to go touring – this is particularly the case for
Canberra tourists (as they reach Bateman’s Bay) and for Wollongong tourists (as they
near Nowra and Kiama) on long weekends.
§ The wrong types of tourists are being targeted – every week, many non-spending coach
tourists stop and “window shop” in Cobargo. Although this creates movement in the
town, it does little to increase our tourism expenditure and business growth. More
needs to be done to market to a wider, high-return, target market.
§ There is a distinct lack of appropriate, up-to-date and targeted advertising: Promotional
brochures and material which currently exists are out-of-date and in most cases, non-
existent, or encompassed within a larger promotional area. For example, Cobargo is
generally seen advertised within Sapphire Coast (and similar – predominantly coastal)
brochures, but not promoted in its own right. The TV advertisement used for the
Annual Cobargo Country Lifestyle weekend is out-of-date and unexciting (as is a lot of
our Information Centre’s promotional material), but there are no financial resources
available to update them. Some businesses advertise their wares in magazines and
outside the local area, but this is very expensive, and done at an individual level. Little
Page 15
is being done, currently, to promote the town on a collective (cost-sharing) level.
Cobargo needs to be promoted more broadly and targeted appropriately, in national and
state magazines (eg country lifestyle focused magazines), newspapers (such as
Gippsland Victoria, Canberra, Illawarra) - rather than just locally or just in tourist
brochures.
§ Funding cut-back to tourism information centres – promotional material on Cobargo is
already limited. There are concerns that soon, these vital resources will become non-
existent.
§ Many drive-tour travellers are opting to travel the coastal route, from Tilba to Tathra
(via Bermagui). This route by-passes Cobargo altogether, meaning a direct loss in
tourism traffic, trading and income.
§ Bigger-town festivals (eg Batemans Bay Food festivals) are held on the same weekend
as our traditional, long-standing, but smaller-scale, local festivals. This often means
Cobargo is in direct competition for festival-travellers. With smaller operating and
advertising budgets, this often means Cobargo loses out.
§ Lack of resources (people, time, funds, and at times “motivation” due to community
burn-out) to implement tourism development and marketing initiatives.
§ The high and increasing cost of public liability insurance has meant hosting festivals
and other public events prohibitively expensive in some circumstances.
Despite these issues, Cobargo exhibits a number of positive opportunities and strengths
which enhance our tourism potential - some of which are unique to our Village. These
strengths and opportunities (as well as existing and potential weaknesses and threats) are
presented in the following Section (S.W.O.T. Analysis).
3.3 Situational Analysis
In July 1994, the Cobargo Tourist and Business Association Inc. undertook a Situation
Analysis of the Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O) of living and working in
Cobargo. The Association also identified “how the Cobargo Tourist and Business
Association can play a positive role in the future of Cobargo”. The results of this analysis is
presented in Appendix D. From the analysis, two key priorities were identified.
§ The creek and playground area should be upgraded to incorporate a new toilet block
and bus and car park facilities should be provided; and
§ There needs to be greater focus on project actions – “less talk, more action” .
Unfortunately, twelve years on and only parts of the first priority has been satisfied. The
playground and creek area has been upgraded (and now incorporates a Community Sculpture
Walk) but the toilet block and parking facilities are yet to be developed. The need to focus
more on action, and less talk, is an ongoing one, and a difficult one to address as it needs to
address the broader issues of communities’ different views and preferences, limited
resources, volunteer burn-out, and time constraints, etc.
The following situational (S.W.O.T.) analysis is a summary of the perceived Strengths (S),
Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O) and Threats (T) to tourism and business growth for the
Cobargo Village. It is important to clearly identify these elements as they formulate the
platform for the marketing strategies to be derived considering the region’s capabilities as
they relate to the market.
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Table 2: The 2006-2010 Cobargo Village Business and Tourism S.W.O.T. Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
§ Long-established working village reputation. § Poor signage to encourage motorists to stop.
§ Highly talented and diverse number of § Park and playground safety and amenities
artisans, designers and craftspeople in and need attention.
surrounding the Village. § Road safety in town (particularly speed-
§ Nationally renowned festivals (Cobargo Folk related) – heavy road use by trucks and other
festival) vehicles.
§ Established Country Lifestyle weekend § Need better promotional signage at Village
(festival) and long-standing Annual Cobargo entrances and in Park.
Show § Lack of historical-heritage information.
§ Expertise in festival coordination, § Ghost town after 5 pm (only place open to
implementation, budgeting. dine in evening is Hotel, or a restaurant by-
§ Small town with “think big” mentality, willing appointment).
to look at new avenues for promotion and § Declining visitation to Cobargo Village,
development particularly in colder months.
§ New business and community “blood” with § Higher fuel prices in rural areas, exacerbates
renewed enthusiasm and new ideas. the already-high fuel prices, which discourage
§ Recognition of the Cobargo’s “Working long-distance drive visitors.
Village” Brand Name. § Need to compete with airline market (cheap
§ Linkages with Sapphire Coast Tourism. flights) for tourists
§ A major self-sufficient, service town for § Community, business, volunteer burn-out.
surrounding areas. § Limited funding and resources for marketing
§ Highly visited Region. and town development activities.
§ Accessibility via sealed roads § Proximity – relatively long distance from
§ Diversity of the product within our Village and Melbourne and Sydney – too long for day trip.
within the Region. § Not enough known about (or promotional
§ Picturesque village (historic) and countryside tourism material available on) eco-tourism,
(dairying). environmental qualities, indigenous
significance.
§ Uncrowded, country-pace and hospitality.
§ Local Government tourism funding cut-backs
§ Aboriginal areas of significance nearby.
means less (or no) future agency-funded
§ Village incorporates National highway used by promotional printed material on Cobargo.
tourism/business travellers.
§ Need for better targeting of spending-market
§ Range of National Parks and State Forests with tourism operators (eg coach services and
within the region. tour operators).
§ Range of birds, wildlife, including threatened § Lack of promotional information on Cobargo
species/ecological communities within the in tourism offices.
region
§ Seasonality due to limited marketing of
§ Proximity to water (dams, falls, wetlands) Cobargo in colder months, and competition
§ Proximity to nature-based and off-road with ski market.
activities (bush walks, 4WDing, 2WDing, etc) § No beach at our doorstep (20 mins drive).
§ Business and community interest in helping § Seen as a touring short-stop not a destination.
Village grow.
§ Lack of commercial operators
§ We have facilities such as sports ground, a
§ Lack of critical mass (visitors)
(decommissioned) golf course, heated
swimming pool, tennis courts, creek-side park § Drivers by-pass Cobargo to visit Tathra and
walk and park for kids with BBQ facilities. Tilba on alternative (Bermagui) road.
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Opportunities Threats
§ Use this Tourism Plan as a way of keeping § Loss of tourism as road users by-pass Cobargo
local business and community aware and for the Tilba to Tathra alternative route.
involved in Cobargo’s tourism initiatives. § Escalating petrol prices make travel
§ Improve low-season (winter) tourism and prohibitively expensive (especially for longer-
trading through effective targeted marketing. distance traveller).
§ Improve Festival attendees through effective § Uncertainty of impact of rising petrol prices on
targeted marketing approaches. medium to long term (eg 5-10) tourism travel.
§ Encourage longer-stay, higher spending Dramatic changes here would have impact on
visitors through targeted marketing. prioritisation of objectives.
§ Build a strong E-marketing presence to target § Increased traffic congestion on major
specific markets. highways during public holidays will see
tourists opting to fly or stay at home, rather
§ Develop tourism packages, incentives which
than drive to Cobargo.
improve local tourism and business trading.
§ Lack of promotional material on Cobargo (and
§ Entice road travellers to stop in Cobargo
therefore marketing capacity) due to Local
through improved village presentation,
Government tourism funding cut-backs.
amenity and signage.
§ Competition from nearby regions providing
§ Develop marketing strategies and incentives
special interest tourism (eg competition with
which encourage festival-goers to go beyond
Tilba Tilba and Central Tilba, etc, for
the “festival-gate” and into town.
recreation and heritage tourism.
§ Explore alternative festivals ideas and themes
§ Competing (rather than collaborating) with
that capture a new/niche target market.
other nearby towns for Festival travellers when
§ Explore our niche markets (motorcycle sector, Festival dates clash.
bushwalkers, arts and design enthusiasts,
§ Competing with well-established (and
special interest groups, tourist trails, etc).
lucrative) country towns for Sydney and
§ Work with Local Council to erect appropriate nearby markets (eg Bowral).
signage and banners in town to promote
§ Lose our “working village” identity and
upcoming events.
become like many other small villages selling
§ Streamline Festival and tourism marketing non-local wares, or having too many
activities by developing appropriate guides, businesses selling the one type of product (eg
manuals and information kits. Mogo).
§ Use our improved knowledge-base relating to § Public liability insurance and government-
our local environment, heritage, culture, related regulations make public events harder
recreation and arts-based attributes to promote to finance and implement.
tourism.
§ Low winter trading and/or low business
§ Promote Cobargo as an ideal location for trading forcing businesses in the Village to
people who want to get away from the “rat- close or relocate.
race” and breathe fresh, clean air, and enjoy
§ Depressed business trading, tourism and
the country pace and hospitality.
agriculture and consequent lack of
§ Promote our award-winning accommodation, employment opportunities for young locals,
designers, heritage attributes. means exodus of young people from the
§ Build upon our long-established “Working Region – which also implications for long
Village” reputation in tourism promotion. term village survival.
§ Develop tourism initiatives targeted at the § Loss of good highway-fronting presence for
locals! the monthly Cobargo Markets; and associated
§ Capitalise on ‘drive’ market promotion. decline in market interest, awareness, trading.
... “Opportunities” continued overleaf ... “Threats” continued overleaf
Page 18
Opportunities ...continued from previous page Threats ...continued from previous page
§ Develop night-based tourism and recreational § Changing nature of government (local and
activities. state) and its impact on tourism (resources,
§ Improve agency, business and community advice, etc).
tourism-related networks. § Having the ideas, and knowing what it takes to
§ Develop linkages, and collaborative marketing promote tourism, but not the resources to
efforts with nearby businesses and towns. develop and implement them.
§ Cooperative marketing with local businesses § Lack of interest, by tourists, to partake in
and towns to use dollars more efficiently. visitor surveys, thereby affecting our ability to
appropriately analyse market behaviour,
§ Promoting our newly acquired heritage/
preferences, geographic and demographic
historic listing once established.
characteristics.
§ Update our promotional material to promote
§ Lack of interest, by business, to regularly
our various village features.
undertake visitor surveys, thereby affecting
§ Foster relationships with tourism operators our ability to appropriately analyse long term
(specifically coach companies) to provide tourism market trends.
coach packages/tours to Cobargo.
§ Target our marketing avenues more effectively
(which TV stations, which magazines, etc).
§ Strengthen the services, location and
information provided at our local Tourism
Information Centre.
§ Liase with funding and tourism bodies to
increase resources (funds, expertise) available
for tourism development and marketing.
§ Develop stronger Festival promotional
initiatives during both Festival lead-up and at
the event.
§ Workshop and implement family-friendly,
child-friendly focused activities in town and at
Festivals.
§ Development of ecotourism and nature based
experiences
§ Increased networking to develop packages of
activities and accommodation
§ Capitalise on growing interest in bird watching
tourism
§ Liaise with authorities to improve Wadbilliga
National Park signage.
§ Benefit from the increasing number of self
drivers travelling through Region
§ Seek sponsorship opportunities for events.
§ Become a self-sufficient and vibrant village.
§ Make profits and redirect them back into the
community to fund village-needs.
§ See which tourism initiatives work, which
don’t and make the necessary changes along
the way.
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3.4 The “Situation” and Implications for Cobargo’s tourism future
The implications of the above-mentioned SWOT analysis and identification of key issues
facing Cobargo are four-fold:
§ it documents where Cobargo is strong, and how we can use these strengths to prosper
in our tourism development and marketing efforts;
§ it documents our “weaknesses” – the areas that may hinder tourism development and
business growth. By identifying these, we can work towards removing or minimising
these impacts.
§ it documents our opportunities – the activities and actions we can undertake to increase
our strengths; and
§ it documents our threats – internal and external forces that can impact on our likelihood
of long-term success in tourism and business growth.
By identifying these strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats, it has assisted in the
determination of our tourism objective; it has helped identify where business and tourism
efforts should be concentrated in order to avoid business demise; and it has enabled us to look
beyond where we are now, and instigate opportunities for growth.
These thoughts and elements have played a valuable role in helping Cobargo determine what
it wants to achieve from a tourism development and marketing perspective – it has helped in
the identification of our Vision, and its associated Objectives, Strategies and Actions for
long-term tourism and business success.
4 Tourism Development and Marketing in Cobargo – our Vision
and Objectives
In, the subsequent Sections, Cobargo’s “Vision” for tourism and marketing development has
been identified. Key Objectives, Strategies and Actions have also been described.
4.1 Vision
Through improved tourism development and marketing, Cobargo hopes to achieve four main
goals:
§ to be a successful, thriving, and popular rural village with strong business trading, low
unemployment and high tourism trading;
§ to be recognised for their unique, highly-talented and well-respected artists,
craftspeople and designers; and
§ to be as popular a tourist drive destination and as well recognised as some of the
existing top New South Wales tourist destinations (such as the township of Bowral).
§ for Cobargo to maintain its historic, community-focused, friendly, small rural village
identity.
From these, Cobargo primary vision is as follows:
“Cobargo is a successful, thriving business community and
popular New South Wales travel destination”.
Page 20
4.2 Key Objectives
A number of key objectives are identified below. These represent the objectives identified
for Cobargo, which promote tourism to our target audiences. In essence, these objectives
summarise what we want to accomplish with this Plan – to explore new methods that will
attract potential new visitors and encourage repeat visitation, and improve business trading.
These objectives address Cobargo’s aims and goals: for tourism growth, economic growth
and tourism recognition, to influence market behaviour, to build on our existing strengths, to
establish networks and linkages, to learn, grow and improve information gaps, to share
responsibility, to become self-sufficient, to think locally, but also to “think outside the
square”. These objectives are presented in Table 3 below, and are the basis for the tourism
development and marketing actions and strategies presented in the following Sections.
TABLE 3: Key Objectives for Tourism Development and Marketing for Cobargo
Key Issue Key Objectives
Tourism and Objective 1a: For Cobargo to exhibit steady, positive, long term growth in
Trading tourism and business income.
Objective 1b: For Cobargo to become a thriving, self sufficient rural
village.
Objective 1c: To improve low-season (particularly winter) tourism and
trading in Cobargo.
Destination Objective 2a: For Cobargo to become a highly recognised drive tour
Awareness destination for families, couples and special interest groups.
Objective 2b: For Cobargo to become a preferred and planned destination
for overnight (or extended) holiday/visit.
Objective 2c: Put Cobargo on the (tourist) map!
Objective 2d: For travellers using the Princes Highway as a thoroughfare to
an alternative destination, to view Cobargo as an ideal tourist break, and stop
in Cobargo for their coffee, dining or shopping break.
Objective 2e: To identify incentives which encourage people who are
attending nearby festivals and events (eg Showground-based events) to visit
the main street/trading precinct
Recognition and Objective 3a: For Cobargo to be recognised for their high quality arts and
Branding craft work and their highly regarded, award-winning artists, artisans and
designers.
Objective 3b: To raise the profile of our arts/design “Working-Village”
personality of Cobargo.
Objective 3c: Encourage tourists’ awareness and recognition of Cobargo as
an area of National heritage significance.
Targeted Objective 4a: For Cobargo’s tourism development and marketing efforts to
Marketing positively influence our target markets
(influencing behaviour)
Marketing Objective 5a: Develop innovative and imaginative marketing material for
Methods existing/new/niche target markets
(materials & avenues) ... continued overleaf
Page 21
Key Issue Key Objectives
Objective 5b: For our tourism marketing material to be advertised in the
right promotional/communicative media
Objective 5c: For Cobargo to take a coordinated, effective and efficient
approach to tourism marketing
Village Objective 6a: Village presentation and amenity encourage tourism.
Presentation & Objective 6b: Local and linked Tourism Information Centres attract
Infrastructure positive tourism business to Cobargo.
Festivals and Objective 7a: For Cobargo to continue to maintain its excellent reputation
Special Events as a key venue for the nationally significant annual Folk Festival.
Objective 7b: For Cobargo to initiate and implement successful, existing
and alternative one-off and/or regular (e.g. annual) festivals, special events,
community fund-raisers.
Objective 7c: To increase the number of children-friendly festival-type
activities.
Networks & Objective 8a: To improve tourism development and marketing networks
Collaborative with neighbouring villages and towns.
Marketing Objective 8b: To develop strong tourism and business industry partners and
networks.
Research and Improve local-level information gaps
Market Objective 9a: To gain better awareness and understanding of the
Intelligence environmental and eco-tourism attributes in and around Cobargo.
Objective 9b: To gain better awareness and understanding of the cultural
and heritage attributes in and around Cobargo.
Objective 9c: To gain better awareness of recreational pursuits currently
(and potentially) feasible in Cobargo.
Objective 9d: To gain better awareness of arts-related attributes in and
around Cobargo.
Objective 9e: Learn from others.
Research and Monitoring & evaluation
Market Objective 9f: To identify and monitor positive/negative tourism trends and
Intelligence changing/evolving target markets, over time (particularly those resulting
from the implementation of key tourism development and marketing
initiatives identified in this Plan).
Objective 9g: To be aware of new tourism initiatives, and changes in
circumstances (e.g. economic) which may positively/adversely impact
tourism in Cobargo, over time.
Objective 9h: To modify the Tourism Development and Marketing Plan
over time, as required, to incorporate changes in information and
circumstances, and to implement those modifications.
Self-sufficiency Objective 10a: To ensure adequate resources (people, funds, time) to
and resourcing implement tourism development and marketing initiative.
Objective 10b: In the long-term, for Cobargo to become self-sufficient in
their ability to implement tourism initiatives.
... continued overleaf
Page 22
Key Issue Key Objectives
Objective 10c: To ensure that appropriate organisational and volunteer-
based structures (eg associations) are in place to implement tourism
development and marketing initiatives.
Objective 10d: To enable tourism-related structures (eg business
associations) to work effectively and efficiently at Plan implementation and
decision-making.
Local Level Objective 11a: To improve local-level tourism and recreational initiatives
Benefits, in the Village (making it a fun place for the locals!).
Initiatives, Objective 11b: To encourage the benefits from tourism (economic, cultural,
Commitment community-empowerment, etc) to be directed back into our local
community.
Objective 11c: For the local community and businesses in Cobargo to be
interested and actively involved in local tourism development and marketing
initiatives.
Objective 11d: For the role of tourism development, marketing and
implementation to be a shared responsibility, rather than being left to the
same key volunteers and community/ business members.
Objective 11e: For the non-tourism-related businesses to (recognise the
importance of and) contribute towards tourism development and business
growth in Cobargo.
Think outside Objective 12: To take an open-minded approach to new tourist
the square !! development and marketing ideas.
5 Tourism Development and Marketing in Cobargo – Strategic
Directions and Action Guide
The following section provides a detailed description of the strategies and actions suggested
for implementation in Cobargo, to meet our Village’s tourism development and marketing
objectives, and help achieve our long term vision of making Cobargo “a successful, thriving
business community and popular New South Wales travel destination”.
5.1 Strategies and Actions for Successful Tourism Development and Marketing in
Cobargo
Twelve tourism development and marketing objectives were identified for our Village.
These relate to tourism and trading; destination awareness; recognition and branding; targeted
marketing; marketing methods; Village presentation and infrastructure; festivals and special
events; networks and collaborative markets; research and market intelligence; local level
benefits, initiatives and commitment; and thinking outside the square!
These objectives (and their sub-objectives) were presented previously (Table 3). From these
key objectives, a series of suggested strategies and actions have been identified. The
Strategies an Actions are the task required to be undertaken to fulfil each objective. The
following table (Table 4) presents these objectives, strategies and actions in detail.
Page 23
Table 4: Suggested Key Objectives, Strategies and Actions Required for Successful
Tourism Development and Marketing in Cobargo
Objective 1: Tourism & Trading
Objective 1a: For Cobargo to exhibit steady, positive, long term growth in tourism and business
income.
Objective 1b: For Cobargo to become a thriving, self sufficient rural village.
Objective 1c: To improve low-season tourism and trading in Cobargo.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
1a Implement Objective 2: Improve destination awareness
1b Strategies and
Objective 3: Strengthen our branding and positioning in the
Actions identified in
market
Objectives 2-12
Objective 4: Ensure marketing is targeted in the right areas
(refer all Table 4)
Objective 5: Produce effective promotional and marketing
material
Objective 6: Improve Village presentation and infrastructure
Objective 7: Maintain and promote strong festival/events
presence
Objective 8: Build strong networks and collaborative markets
Objective 9a: Improve local-level information gaps
Objective 9b: Monitor and evaluate Plan success
Objective 10a: Ensure adequate resources to implement Actions
identified in this Marketing Plan
Objective 10b: Strive for self-sufficiency in tourism development
and marketing
Objective 11: Encourage local level benefits, commitment and
initiatives
Objective 12: Think outside the Square!
1c Actively promote Develop specific promotional and marketing material for the low
tourism in the quiet- season (eg Winter escapes brochures, winter packages, incentives).
season
Ensure low-season marketing efforts target in the right areas
(including new/niche areas).
Work with nearby towns and tourism networks to explore
collaborative marketing initiatives.
Improve destination awareness, particularly during the quiet
season (refer destination awareness).
1c Promote existing Continue to host the Country Life Style Weekend in winter, and
and initiate new look at hosting other annual or one-off festivals/events during the
festivals/ major low trading season(s).
events during the
Ensure festival/special events promotional material is influencing
Page 24
low season the right target market (refer destination awareness, promotion
and communication, and targeted marketing).
1c Think outside the Be willing to explore new ideas, initiatives and markets which can
Square! keep Cobargo alive and thriving during the low season.
Objective 2: Destination Awareness
Objective 2a: For Cobargo to become a highly recognised drive tour destination for families,
couples and special interest groups.
Objective 2b: For Cobargo to become a preferred and planned destination for overnight (or
extended) holiday/visit.
Objective 2c: Put Cobargo on the (tourist) map!
Objective 2d: For travellers using the Princes Highway as a thoroughfare to an alternative
destination, to view Cobargo as an ideal tourist break, and stop in Cobargo for their
coffee, dining or shopping break.
Objective 2e: To identify incentives which encourage people who are attending nearby festivals
and events (eg Showground-based events) to visit the main street/trading precinct.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
2a Strengthen our Identify our Village’s “Product” – see “recognition and
branding and branding” below.
positioning in the
Increase visitation through promotion to key self drive markets.
market
2b Ensure marketing is Strengthen marketing efforts in target areas:
2c targeted in the right
§ Undertake major marketing campaign in target market areas.
areas
§ Investigate marketing feasibility for new/niche tourist markets.
§ Work with nearby towns and tourism networks to explore
collaborative marketing initiatives.
§ Refer also “targeted marketing” below.
2b Produce effective Actively promote Cobargo:
2c promotional and
§ Produce a broad range of high standard marketing materials,
marketing material
tourist literature and visitor information.
§ Build a stronger web-marketing and E-presence.
§ Develop marketing material which promotes long-stay visits
and stop-overs.
§ Refer also “promotion and communication” below.
2b Improve village Refer “Village presentation and infrastructure” section.
2c presentation and
infrastructure
Page 25
2b Maintain and Actively promote our festivals/major events to various target
2c promote strong markets, interest groups and within the Village, using appropriate
festival/events marketing media, communications and signage.
2b Think outside the Run quirky/unique advertising campaigns or promotional material
2c Square! which makes tourists take notice of Cobargo.
Investigate interest of special interest groups for one-off (and/or
regular) festivals/events - such as rallies and large-scale
entertainment; sport and recreation competitions and facilities, and
arts-based events.
2d Improve Village Improve “first impressions” of Cobargo - Encourage
presentation and drivers/tourists to want to stop and shop:
infrastructure
§ improve tourism/welcome road signage and in-town signage,
especially in the Park.
§ improve the appeal/facade of Cobargo’s main street(s) and
amenities block.
§ improve the signage, look and facilities of the Visitor
Information Centre.
§ refer also “Village presentation and infrastructure” section.
2e Strengthen our Identify promotional ideas which encourage Festival-goers to visit
promotional Village centre (eg courtesy bus to/from festival to town; discount
presence and trading vouchers; travel/ accommodation packages, etc).
marketing at local
Ensure a promotional presence at local Festivals/Events which are
Festivals/Events
not located on the main trading street(s) using:
§ appropriate printed media (leaflets, flyers, brochures),
§ signage (banners, marque, information tent) and
§ incentives (courtesy bus, vouchers, packages).
§ local tourist information centre material.
Market our Village during the lead-up to the Festival/Event
(include advertisements in festival promotional literature/E-
marketing).
Encourage volunteer participation in lead-up, on-the-day, and
clean-up activities, at Festivals/Events.
2e Streamline Develop a “promotional kit” which makes future promotional
promotional and involvement (from lead up to clean up) easier to organise.
marketing activities
Page 26
Objective 3: Recognition & Branding
Objective 3a: For Cobargo to be recognised for their high quality arts and craftwork and their
highly regarded, award-winning artists, artisans and designers.
Objective 3b To raise the profile of our arts/design “Working-Village” personality of Cobargo.
Objective 3c: Encourage tourists’ awareness and recognition of Cobargo as an area of National
heritage significance.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
3a Establish our Define our Product, our Identity and our Regional Branding:
3b Village’s product (or
§ Identify who we are, where are our markets, what are our
identity)
strengths (and assets), weaknesses, opportunities, threats.
§ Define our “Working Village” identity; and other significant
“products” which make Cobargo unique (historical, social,
cultural, recreational, aesthetic).
§ Understand what attracts visitors to small rural villages, and
in particular, this small rural Village, and identify what sets
us apart from other small villages and tourist destinations (eg
Mogo, Tilba Tilba, Central Tilba, Candelo).
§ Decide which Village characteristics we would like to
promote; and agree on how best to market Cobargo’s image –
through branding, advertising, logo etc – eg “as a tourism
experience” or an “outstanding drive experience”.
3a Improve local-level Compile an “Arts in Cobargo” register - comprehensive list of
3b information gaps - artists, craftsmen, designers, musicians (including award-
recognise our artists winners) in and around Cobargo.
3a Promote our Village’s Produce effective promotional material (including general,
3b identity as a Working specific, seasonal, one-off, thematic literature), which promotes
Village and arts- our artisans, designers, and promotes our Village’s identity as a
precinct Working Village and arts precinct.
Encourage our artists and tourism industry to promote their
awards, prizes- arts awards; design awards, accommodation
awards, “best” coffee etc (and enter competitions/ events to
attract additional awards).
Promote our “arts” identity through specialised theme-based
Festivals, Expos and local events.
Participate in media communications and public relations
activities (eg radio talkback, town reviews etc) which promote
our artists and artisans.
3c Establish our Define our “historic Village” identity.
Village’s product (or
identity)
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3c Improve local-level Compile a “heritage” register – a comprehensive list of places of
information gaps: heritage/ historical significance in and around Cobargo.
recognise our places
of “historical”
significance.
3c Promote and market Recognising our historic attributes in new and revised Village’s
our historic identity promotional material (general, special-purpose, seasonal, one-
off, thematic literature), where appropriate.
Participate in media communications and public relations
activities (eg radio talkback, town reviews etc) which promote
our historic significance.
Consult with relevant government authorities to complete
various requirements for Cobargo to be listings as a Village of
historic significance.
Write media releases, and undertake media relations to promote
the new listing of Cobargo as a “historic area”, once established.
Securing resources for heritage promotion.
Develop and erect appropriate heritage promotional signage.
Objective 4: Targeted Marketing (influencing behaviour)
Objective 4: For Cobargo’s tourism development and marketing efforts to positively influence
our target markets.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
4 Improve our Undertake tourism audit/surveys and/or research to analyse our
information gaps current tourist market and their travel preferences:
relating to our target
§ identify our existing target market, particularly our higher
market(s)
yield (long-stay, spending);
§ identify potential/new/niche markets that may be interested in
aspects of our Village from a tourism destination perspective
(eg historic, cultural, recreation, the arts, etc);
§ identify characteristics and travel preferences of these
markets (their origin; how, when, why they travel; social
structure eg family, couple, group etc);
§ identify reasons behind short-stay, non-spending visitation.
§ identify which forms of media (eg papers, magazines,
internet, Tourism Information Centre brochures, road-signs
etc) best influence travellers in our target markets.
§ refer also “research and market intelligence”.
4 Target our Market Coordinate marketing efforts towards our target market:
§ develop a coordinated marketing strategy which targets our
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tourist market (refer also Objective 5c)
§ market strategically: by geographical area and by activity
type
§ target marketing efforts towards higher yield (long-stay,
spending) visitors.
§ undertake major marketing campaign in target market areas
using available resources.
§ develop a broad range of high standard promotional and
marketing materials, and visitor information.
§ advertise and promote Cobargo in key target market areas and
media.
§ design a press relations strategy: develop a “Press Kit” ready
for future festivals; create a brochure or CV for the media;
§ assist writers with promotional story ideas, draft stories to
magazines to do editorials; prepare press releases; draft
newspaper column editorials; prepare radio-talkback media.
§ improve promotional Village signage both inside (eg local
park) and outside the town.
§ improve Village presentation and Information Centre
services.
§ promote Cobargo in relevant Tourist Information Centres,
and coach terminals.
§ attend Travel Fairs/expos to promote Cobargo as a tourist
destination to new/existing markets and gain insight into how
others promote their town;
§ Work with nearby towns and tourism networks to explore
collaborative marketing opportunities (eg share the cost of
hiring “space” at travel expos /trade shows).
§ explore other marketing and promotional avenues.
4 Assess the Survey visitors to determine which promotional material (if any)
effectiveness of our influenced their decision to select Cobargo as their preferred
marketing efforts travel destination.
Evaluate and interpret audit/research results:
§ assess the effectiveness of our advertising and promotional
efforts (are we targeting the right audience, and using the
right media);
§ monitor E-marketing efforts – are they working.
§ refer also “research and market intelligence”.
Provide recommendations for ways to best target our markets to
have the greatest tourism impact, given available resources.
Revise Cobargo’s tourism promotion and marketing efforts,
where necessary, based on the survey results, analysis of
marketing effectiveness and recommendations.
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4 Think outside the Research and explore new ways of influencing our existing and
Square! new travellers to Cobargo (eg business-related travel)
Work with sporting/recreational clubs to assess the feasibility of
Cobargo (and surrounds) as a suitable venue for their annual
tournament, competition, tour.
Identify international visitor preferences and possibility for
Cobargo to become an international travel destination.
Why don’t our short-stay visitors stay longer; Why don’t our
non-buying visitors make purchases – can we improve trading
here.
Others!
Objective 5: Marketing Methods (materials & avenues)
Objective 5a: Develop innovative and imaginative marketing material for existing/new/niche
target markets.
Objective 5b: For our tourism marketing material to be advertised in the right
promotional/communicative media.
Objective 5c: For Cobargo to take a coordinated, effective and efficient approach to tourism
marketing.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
5a Produce effective Produce a broad range of high standard marketing materials and
marketing material visitor information.
Explore new media avenues to reach existing/new markets
(new/different magazines; theme-based brochures; travel Expo
presence).
Encourage sponsorship for charitable events in the community.
Not only is it good public relations; but provides strong
community benefits.
Develop marketing material strategically for each target market,
for example: by geographical area; by type.
Promote Cobargo in its own right:
§ develop brochures which market Cobargo in its own right,
rather than only promoting the Village with a small write-up in
larger regional brochures;
§ promote tourism incentives such as packages, seasonal and/or
one-off theme-based brochures.
Promote our Village attributes in relevant promotional material
and marketing efforts, including:
§ environmental and eco-tourism attributes;
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§ heritage and cultural attributes (including indigenous awareness
and heritage/historic promotional material;
§ tourist-focused recreational and sporting pursuits and facilities
(bush walking trails, 4WD tracks, motorcycle routes, table
tennis drive tours, etc). Look at developing joint motorcycle
marketing material with Bombala in the future.
§ acknowledging the characteristics and achievements of our
local artisans, musicians and designers.
Build strong and successful E-Marketing material including:
email subscriptions; electronic newsletters; interesting/faster
website.
Create an E-mail Marketing Plan:
§ Ensure internet software is up-to-date; Install broadband access;
§ Begin harvesting email addresses using appropriate channels;
§ Design format for Visitor e-bulletin;
§ Further develop our Village’s web site. Improve design, speed
of loading, attractiveness, navigation, functionality and, most
importantly, hit rate of our website;
§ Research other sites;
§ Update and monitor website regularly (upcoming events,
festival announcements, photo gallery, etc).
§ Make people want to go to our website for their next holiday –
advertising our website in magazines etc
5b Utilise appropriate Disseminate marketing material and information using existing
marketing avenues and new communicative avenues (printed, oral, visual). Refer
Appendix E for types of marketing avenues available.
Promote festivals/events:
§ Promote our Festivals/Expos/events through appropriate
marketing media, communications and signage.
§ Promote at our Festivals/events.
Develop an appropriate distribution plan to ensure marketing
material is disseminated effectively.
Strengthen collaborative marketing with neighbouring villages:
§ Promote tourism in partnership with adjoining areas and
activities.
§ Work with nearby villages, towns to attend travel expos/ trade
shows and share the cost of hiring “space”.
Improve public relations and media familiarisation
Explore new communicative avenues to reach existing/new
markets:
§ Foster relationships with tourism operators (other Tourism
Information Centres, coach companies, special interest groups,
etc) announcing up-coming events.
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§ Look at area-focused advertising (eg South Coast Style);
Australia-wide focused (eg Country Style Magazines); nearby
major city newspapers and weekend lift-outs (eg Canberra,
Illawarra, Sydney, Melbourne).
§ Explore other avenues.
Build a stronger web-marketing opportunities and E-presence:
§ making our website(s) faster, fancier, more inviting;
§ strong web-linkages from other sites to ours and vice-versa
(particularly for arts, recreation, environmental, heritage,
culture);
§ encourage readers of our non-electronic promotional material
(brochures, magazine advertisements, etc) to visit our website.
§ development of E-mail newsletters, promotions to interested
subscribers.
5c Implement a Once our target markets and preferred promotional materials have
targeted tourism been identified, implement marketing and communications in a
marketing and planned manner:
communications
Develop a marketing and promotion implementation strategy
strategy
which identifies the following (for each marketing activity):
§ what types of promotional material will be produced (eg
signage, media release, advertisement, website, TV
commercial).
§ where the promotional material will be targeted/distributed (eg
geographically, interest-based). Identify which target market(s)
the marketing activity is aiming to influence.
§ who will have lead responsibility to oversee each stage of the
marketing activity (from concept to completion and
distribution).
§ how will it be designed and developed (eg format, layout,
content, print quality), printed and distributed. Will it be
developed in-house, outsourced, individually, collectively,
using collaborative networks, or using a combination?
§ how will it be resources (financial, time, people, skills) -
individually, collectively, using collaborative networks, via
one-off grants, profits from festivals/events etc.
§ when it will be produced and disseminated (establishing
timelines).
5c Think outside the Don’t be afraid to advertise and promote Cobargo in new media
Square! (eg special interest group magazines, new travel magazines, etc).
Explore different types of marketing techniques (eg E-marketing,
competitions, promotional packages).
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Objective 6: Village Presentation & Infrastructure
Objective 6a: Village presentation and amenity encourage tourism.
Objective 6b: Local and linked Tourism Information Centres attract positive tourism business to
Cobargo.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
6a Improve Village Review existing town features (positive/negative) of “initial/first
streetscape to make impressions” town presentation.
it a more attractive
Identify and evaluate alternative remediation and marketing
place to visit/stop
techniques which would improve the initial presentation of
Cobargo, including:
§ renovating the front facade of some of main street building
(particularly butchery/woodworking and former petrol station
complex);
§ adding more greenery in the main street.
§ improve promotional Village signage near the three entrances
to the Village and on-route; .promotion of town as “historic”
town; implement quality and consistency in signage.
Investigate the costs/feasibility/legality of installing large (over the
road) banners which promote festivals/events and smaller stand-
along banners on the sidewalks.
6a Improve Village Install appropriate safety-fencing and shade cloth around
amenity and safety: children’s playground.
§ improve public Improve the park safety and amenity:
park safety and
§ safety fences and barriers adjacent major highway, road, creek;
facilities;
§ improve toilet § erect shade tarp over playground equipment.
facilities. § upgrade picnic/BBQ facilities in the park.
§ improve safety § promote walk trails and attractions that commence at the park.
within the town.
Upgrade the public toilets (with toilets also erected in local park):
§ hot and cold water, change table;
§ improve style – to heritage-style in keeping with the village.
§ making them cleaner, safer, more welcoming.
Explore budget-accommodation options through local permanent
campsite or Youth Hostel accommodation.
Liaise with road transport and council authorities to identify
measure to encourage truck drivers and other road users to slow
down to the specified 50km/hr speed limit when travelling through
the town.
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6b Improve Visitor Develop better signage notifying visitors of its location (before
Information Centre reaching Village, and at the front of the Centre)
services:
Improve presentation and services of our Visitor Information
Centre (to encourage visitors to stop and find out about the area).
§ Improve amount and quality of information and promotional
material about Cobargo and surrounds (including possible
packages, seasonal brochures).
§ Improve character/design of visitor information centre
§ Explore possibility of relocation of Visitor Information Centre
to its own building.
§ Evaluate feasibility of combining Visitor Information Centre
with other services (community business centre; etc).
§ Explore possibility of providing accommodation bookings from
the Centre. Explore accreditation requirements if needed.
§ Assess the need for volunteer and/or paid staff roster to man
Tourist Information Centre.
§ Promote location of visitor information centre through
appropriate signage.
Objective 7: Festivals & Special Events
Objective 7a: For Cobargo to continue to maintain its excellent reputation as a key venue for the
nationally significant annual Folk Festival.
Objective 7b: For Cobargo to initiate and implement successful, existing and alternative one-off
and/or regular (e.g. annual) festivals, special events, community fund-raisers.
Objective 7c: To increase the number of children-friendly festival-type activities.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
7a Secure resources to Identify resources (people, funds, infrastructure, etc) required to
7b help establish, undertake festivals/major events.
coordinate, promote
Explore different ways of attracting funds (festival entry fees,
and support Village
competitions etc) which will contribute towards funding future
events
festivals, and/or community needs.
Ensure event organisers are aware of (and pursuing) funding
opportunities available to assist in tourist promotions.
Strive to implement festivals and events which can be self-
funded or produce profit which can be redirected back into our
local community.
7a Streamline the Develop a tailored “Festivals Implementation Guide” to help
7b coordination of streamline festival/event coordination for Cobargo, and enable
festivals and major different volunteers to oversee festival organisation.
events
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Encourage shared roles and responsibilities for Festival
organisation, implementation (including lead-up, the event, and
clean-up).
7a Promote and market Actively advertise and promote our Festivals during the lead-up
7b our festivals, major to the Festival to appropriate target markets.
events and expos
Actively promote Cobargo and other special-interest areas (eg
our arts identity, historic sites, recreational activities, etc) during
Festivals.
Develop effective (and where possible, re-usable) festival
advertising and promotional materials (town signs, banners,
advertisements, notices, magazine publications, radio
announcements, updated TV advertisements, Tourist
Information Centre brochures, etc).
Refer also “marketing methods”.
7a Think outside the Workshop different ideas and themes for new/niche market
7b Square! festivals, major events, competitions (eg fine furniture expo, arts
festival, progressive arts exhibition).
Explore the bazaar and quirky (beanie festivals, pancake tossing
festivals, dog-in-a-ute rally, etc)
Piggyback festival/major events with other festivals/events
occurring in the local area.
Look at our environmental, heritage, cultural, recreational and
sporting attributes and facilities to identify alternative themes for
future festivals and events (refer “research and market
intelligence”).
7c Incorporate children- Workshop/discuss different types of children-based festival
focused activities into activities, events, competitions, which will encourage a greater
Festival events family presence.
Promote festival as family-friendly.
Explore possibility of Children’s Expo/Festival, competitions,
events.
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Objective 8: Networks & Collaborative Marketing
Objective 8a: To improve tourism development and marketing networks with neighbouring villages
and towns.
Objective 8b: To develop strong tourism and business industry partners and networks.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
8a Build tourism Work collaboratively with agency, business and community to
development and ensure that tourism initiatives yield positive economic and social
marketing networks benefits to Cobargo.
with business,
§ Maintain adequate representation from Cobargo on regional
industry and
and local business/tourism development forums involved in
community
economic development, natural resources management
(NRM) and community vibrancy.
8b Work in partnership Develop tourism activities or promote tourism in partnership with
with adjoining adjoining areas and activities. In particular, assess feasibility of:
businesses/towns/villa
§ joint promotion and marketing initiatives with neighbouring
ges/festivals
towns (eg winter escapes brochures, joint advertising
campaigns);
§ applying a collaborative approach marketing by local
businesses;
§ hosting (and promoting) concurrent (linked or multiple)
festivals in nearby areas;
§ liaise with tourism operators, coach companies, travel
agencies, tour guides;
§ Encourage other (particularly nearby) Tourism Information
Centres to hold and promote information about Cobargo; and
§ Work with nearby villages, towns to attend travel expos/ trade
shows and share the cost of hiring “space”.
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Objective 9: Research & Market Intelligence
Improve local-level information gaps
Objective 9a: To gain better awareness and understanding of the environmental and eco-tourism
attributes in and around Cobargo.
Objective 9b: To gain better awareness and understanding of the cultural and heritage attributes in
and around Cobargo.
Objective 9c: To gain better awareness of recreational pursuits currently (and potentially) feasible
in Cobargo.
Objective 9d: To gain better awareness of arts-related attributes in and around Cobargo.
Objective 9e: Learn from others.
Monitoring & evaluation
Objective 9f: To identify and monitor positive/negative tourism trends and changing/evolving
target markets, over time (particularly those resulting from the implementation of
key tourism development and marketing initiatives identified in this Plan).
Objective 9g: To be aware of new tourism initiatives, and changes in circumstances (e.g.
economic) which may positively/adversely impact tourism in Cobargo, over time.
Objective 9h: To modify the Tourism Development and Marketing Plan over time, as required, to
incorporate changes in information and circumstances, and to implement those
modifications.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
9a-d Improve local-level information gaps
9a Improve local-level Identify environmental attributes:
information
§ Research and contact environmental authorities (Cobargo and
pertaining to our
Regional Landcare Associations, Catchment Management
environment and eco-
Authorities, Government/Regional authorities, Environment
tourism attributes
groups);
§ Identify environmental and eco-tourism attributes in and
around Cobargo (including threatened species and ecological
communities, nature walk trails, national parks etc).
§ Collate an “environmental” register - comprehensive list of
environmental and eco-tourism attributes in and around
Cobargo.
§ Capitalise upon natural assets within the region in
promotional collateral: assist in creating and targeting our
tourism marketing efforts; developing environmental trail
guides/brochures; creating and identifying potential themes
for festivals and events.
9b Improve local-level Identify cultural and heritage attributes:
information
§ Refer “recognition and branding” for detailed actions for
pertaining to our
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cultural and heritage heritage/historic promotion and marketing.
attributes
§ Research and speak to relevant agencies and groups in
relation to our heritage and cultural significance.
§ Research and speak to indigenous organisations (including
Umbarra Cultural Centre) and groups regarding issues of
aboriginal historical and mythological significance.
§ Identify cultural and heritage attributes in/around Cobargo.
§ Complete a “heritage and cultural” register for Cobargo.
§ Use this information to: assist in creating and targeting our
tourism marketing efforts; developing historical trail guides
and cultural brochures; and identifying potential themes for
festivals and events.
9c Improve local-level Identify recreational and sporting pursuits and facilities:
information
§ Research and speak to relevant recreation groups, tourism
pertaining to our
bodies, association to look at key recreational
recreational and
activities/events in this area
sporting attributes
§ Identify recreational and sporting pursuits and facilities in
and around Cobargo (horse-riding clubs, quilters, dancing,
bushwalking, mountain biking, off-road motorcycling, on-
road riding, marathons, 4WDing, fishing, canoeing,
mountaineering, swimming, cycling, tennis, football, soccer,
league, cricket, tai chi, yoga, golf etc). Look at upgrading
local golf course (and/or other land based initiatives such as
possible club house upgrade, labyrinth, regular caretaker).
§ Collate a “recreational” register – a comprehensive list of
sporting, recreational and special interest groups and
attributes in and around Cobargo.
§ Use this information to: assist in creating and targeting our
tourism marketing efforts; guides and brochures (eg 4WD
tour maps, “Bushwalk Cobargo” map, Birdspotting week”
guide, fishing guides); and identifying potential themes for
festivals and events.
9d Improve local-level Identify our arts-related strengths and characteristics:
information relating
§ Refer “recognition and branding”.
to our arts, design,
musical, etc attributes
9e Attending Trade Attend Trade Fairs/ Travel Expos etc to look at their
Fairs, Travel Expos, promotional material.
Workshops, Courses,
Attend tourism conferences to identify latest tourism
Field Trips
trends/threats/directions etc.
Attend workshops, courses or field trips (eg Enterprising
Communities Tour) to learn about business and tourism
development in other small rural centres.
Research other village’s (national, international) initiatives
currently being adopted by other tourism developers/ marketers.
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9f-h Monitoring and Evaluation
9f Monitor tourism Undertake tourism audits/survey and/or research to identify our
trends that affect our tourism trends and changing target markets/market preferences:
target market
§ identify ways of monitoring tourist’s travel preferences and
geographic location (eg pin on a map, recording postcodes,
accommodation surveys, web-based competitions/surveys).
§ identify if/why target markets are changing, particularly our
higher yield (long-stay, spending) markets;
§ identify potential/new/niche markets which may be evolving;
§ identify changing market preferences of our target markets
(how, when, why they travel; their interests etc;
§ know your “visitor profile”;
§ identify whether the medium which best influences our target
market travellers is shifting (eg towards more web-based
travel marketing).
9g Monitor and evaluate Research and review tourism (and economic circumstances)
external influences which can impact tourism in Cobargo, for example:
§ are people seeking “rural getaways” as cities grow;
§ how are petrol, wages and airline prices having adverse flow-
on effects for tourism in Cobargo. Dramatic and/or
uncertainty of impact of rising petrol prices on medium to
long term (eg 5-10) tourism travel, for example, would have
strong implications on prioritisation of tourism objectives.
§ are people by-passing Cobargo for the coastal route;
§ are recreational (eg 4WD touring) interests changing (and in
which direction)?
Keep abreast of changes in tourism initiatives (government, non-
government)
§ eg, how is government impacting tourism (amalgamating
Tourism Information Centres, changes to tourism funding
opportunities, licensing requirements etc)
§ attend tourism and business forums.
Identify ways to ameliorate these external pressures and utilise
positive changes in external circumstances (such as tourism
packages, incentives, development of new target markets etc).
9h Evaluate our tourism Each year, evaluate the effectiveness of our tourism
marketing successes development and marketing activities:
and failures and
§ undertake surveys/research to determine which advertising
adjust our behaviour
and promotional material best influence traveller’s decisions
accordingly
to select Cobargo as their preferred travel destination (i.e. are
we targeting the right audience; and using the right media?).
§ identify actions completed, in progress, not undertaken (and
outcome/ effectiveness of each).
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Refer also “targeted marketing”.
Provide recommendations for ways to maintain and improve our
tourism development and marketing activities to have the
greatest positive impact, given available resources.
Workshop proposed changes to the Plan;
Revise Cobargo’s tourism development and marketing efforts,
where necessary, based on the survey results, research, analysis
of marketing effectiveness and recommendations.
Objective 10: Self-sufficiency & resourcing
Objective 10a: To ensure adequate resources (people, funds, time) to implement tourism
development and marketing initiative.
Objective 10b: In the long-term, for Cobargo to become self-sufficient in their ability to
implement tourism initiatives.
Objective 10c: To ensure that appropriate organisational and volunteer-based structures (eg
associations) are in place to implement tourism development and marketing
initiatives.
Objective 10d: To enable tourism-related structures (eg business associations) to work effectively
and efficiently at Plan implementation and decision-making.
NOTE:
Self-sufficiency and resourcing directly affects the ability to implement all actions identified in
this Tourism Development and Marketing Plan
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
10a Estimate resources Estimate resources required (i.e. people, funding, time) to
required to undertake implement tourism development and marketing actions
marketing actions identified in this Plan.
10a Employ or find Employ or find volunteer tourism marketing coordinator to:
volunteer “tourism
§ oversee implementation of the Tourism Development and
marketing”
Marketing Plan initiatives;
coordinator to oversee
Plan implementation § develop relevant environmental and eco-tourism, historic and
cultural, recreational and sporting, and arts-based registers.
§ develop comprehensive Implementation Guides and Manuals
to make festival and promotional organisational work easier
in subsequent years.
§ develop the Tourism Development and Marketing Plan’s
implementation guide.
§ Oversee the development of our state-of-the-art website and
E-marketing initiatives.
§ actively identify and apply for future tourism and community
funding opportunities.
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§ undertake research and market intelligence actions identified
in this Plan.
§ run workshops, meeting, manage project and timelines etc.
10a Ensure adequate I.T.- Identify the software requirements and hardware needed for the
related resources are production of in-house (and out-sourced) marketing material, as
available well as E-promotion.
Identify adequacy of existing Village resources to produce a
range of marketing materials efficiently and effectively.
Seek one-off funding to purchase required resources, such as:
§ PDF file writers; graphics-based software, publishing
software, web space and domain-name registration; up-to-
date internet software.
§ Computers, printers, scanners, photography equipment for the
web master.
10a Identify possible Seek available tourism and rural/regional funding opportunities:
sources of tourism
§ Seek funding to help drive Plan implementation or for a
and rural business
“tourism marketing” coordinator during Plan’s start-up phase.
funding opportunities
§ Securing resources for heritage promotion.
§ Identify suitable tourism and rural/ regional business industry
funding sources (including Commonwealth, State and non-
government grants, lobbying for support including resources).
§ Submit relevant funding applications.
§ Secure funding for the implementation of key actions
identified in this Tourism Development and Marketing Plan.
§ Seek possible source of co-funding contributions.
10b Implement actions Encourage projects which stand on their own in the long-term:
which encourage self-
§ Utilise skills of a tourism marketing co-ordinator early on, to
sufficiency in the long-
ensure that future-years activities are streamlined (i.e. to
term
complete major research work, design surveys, develop
implementation guides, upgrading websites, and other time-
intensive start-up actions).
§ Identify resources required (people, time, funds) to
implement key actions. Identify possible short-falls in
funding and possible avenues to raise the revenue required.
§ Look for avenues to raise required marketing funds (fund-
raisers, festival profits, grants, competitions, etc).
§ Seek start-up funding to assist with implementation of
selected, initial key actions identified in this Plan
§ Know our higher yield (long-stay, spending) markets and
target them accordingly.
§ Implement festivals and events which are self-funding and
profit-making.
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10c Maintain links with Utilise the Cobargo Tourist and Business Association and
agency and business Cobargo Area Committee as key facilitators for the
forums implementation of tourism development and business initiatives.
Work with other local associations and groups to ensure
agreement and involvement in marketing initiatives.
Maintain adequate local representation on tourism and business
advisory groups and associations (eg local associations and
groups; regional forums)
Work collaboratively with agency, business and community to
ensure that tourism initiatives yield positive economic and social
benefits to Cobargo.
10d Streamline and Ensure associations/volunteers/overseers have a clear
simplify workloads understanding of their assigned tasks/project.
required of volunteers
Ensure associations/volunteers/overseers have appropriate
(and others)
resources and assistance (people, funding, time, links to agency)
to carry out work.
Develop comprehensive Implementation Guides and Manuals
(eg Festival Implementation Guide) to make festival and
promotional organisational work easier.
Encourage those who have lead responsibility to oversee a
particular marketing activity to work efficiently and promptly on
that task.
Objective 11: Local level benefits, initiatives, commitments
Objective 11a: To improve local-level tourism and recreational initiatives in the Village (making
it a fun place for the locals!).
Objective 11b: To encourage the benefits from tourism (economic, cultural, community-
empowerment, etc) to be directed back into our local community.
Objective 11c: For the local community and businesses in Cobargo to be interested and actively
involved in local tourism development and marketing initiatives.
Objective 11d: For the role of tourism development, marketing and implementation to be a shared
responsibility, rather than being left to the same key volunteers and community/
business members.
Objective 11e: For the non-tourism-related businesses to (recognise the importance of and)
contribute towards tourism development and business growth in Cobargo.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
11a Identify Utilise the School of Arts building as a venue for local activities:
tourism/leisure
§ Assess resurrecting School of Arts hall for regular movie
activities for town
night, concerts, dances.
§ Discuss Scout involvement in running movie nights/other
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activities, with proceeds going to scout-based causes.
§ Assess hosting live entertainment (plays, musicians, etc).
§ School of Arts notice board promoting upcoming events.
Encourage day-time and family-friendly events (picnics, BBQs,
Landcare awareness tours, etc).
Bring Cobargo to life at night for both locals and visitors:
§ host more evening-based activities (pizza nights, film nights,
local musicians, formal restaurant nights, plays, etc).
§ discuss, with cafe/restaurant owners/local halls the possibility
of remaining open of an evening (for example, last Friday of
each month) for local/tourist dining. Identify interest from the
dining public/visitors.
§ Explore option of “Meal and Music” deal where a featured
folk group or table d’hote combined music and dining (lunch,
or morning/afternoon tea) at a local cafe.
Increase business awareness and involvement:
§ Investigate hosting a Local Business Expo/promo, where
businesses can network, exchange business cards, and
promote themselves to the locals.
§ Encourage broader membership of Cobargo Tourist and
Business Association (particularly from those businesses not
directly involved in Tourism); explain the benefits of
Association membership.
Advertising/promotion of events in Triangle magazine, local
paper, leaflets and in business windows, etc.
Assess possibility of hosting workshops/courses and other local
initiatives (in conjunction with artists, colleges) such as painting
workshops.
11b Identify and work Identify community needs (eg fire fighting, sports sponsorship,
with community- school infrastructure needs, charity fund-raisers, town needs)
based groups to direct
Work with volunteer and community groups and sport/education
resources back into
bodies (eg volunteer bushfire brigade, CWA, local schools and
the Cobargo
charities) to address community needs.
Seek involvement from community groups.
11c Encourage strong Keep community informed and actively involved in Plan
11d involvement in local development, implementation
Village and tourism
Identify potential areas for community group involvement in the
development
implementation of tourism development and marketing
initiatives
initiatives.
Raise business and community awareness of the direct and
indirect benefits of being involved in tourism development and
marketing.
Encourage broader interest and involvement in tourism
development and marketing through business expos, promoting
the Cobargo Tourist and Business Association, asking for
Page 43
volunteers, etc.
Be willing to assign tasks /interests to different/new people.
Develop relevant guides (eg Festival Implementation Guide) to
make life easier for those involved in coordinating marketing
initiatives.
Have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for volunteers,
project managers/leaders.
Make it fun – eg school/arts competition for artwork/logo
designs.
Invite residents of the community to an event at which messages
about the importance of the tourism industry in their community
are articulated (for example: community picnic/get-together.
11e Raise non-tourism Improve the understanding of the co-dependence between non-
business awareness of tourism (eg major service providers) and tourism-related
the importance of business, for growth and success:
tourism for Cobargo.
§ Cobargo relies on its “service town” benefits to survive as a
“tourism town” and vice versa.
§ It is important to recognise these strong linkages and work
towards sustaining and growing BOTH.
Encourage local non-tourism business involvement (time,
resources) in tourism development and marketing initiatives.
Objective 12: Think outside the square !!
Objective 12a: To take an open-minded approach to new tourist development and marketing
ideas.
Obj. Strategy Actions Required
12 Think outside the Research and explore new ways of influencing existing and new
square when travellers to Cobargo.
identifying new
§ Run quirky/unique advertising campaigns or promotional
tourism development
material which makes tourists take notice of Cobargo
and marketing
(February for Lovers; Blues Brews and BBQs; major Arts
initiatives
festivals; Progressive Furniture Expos).
§ Promote Cobargo “as a gateway from which to explore and
enjoy the community and initiate a host of day trips”
§ Make Cobargo more fun for both locals and visitors: pizza
nights, film nights, local musicians, formal restaurant nights,
plays, day-time events, family-friendly events, Christmas in
July ball.
§ Identify international visitor preferences and possibility for
Cobargo to become an international travel destination.
§ Evaluate the expected returns from advertising and promoting
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Cobargo in new media (eg special interest group magazines,
new travel magazines, etc).
§ Explore different types of marketing techniques (eg E-
marketing, competitions, promotional packages, tourism
ambassador programs).
§ Research the feasibility of a tourism awards program for
Cobargo. It has the added potential to provides newsworthy
information and a golden opportunity to communicate and
reinforce the tourism business case.
12 Developing and Build a stronger web-marketing opportunities and E-presence,
improving E- including:
marketing
§ have a killer-website (faster, fancier, more hits, state-of-the-
art);
§ develop promotional E-newsletters and emails which people
want to read.
§ entice readers of our non-electronic promotional material
(brochures, magazine advertisements, etc) to visit our
website.
§ strengthen our web linkages with local (eg Cobargo Folk
Festival sites) as well as other sites (eg tourism and travel
sites, SEAR).
12 Offer Incentives, Develop incentives and packages which encourage travellers to
Programs and visit Cobargo (spending vouchers; travel/ accommodation
Packages to packages, discounted petrol, birthday packages for previous
strengthen tourism visitors etc).
Identify scope of using packaging to market Cobargo:
§ a package may include a wide variety of services such as
lodging, meals, entrance fees to attractions, entertainment,
transportation costs, guide services, or other similar activities.
Packaging may make travel to a destination more attractive
(cost-savings, and mean less organising required on the part
of the traveller).
§ assess types of packages,
§ identify positive and negative benefits to packaging, and
identify components of successful packages;
§ identify pricing and who should pay.
Develop supplement guides and promotional material which
focus on seasonal attractions, target the low season or special
interest groups (eg Winter escapes brochures, winter packages,
incentives).
Distribute welcome packs (with what is on this season, festival
advertising, local attractions, maps, etc) for visitors. Explore
idea of welcome packs for new residents to Cobargo, also.
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12 Evaluate alternative Workshop different ideas and themes for new/niche market
festival ideas festivals, major events, competitions (eg fine furniture expo, arts
festival, progressive arts exhibitions).
Piggyback festival/major events with other festivals/events
occurring in the local area.
Explore the bazaar and the quirky (beanie festivals, pancake
tossing competitions, dog-in-a-ute rally, “Where’s the cheese
Gromit?” festival etc)
Review our environmental, heritage, cultural, recreational and
sporting attributes and facilities to identify alternative themes for
future festivals and events.
12 Seeking new (or Research other village’s (national, international) initiatives
niche) markets currently being adopted by other tourism developers/ marketers.
Assess the feasibility of tourist development and marketing
ideas which are new to Cobargo and/or the tourism industry.
Investigate the development of cultural, historic, recreational or
other theme-based trails (see for example WA-based Bibbulmun
Track walk or Munda Biddi Trail; grass ski down dairy fields
with the cows! – used to be a grass ski slope at Millingandi).
Explore idea of having permanent table tennis table (with
concrete net) set up in park so that visitors can stop and play in
the park during their travels.
Explore the concept of a State-accredited fine wood/Arts School
in Cobargo.
Investigate the feasibility of key recreation-based events or
festivals (eg marathons, orienteering competitions, trail bike
events) eg furniture or arts festivals/expos.
Assess the suitable of Cobargo as a destination for
businesses/agency venue for multi-day workshops, staff
strategic planning workshops, think-tanks etc)
Investigate potential for special-interest groups hosting one-off
(and/or regular) festivals/events in Cobargo. For example:
§ rallies and entertainment: “dog-in-a-ute” rally, motorcycle
rally, “Big Day Out in Cobargo”...
§ sporting and recreation: athletics competitions, mini-
marathons, rogaining trials, mountain bike adventures,
100km+ walking/cycle track, 4WD tours ...
§ arts-based events: literary/arts/musical workshops, festivals
and competitions.
Page 46
5.2 Summary of Key Objectives, Strategies and Actions
Below is a summary of the 12 tourism development and marketing objectives identified for
Cobargo (and surrounding villages) and the key strategies and actions that should be
implemented to help achieve those objectives.
5.2.1 Tourism and Trading
The primary objectives for Cobargo is to exhibit steady, positive long term growth in tourism
and business trading. Related to this objective are the two sub-objectives of trying to
improve low-season trading and tourism (for example, during winter months, or non-holiday
periods), and, in the long term, for Cobargo to remain a thriving, economically viable rural
village.
To achieve these tourism and trading objectives requires the successful implementation of all
tourism and marketing objectives identified in the plan (that is, objectives 2-12). These are
presented below, and comprise: destination awareness; recognition and branding; targeted
marketing; marketing methods (materials and avenues), Village presentation and
infrastructure; festivals and special events; networks and collaborative marketing; research
and market intelligence; self-sufficiency and resourcing; local benefits, initiatives and
commitments; and thinking outside the square!
5.2.2 Destination Awareness
The second objective key tourism development and marketing objective for Cobargo is to
encourage travellers to view Cobargo as an ideal travel destination, and to select Cobargo
when planning their next holiday/get-away.
As the Village is located on a major highway (the Princes), and is surrounded by picturesque
rural scenery and a number of attractions/activities, it is an ideal “drive tour” destination and
should be promoted as such. To do this, however, we need to:
§ know our target market (where they live, and their travel preferences);
§ produce effective promotional material (and make sure it reaches our target market);
§ create a good first impression (particularly to those parts of the Village which are
looking a little worn); and
§ promote our festivals and our Village’s identity.
§ encourage people to venture beyond the “Festival-gate” and come and see the main
town, whilst here.
5.2.3 Recognition and Branding
A critical activity to any tourism business is promotion. Yet, promotional strategies are often
begun without working through the very important first step: product identification. This
simply means deciding what you are trying to sell. To do this we need to know “what we are
marketing”, and “to whom are we marketing!”. And to do this we need to do three things:
know our “product”; define our target market or audience; and develop our “regional
branding”.
It is important to know what we are marketing (that is “what is our product” that we are
Page 47
trying to promote. We are not just marketing our Village, but a Village-experience. It is
important to understand what attracts visitors to small rural villages (in this case our rural
villge), as a travel destination and tourist stop. In general, these include: touring (quaint
villages/small towns); scenery and activities (access to beaches, mountains, walking trails,
4WD routes); local foods, wines, arts, crafts, giftware; shopping (including window-
shopping); accommodation and dining; historic areas; peace and tranquillity (away from the
busy city); rural/country character (alpacas, dairy country, cheese factory etc); warm,
hospitable and friendly locals.
As a small Village, it is important to focus on promoting the right “experience” for Cobargo.
These may including focusing marketing and promotion on the following experiences: worry
free; safe; luxurious yet affordable; both family and adult atmosphere; unique and
uncrowded; a place to escape the Rat-race; a place to “refresh” the body and the soul;
friendly, helpful locals; a haven for artists and artisans alike.
Some actions and tasks that may assist to achieve this objective are identified below:
§ establish a clear understanding of our Village’s arts-based and historical “product”;
§ improve local-level information gaps (in particular, developing information registers
about our arts-based and heritage-related attributes;
§ promote our Village’s identity as (amongst other attributes) a “Working Village” and
arts-precinct. Cobargo’s characteristics and personality is diverse. It is important to
have a good understanding of these diversities and the opportunities that lie within.
5.2.4 Targeted Marketing and Marketing Methods
As mentioned earlier, marketing efforts that are targeting the wrong locations and wrong
audience is an expensive and inefficient use of resources – a bit like trying to sell ice-cream
to the Eskimos or surfboards in the Nullarbor. Knowing what influences traveller behaviour
is important. Knowing what influences the behaviour of travellers to Cobargo is vital.
Knowing where these travellers live is equally important.
For Cobargo, our tourism marketing efforts must be implemented in such a way that it
influences our target market. To do this, we need to:
§ improve information gaps relating to our target markets - where are they from (instate,
out-of-state, local), what are the demographic characteristics of our tourists (age,
income, family status, education); why are they seeking in their travels (4WDing, bush
walking, canoeing, camping, luxury accommodation, tranquillity, adventure, on and
off-road motorcycle touring); how do they travel (short 1-2 day trips; week-month long
holidays, by coach, car, motorcycle); when do they travel (summer, public holidays,
school holidays etc).
§ identify which media best influences these travellers (newspapers, magazines, E-
marketing, television advertisements, other), so we can target these areas. This
includes not only the types of materials (brochures, signage, websites, advertisements,
et) but the location of these materials (which magazines, where should the signs be
placed, which regions/states should show our TV advertisements, etc).
§ build a stronger web-marketing presence (faster, fancier, with good linkages to/from
other sites and a strong hit-rate).
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5.2.5 Village Presentation & Infrastructure
As mentioned previously, the presentation of a town plays a major role in their decision to
stop and visit. This is particularly the case for short break stops, which are often an impulse
decision. If a town presents well and looks interesting, travellers will often decide to stop and
have a quick look around. If the experience gained is positive, then there is a likelihood of
repeat visitation and/or the traveller recommending the town to other travellers. Although
village presentation and amenity is quite positive in Cobargo, there are some areas for
potential improvement. These include:
§ improved promotional signage surrounding (and within) the Village;
§ improved park safety and facilities;
§ restoring Village streetscape (signage, vegetation, condition of buildings);
§ having modern, clean, safe public toilets; and
§ improved presentation, services and materials within the Visitor Information Centre.
5.2.6 Festivals and Special Events
Festivals and special events are an important part of tourism and business trading for
Cobargo. However, like many small towns, there are several constraints that go with the
territory:
§ small towns generally have small budgets (and pool of volunteers etc) within which to
promote and implement their festivals;
§ the huge levels of (unpaid) time and effort goes into organising festivals often leads to
community/volunteer burnout.
§ funding is sometimes available to secure resources for Festivals, but it requires
substantial time and skills to write grant applications (a large investment for, in nearly
all cases, an uncertain outcome); and
§ the matching funding or co-contribution (required by the town) to secure grant funding
is often not available.
With this in mind, a range of festival-related strategies and actions have been identified in
this Plan. These include:
§ securing resources to help establish, coordinate, promote and support Village events;
§ streamlining the coordination of festivals and major events in the future;
§ strengthening our festival promotional and marketing efforts (both at the lead-up to the
festival and during the festival).
§ making Festivals much more family-oriented, by incorporating children-friendly
activities into Festival programs.
5.2.7 Networks & Collaborative Marketing
Building marketing networks with neighbouring villages and towns, and working
collaboratively with agency, business and community is an important way of sharing
marketing costs, maximising exposure and/or keeping abreast of tourism developments and
initiatives.
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Where ever feasible, it is important to look at opportunities to work in partnership with
adjoining businesses, towns, villages and festival-organisers; and continue working to grow
strong partnership with relevant agencies and the tourist industry.
5.2.8 Research and Market Intelligence
Research and market intelligence is about knowing what we’ve done in the past, where we’re
at now, and where we might be in the future. It involves improving local-level information,
monitoring and evaluation. In this Plan, research and market intelligence initiative include:
§ gaining a better awareness and understanding of our Village attributes and skills (our
environmental and eco-tourism features, our cultural and heritage characteristics, our
recreational, sporting and special-interest attributes, and our arts-based attributes and
skills).
§ gaining a better awareness and understanding of other villages’ tourism and travel
initiatives;
§ undertaking tourism audits, visitor surveys and/or research to monitoring changes in
tourists’ preferences and in our target market (both positive and negative) over time;
§ monitoring external influences that may impact tourism in Cobargo; and
§ evaluating and (where necessary) re-evaluating our tourism marketing strategies and
actions accordingly.
5.2.9 Self-sufficiency and resourcing
Relying on long-term government and private funding to achieve our tourism and business
growth objectives is unhealthy for long-term Village sustainability. Similarly, relying on the
same volunteers, year-in-year-out, to organise festivals and implement tourism development
initiatives is also unsustainable. In order to survive, in the long-run, it is important for
Cobargo to maintain its self-sufficiency. This means seeking short-term, start-up funds,
rather than on-going, regular funding sources to implement festival and town tourism
initiatives. It also means:
§ having there adequate resources (people, funds, time, skills, equipment) available to
implement the various actions and strategies identified in this Plan;
§ utilising the skills of a tourism marketing coordinator (paid or volunteer) to oversee the
implementation of tourism actions in the first year; develop comprehensive
implementation guides; undertake relevant research, surveys and analyses; developing
registers/databases; improving our E-marketing initiatives; writing grant applications;
lobbying for resources, and coordinating general tourism activities;
§ maintaining links with agency and business;
§ streamlining workloads required of volunteers and businesses (for example, through the
development of guides, manuals and information kits); and
§ exploring and encouraging projects which promote self-sufficiency in the long-term.
5.2.10 Local Level Benefits, Initiatives, Commitment
It is important that our tourism development and marketing initiatives yield positive flow-on
effects which are re-directed back into our community. In order to derive these local level
benefits for Cobargo, we should:
Page 50
§ identify tourism and leisure-based activities which the village can participate in and
enjoy (movie nights, picnics, BBQs, Landcare awareness tours, evening-based
activities, etc);
§ identify (and work with) community groups to ensure that resources are directed back
into Cobargo – by identifying our community needs, and getting them involved in the
tourism activity;
§ encourage stronger awareness and involvement (particularly within the non-tourism
business sectors) in town and tourism development initiatives.
5.2.11 Think outside the Square
Finally, it is important to take an open-minded approach to new tourism development and
marketing ideas, as long as they do not compromise our social fabric and identity. This might
mean:
§ looking at new ways of influencing travellers to Cobargo;
§ building a stronger E-marketing presence (faster, fancier, more hits);
§ exploring incentives, packages and programs;
§ evaluating alternative festival ideas; and
§ looking out for new/niche target markets.
6 Directions Forward
This report focuses on the identification of objectives, strategies and actions to improve
tourism and trading in Cobargo. The next stage for Cobargo’s tourism marketing, would be
the development of a “Tourism Development and Marketing Implementation Plan”, with the
focus of implementation on:
§ prioritising the objectives and actions identified in the Tourism Development and
Marketing Plan. This prioritisation is vital, as there are too many initiatives and actions
to tackle simultaneously, particularly by such a small community;
§ estimating resources and time lines required to undertake each priority action (financial,
time, people, etc);
§ identifying lead responsibilities for overseeing implementation and completion of each
action (business member, community group, Shire, etc); and
§ securing other involvement of individuals/groups/businesses needed to ensure each
action is successfully implemented.
6.1 Short Term Focus
In the short term, the focus will be on the follow activities:
§ completing relevant guides, manuals and promotional kits (eg Festival Implementation
Guide) so that we can streamline future promotional activities (from commencement to
completion), and avoid “reinventing the wheel” every time Cobargo hosts another
festival, or develops another brochure, etc. Having an up-to-date list of key contacts
and detailed tasks to be completed in these guides and information kits will make
managing tourism promotional activities much easier and timelier.
Page 51
§ seek and securing funding for a implementation of Plan particularly during the early
stage, and/or for a tourism marketing coordinator; and securing funding to purchase the
software requirements and hardware needed for the production of in-house (and out-
sourced) marketing material.
§ improving promotional signage surrounding the town.
§ improving our Visitor Information Centre services and materials.
§ improving the Village’s “first impressions, and in particular, restoring some of the
more tired looking buildings.
§ completing requirements for heritage listing, and promoting Cobargo accordingly.
§ strengthening our E-marketing presence, and in particular, encouraging more hits to our
Village’s websites.
§ increasing recognition of Cobargo as a tourist destination, through effective and
targeted marketing.
§ through packages, incentives and promotional media, motivating people to visit
Cobargo when its cold, and during other off-peak tourism times.
§ undertaking a tourism audit or survey and market research to determine our target
market and their travel-related preferences.
§ learning more – about our target market, their preferences, and what others are doing to
promote tourism development in rural areas.
§ understanding Cobargo – about our various environmental, eco-tourism, recreational,
arts-related, historic and cultural qualities and attributes – and the marketing
opportunities that lie within.
§ updating our promotional material, (eg TV advertisements for use in Festival and
related promotions), identify and target the right promotional locations, using the best
forms of promotional material.
§ encouraging involvement in event-organisation, tourism development and marketing
within the community and business.
§ keeping abreast of what is happening locally, regionally, nationally (and
internationally) on the tourism and business development front in rural and regional
areas.
6.2 Medium to Long Term Focus
In the medium to long term, the focus will be one of:
§ monitoring changes in tourism behaviour, preferences and markets;
§ achieving self-sufficiency in our small rural Village;
§ preventing community burn-out and maintain long-term, local interest and involvement
in tourism development and marketing initiatives;
§ monitoring the effectiveness of this Plan and modifying actions and strategic directions
where necessary;
§ implementing new and revised tourism development and marketing strategies and
actions; and most importantly
Page 52
§ celebrating our tourism development and business growth achievements (particularly
those resulting from the implementation of strategies and actions identified in the Plan).
6.3 Desired Outcomes
As people come and go and businesses change hands over time, so too will the personality of
our small Village also change. It is important that this evolving personality continues to be
effectively promoted and reflected in the qualities and attributes that lie within this quaint,
historic, arts-proud Village.
As indicated earlier in this Plan, through improved tourism development and marketing,
Cobargo hopes to achieve four main goals:
§ to be a successful, thriving, and popular rural village with strong business trading, low
unemployment and high tourism trading;
§ to be recognised for our unique, highly-talented and well-respected artists, craftspeople
and designers;
§ to be a popular, well recognised New South Wales tourist drive destination; and
§ to allow our Village’s personality to grow and prosper, whilst still maintaining our
historic, community-focused, small rural village identity.
It is our hope that the future custodians of our small Working Village will prosper in the
tourism development and business success built up over years gone by.
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Appendix A: The Nine step Tourism Development Plan
McDonough and Ackert (1986) have identified nine steps to developing a tourism
development (or promotional) strategy:
1 Figuring Out Who You Are – Establish your identity
The first step in developing a promotional image, is to figure our who you are – that is:
developing an identity. Identity and image are not synonymous. Identity is what you really
are. Image is how others see you. This is an important distinction - how you see yourself may
not be how you are seen by others.
2 Deciding On Your Product - Developing a Theme
The characteristics that make up your identity will be a long one. Decide which of these
characteristics to promote. This will be the theme for your promotional strategy.
A theme is the one main idea, or message you want to communicate with your promotional
efforts. The theme must be intimately tied to your identity. To determine a theme, ask
yourself the following questions. "What is there about my town that would be appealing to
visitors?" 'What can I tell them that would make them want to come and visit us?" "What
makes my Village unique?"
3 Deciding Who You Want To Attract - Identifying your target audience
Step three involves deciding who you want to reach, and contacting your target audience -
those people you want to reach with your information. Do you want to attract local or non-
local visitors? Repeat or first-time visitors? Families or singles? Young or old?
Deciding on who you want to attract is important. To reach your target audience, you must
identify their needs and how they obtain information about recreation and tourism
opportunities.
Different groups have different needs. Senior citizens have different needs than do young
travellers. Families have different needs than do singles and couples without children. When
you are developing your message you should address some of these needs.
Different groups also get information from different sources. Some groups get information
through informal sources, such as past visitors or local people. Others go through formal
sources such as travel agencies. Identifying these sources of information is important so that
you can find your target audience and distribute your information directly to them.
4 What Do You Want To Accomplish With Your Strategy - Establishing Your Objectives
Decide what you want to accomplish with your promotional strategy. This is Step 4. This
means establishing objectives that are very specific based on what you want the outcome of
your strategy to be. Objectives should have the following characteristics:
1. They should identify who you are trying to reach.
2. They should state what type of change you want to accomplish through your promotion.
3. They should identify how much time it will take to accomplish your objectives.
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4. They should state what you want people to do because of your promotion.
Some examples of objectives:
* Increase visitation of tent campers by 10% over the next three years.
* Increase Canberra residents' awareness of the charter-boat industry by 10% this year.
* Increase total sales to out-of-state travellers by 25% this year.
* Increase total roadside farm produce sales by 15% over the growing season.
5 Getting Your Message Across - Developing Your Message Content
An important part of your content is your theme. Do not try to get across two or more ideas in
the same message. This does not work, and will hinder your message. All information in your
message must centre on your theme. Your theme has to bind your message together. Keeping
the content centred on your theme will also help limit the amount of information you present.
This will help keep your message short and to the point.
6 Deciding How To Say It - Developing Your Message Structure
Putting your message together is called message structure. How it is put together depends on
what type of information you are using. Developing your message structure is Step 6.
7 Deciding How To Present It -Developing Your Message Format
Formatting your message is the Step 7. Format refers to how your message will appear to
people when you distribute it. The number of types and combinations of media available to
use are almost endless. Examples include television, radio, employees, community calendars,
and newspaper feature or human interest stories. A good way to decide what you want to use
is to look at what others are already using. Take any ideas that you like and adapt them to
your format, but do not directly copy them and make sure that you are adapting the ideas to
your needs.
Second, learn the good and bad points of various media, including their limitations. Find out
what best suits your needs and what will allow you to meet your audience's needs. Finally,
check to see what will be most cost-effective.
Once you select the media you want to use, the actual message must be put together. Pay
close attention to the nonverbal aspects of the message. Things such as graphics, colour
selection, type style and size will have a big effect on how people perceive your message. It
is important that these things relate to your theme, message, and audience for the maximum
effect.
8 Taking Your Message To Your Audience - Choosing your delivery System
This is Step 8. Most businesspeople in the tourism industry would agree that coming up with
a good promotional message is only half the battle. The other half is getting your message to
your target audience. Thus, the delivery system you choose is very important.
A delivery system is how you distribute your message and your media. There are two types
of delivery systems. The first type is the formal delivery system, one that you plan to use or
in which you have control over the content of the message, such as television, radio,
newspapers, newsletters, and catalogues. The second type is the informal delivery system. An
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informal delivery system is one that you do not have control over, such as word-of-mouth,
friends, family members, and repeat visitors.
Finally, different audiences obtain information from different media. A thorough
understanding of what media your target audience uses is essential to distribute your message
effectively.
9 How Is It Going? - Evaluation
The final step involves evaluation. Creating and implementing a promotional strategy can
drain your resources if you do not regularly evaluate the strategy to see how effectively it is
working. To evaluate your strategy you need only to determine whether you have made
progress in meeting your established objectives. Generally, it is good to wait one year after
implementing your strategy to see if it works because promotional effects can be cumulative.
Always be ready to make changes.
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Appendix B: The nine step tourism marketing plan
According to Mahoney and Warnell (1987), one of the most important steps a business or
community can take to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their marketing efforts is
to develop a written marketing plan. This plan will guide their marketing decisions and assist
them in allocating marketing resources such as money and personnel time. The plan should
include the following nine components:
§ the overall business objectives: what you want to accomplish;
§ an assessment of the market environment: what factors may affect your marketing
efforts;
§ a business/community profile: what resources are available;
§ market identification (segmentation): the specific groups or clientele most interested in
your product;
§ the marketing objectives for each segment;
§ the marketing strategies (or mixes) for different markets you target: the best
combination of the 4 Ps (product, price, place, promotion) for each segment;
§ an implementation plan: how to "make it work;"
§ the marketing budget: how much you have to spend; and
§ a method for evaluation and change.
1 Business Objectives
Businesses, agencies, and communities should develop overall objectives and regularly
monitor their progress. They should be quantitative and measurable statements of what the
business or community wants to accomplish over a specified period of time.
§ Business objectives are often stated in terms of sales, profits, market shares and/or
occupancy rates.
§ Community objectives often relate to such things as increasing the number of tourists,
developing or changing their image, facility and activity development, cooperation
among tourism related businesses and increasing length of stay and local expenditures.
2 Market assessment
Assess the impact of environmental factors (such as economic, social and political) on
present and future markets. Changes in these factors can create marketing opportunities as
well as problems. These may include:
§ Demographic and Lifestyle Trends - changing demographics and lifestyles are having a
major impact on tourism participation. An assessment of these trends is important to
understand how they will likely affect your business or community.
§ Economic Conditions - overall economic conditions can have significant impacts on
recreation and tourism markets. A marketing strategy that is effective during periods of
low unemployment rates may have to be significantly adjusted if unemployment
increases. Businesses and communities should monitor and assess the likely impact of
factors such as unemployment, real family income, rate of inflation, interest rates.
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Consideration should also be given to the prices of complementary products, such as
accommodation and fuel.
§ Legislation and Government Actions - tourism is significantly affected both positively
and negatively by laws and by actions of governmental agencies. Some changes to
monitor include those relating to: legal liability laws (such as public indemnity
insurance), road closure licensing (to redirect traffic during festivals and parades),
liquor licensing (during food and wine festivals), commonwealth and state budget
allocations (for regional tourism promotion); government and private sector grants (for
regional tourism).
§ Technology - New recreation products, such as all-terrain vehicles, high tech mountain
bikes, camping gear, wind surfers etc, provide new ways for people to satisfy their
recreational preferences. New production technologies and materials offer recreation
and tourism businesses ways to reduce costs and improve the quality of their
products/services. Advances in telecommunications have and will continue to create
new promotional opportunities (eg E-marketing).
§ Competition - Businesses and communities must identify and analyse existing and
potential competitors. The objective of the analysis is to determine the strengths and
weaknesses of the competition's marketing strategies. The analysis should include the
competition's: product/service features and quality; location relative to different
geographic markets; promotional themes and messages; prices; and type of customer
they are attracting.
3 Business and community resources
Many communities attempt to market themselves as tourist destinations without accurate
information about their resources (facilities, services, staff), image (projected vs. actual), and
how well their customers are satisfied. Without this information, it is difficult to make other
decisions in the planning process.
The resource inventory should identify recreational and entertainment facilities, cultural and
historic sites, accommodation, restaurants and cafes, shopping opportunities, special events
and activities, staff size, and transportation. Each item of the "inventory" should also be
assessed in terms of quality and availability.
4 Market identification (segmentation)
Recreation and tourism businesses and communities often make the mistake of attempting to
be all things to all people. It is difficult, and risky, to develop marketing strategies for the
mass market. Marketing is strongly based on market segmentation and target marketing.
Market segmentation is the process of:
§ taking existing and/or potential visitors (market) and categorising them into groups with
similar preferences - referred to as “market segments”;
§ selecting the most promising segments as "target markets;" and
§ designing "marketing mixes" or strategies which satisfy the special needs, desires and
behaviour of the target markets.
There is no unique or best way to segment markets, but ways in which customers can be
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grouped are:
§ location of residence: instate, out-of-state, local;
§ demographics: age, income, family status, education;
§ equipment ownership/use: 4WDs, sailboats, canoes, tents, mountain bikes, on and off-
road motorcycles;
§ important product attributes: price, quality, quantity; and
§ lifestyle attributes: activities, interests, opinions.
The segment identification process should result in segments that suggest marketing efforts
that will be effective in attracting them and at least one segment large enough to justify
specialised marketing efforts.
After segments have been identified, the business or community must select the "target
markets", that is, those segments which offer them the greatest opportunity. When
determining target markets, consideration should be given to:
§ existing and future sales potential of each segment;
§ amount and strength of competition for each segment;
§ ability to offer a marketing mix which will be successful in attracting each segment;
§ cost of servicing each segment; and
§ each segment's contribution to accomplishing overall business/community objectives.
It is often wiser to target smaller segments that are presently not being served, or served
inadequately, than to go after larger segments for which there is a great deal of competition.
5 Marketing objectives for each segment
Marketing objectives which contribute to the accomplishment of the overall
business/community objectives should be established for each target market. These objectives
should provide:
§ guidance for developing marketing mixes for different target markets;
§ information for allocating the marketing budget between target markets;
§ a basis for objectively evaluating the effectiveness of the marketing mixes (setting
standards); and
§ a framework for integrating the different marketing mixes into the overall marketing
plan.
The target market objectives should: be quantitative, measurable, specify the target market,
and indicate the time period in which the objective is to be accomplished. An example of a
target market objective for Cobargo might be to “increase the number of overnight stay
visitors from the Illawarra region over the next two years by 10 per cent”.
It is important that these objectives are ranked by priority and carefully evaluate to ensure
that they are reasonable, given the strength of the competition and resources available for
marketing.
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6 Marketing strategies for each target market
The marketing strategy, or mix, should be viewed as a package of offerings designed to
attract and serve the customer or visitor. Recreation and tourism businesses and communities
should develop both external and internal marketing mixes for different target markets.
The external marketing mix includes product/service, price, place/location, and promotion.
The internal mix relates to attitudes, and relations at the business level. These are presented
below.
6.1 External Mix
§ Product - the principal products that recreation and tourism businesses provide are
recreational experiences and hospitality. The factors that create a quality recreational
experience often differ among people. A quality experience for one visitor might include
an uncrowded, serene getaway. To another it might be a good restaurant and a chance to
socialise. Decisions on what facilities, programs and services to promote should be based
on the needs and desires of the target market(s). They should not be based on the
preferences of the owner/manager or necessarily on what the competition is providing.
A recreational/tourism experience includes five key elements: trip planning and
anticipation; travel to the site/area; the experience at the site; travel back home; and
recollection. Businesses should look for ways to enhance the quality of the overall
experience during all phases of the trip. This could be accomplished by providing trip
planning packages which include maps, attractions en route and on site, and information
regarding lodging, food and quality souvenirs and mementos.
Recreation and tourism businesses should also view their service/product in generic
terms. That is, focus on the “experience” the products/services is providing, rather than
just the produce/or service itself.
§ Place - Location and Accessibility. It is important to focus not only on servicing the
customer/visitor once they arrive, but also on improving travel to and from the area.
Ways to improve this travel “experience” include: providing directions and maps;
providing estimates of travel time and distances from different market areas;
recommending direct and scenic travel routes; identifying attractions and support
facilities along different travel routes; and informing potential customers of alternative
travel methods to the area such as coach or tour travel. These should be assessed in terms
the location of potential competitors with respect to target markets (negative impact);
other attractions and activities that might induce travel to the area (positive impact).
§ Pricing – this is one of the most important and visible elements of the marketing mix.
When setting prices it is important to take into consideration: business and target market
objectives; the full cost of producing, delivering and promoting the product(eg festivals,
packages); willingness of the target market to pay for the product or service you provide;
competitors’ prices for similar products or services to the same target market(s);
availability of substitute products/services (for example, accommodation in nearby
villages; the economic climate (local and national); and the possibility of stimulating
high profit products/services (such as boats) by offering related services (such as
maintenance) at or below cost.
When establishing prices, tourism communities may also consider pricing strategies
which may encourage off season and non-peak period sales, longer stays, group business,
and the sale of package plans (combination of room, meals, and recreational facilities).
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§ Promotion - Promotion provides target audiences with accurate and timely information to
help them decide whether to visit your community or business. The information should be
important, practical and accurate. Misrepresentation often leads to dissatisfied customers
and poor recommendations. Don't make claims you cannot live up to.
Developing a promotional strategy is not a science with hard and fast rules. Generally,
promotional assessment should include decisions regarding the following: Target audience
(the group you are aiming at); image (that which your community or business wants to create
or reinforce); objectives (those of the promotional campaign); budget(the amount of money
available for your promotion); timing (when and how often should your promotions appear);
media (which methods will most effectively and efficiently communicate your message to the
target audience); and evaluation (how can the effectiveness of the promotional campaign be
determined).
6.2 Internal Mix
As stated, marketing services such as tourism differ from marketing tangible products.
Tourism businesses must direct as much attention at marketing to customers on site as they
do to attracting them. In this respect, internal marketing is important because dissatisfied
customers can effectively cancel out an otherwise effective marketing strategy.
The success of internal marketing is dependent on creating an atmosphere in which
employees desire to give good service and sell the business/community to visitors. To create
such an atmosphere requires the following four important elements:
§ Hospitality and guest relations: emphasis on hospitality and guest relations, including a
customer-oriented attitude on the part of the owners and managers as well as the
employees is critical.
§ Quality Control: a program which focuses on improving both the technical quality (the
standards associated with what the customer receives) and the functional quality (the
standards associated with how the customer receives the service), is important.
§ Personal Selling: Being informed about the marketing objectives, and one’s role in
accomplishing those objectives, they can help increase sales.
§ Employee Morale: This includes programs and incentives aimed at maintaining
employee morale – and can be both monetary and non-monetary.
A customer oriented atmosphere usually results in customers that are more satisfied, do less
complaining and are more pleasant to serve. This helps build employee morale, their desire to
provide good service and their efficiency.
7 Implementation plan
Many well designed marketing plans are poorly executed. Businesses, agencies, and
communities can increase the likelihood of successful implementation if they: identify
specific tasks which must be accomplished; assign people or departments specific
responsibility for different tasks; provide employees with information on the marketing plan
(rationale, objectives, strategies); develop time lines and deadlines; adhere as much as
possible to the budget; and regularly monitor and evaluate progress.
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8 Marketing budget
Successful marketing requires that sufficient resources (money and personnel time) be made
available to implement activities comprising the marketing strategy.
A marketing budget is a financial plan which shows the total amount to be spent on
marketing during different times of the year and how it is to be allocated among alternative
activities. Separate marketing budgets should be developed for each marketing mix strategy.
The separate budgets should then be aggregated to develop an overall marketing budget.
If the total amount is too great it will be necessary to modify the overall objectives and the
target market objectives, narrow down or drop target markets, or adjust marketing mixes. The
final budget should be realistic given your objectives.
Revisions in the budget should only be made after careful consideration of the likely impact
of the change on the marketing mix and accomplishment of your objectives.
9 Evaluation
It is important that marketing efforts be continually evaluated for differences between actual
and expected results, and reasons for the success or failure to realise objectives.
A framework for evaluation may include: determining which elements of the marketing
mixes are most important to evaluate; establishing performance standards to compare against
actual results; developing formal and informal methods for collecting data on actual results;
comparison of results with objectives; and determining needed change(s).
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Appendix C: Cobargo – a historical perspective
William Duggan Tarlinton was the first white man to set foot in the Cobargo district. In
February 1829 he set out with a few men and three Aborigines to find new pasture for his
cattle. They camped where the showground is today and met and ate with local Aborigines.
He returned in the early 1830’s, selected land and erected stockman’s bark and slab huts. In
1837 he officially obtained a squatters licence for Bredbatoura and in 1838 was granted a
grazing licence. During this time others also settled and in 1840 Alexander Imlay was granted
a squatting licence for “Cobargo”. In 1852 W.D. Tarlinton took up residence at Bredbatoura.
In 1860’s new settlers began taking up selections attracted by the growth of wattle. Wattle
bark was stripped, cut and sent to Sydney and Melbourne to be used in the tanning industry.
Cobargo was also known as Wattletown because of this industry which continued until 1964.
Cobargo was the “Junction” as the township first began to develop in the late 1860’s at the
junction of the Narira and Bredbatoura Creeks. The free settlers who had established
themselves in the district were the Salways, Clugstones, Cullens, Motbeys, Wilsons,
Allens,Gillespies, Nelsons as well as the Tarlintons. In 1870 an application for a public
school was made, with residents promising to send 37 children to the proposed school. The
school began operating in February 1871 with John O’Reilly as teacher. The township had a
post office, store, school, hotel, church and blacksmith shops and several bushman huts.
Dairy started in the 1870’s with the butter being shipped to Sydney from Bermagui in kegs.
Alex, the fourth son of W.D. Tarlinton, had a dairy and cheese making premises and made
and sold butter and cheese before any factory existed in the Cobargo district.
The Butter factory and Co-Operative were established in 1901; however, the factory was
gutted by fire in 1926 and rebuilt later that year. By 1975 it was the only specialist butter
factory in NSW and continued its butter production until November 1980 when it closed
because of decreased cream supply, due to bulk milk production.
The 1880’s proved to be a time of civic and community activity, with W.D. Tarlinton being
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instrument in funding, chairing meetings and invariably the President of Societies. The first
traffic bridge over the Narira Creek was opened by W.D. Tarlinton and named Cobargo
Bridge in 1882. On May 30th 1885 a meeting was held to form the first Agricultural Society
and W.D. Tarlinton was called to occupy the chair.
Land was cleared, a pavilion, rings and pens were erected and the first Cobargo show was
held the 3rd and 4th of April 1889. In 1887 the School of Arts was constructed by local builder
George Martin and had a good library of books, periodicals, magazines and newspapers.
Today it is used by community groups and for functions.
W.D. Tarlinton died 17th October 1893 and was greatly mourned by the community. His
grave is clearly marked in the cemetery and he and his wife have memorial windows in the
Catholic Church. The site for the new church and presbytery was a gift from W.D. Tarlinton.
The foundation stone was laid in 1896 and the church opened in 1898.
A branch of the Australian Joint Stock Bank Ltd opened in April 1882 and closed in 1897.
The Bank of NSW opened a branch April 1903 and the bank was built in 1917 and closed as
the Westpac bank in 1997. This building which was built using the plans for the Cooma bank
now houses Kinetix, a sports and leisurewear factory and shop outlet.
Ben Hall’s wife Bridget Taylor died 9th July 1923 aged 85 and was buried in the Catholic
portion of the Cobargo Cemetery, however it is not marked. In 1862 she left Ben for a
policeman James Taylor, often surmised as the reason Ben became a bushranger.
The present Post Office was built in 1980. When the telephone exchange opened in 1910, the
postmaster was also responsible for line repair work in the area. The Post Office played a
very significant role for many locals as they were born there. From 1918, the Postmaster’s
wife Mrs. Merrion, conducted a maternity home in the residence.
The stationary engine, which is situated in the grounds of the Cobargo Hotel-Motel, once had
the job of running a complete saw mill at Dignams Creek. Lee Payne had the job of feeding it
with the off-cuts and waste timber from 1948 -1960, when it was replaced with a diesel
engine. The saw mill employed 11 men and closed in 1965.
Source: www.cobargotheworkingvillage.com
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Appendix D: July 1994 Cobargo Village Situation Analysis
TABLE 1: Summary of Village Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Directions for
Cobargo as at July 1994
Strengths Weaknesses
§ The Natural Environment § Dreadful footpaths
§ Self-employment, Semi-retirement § Untidy entrances to the town
opportunities § RTA roadside stockpiles
§ Opportunity to own land § Ugly new buildings
§ Opportunity to build own home § Dairy farms being subdivided
§ Good family environment § Not enough Police presence
§ No better place to go! § Poor signage
§ Craft village § Unsafe access at cemetery
§ Good climate § Lack of historical information
§ Beautiful area § Arts/crafts not promoted
§ Fantastic lifestyle § Commercial billboards
§ Arts/crafts § Lack of accommodation
§ Dairy farms, hobby farms § Not enough buying locally
§ Quiet, peaceful, beautiful § Wet ground
§ Mountains § Sewerage
§ Wilderness § Smelly drains
§ Small town § Toilets – public facilities
§ People warm and friendly § Lack of parking space
§ Active, interesting community § Lack of services for locals
§ Rolling green hills § Nothing for the young
§ Good tourist potential § People leaving
§ On the Princes Highway § Park area needs beautifying
§ Alterative lifestyle § Needs major feature
§ Horse clubs § Nothing to stop people from driving through
§ Village atmosphere § No calendar of events
§ Good business potential § No bus zone – difficult and unsafe for buses to
§ Reasonably priced real estate stop
§ Un-commercialised § Trucks turning into Co-op unsafe
§ Resident/owner operated § Tatty facades
§ Non mass-produced goods § No tree shelter at Sports ground.
§ Unique crafts – made here!
§ Small friendly community
§ Undeveloped!
§ Unspoilt!
§ Get to know everybody
§ Work here is leisure
§ Away from the “rat-race”
§ Open space for children
§ Keeps kids out of trouble.
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Opportunities How can the Cobargo Tourist and
Business Association play a positive
role in the future of Cobargo?
§ Create a bus/coach facility with information § Promote the ring route to Canberra
board – Clyde Mountain – Brown Mountain
§ Demonstration of crafts time-tabled § Town beautification
§ BBQ area with good shelter § Sell town to locals
§ One-way round trip of Cobargo – Encourage local participation
§ Festival – BUY LOCAL campaign
– Support each other
§ Tree planting – in concrete tubs in street
§ Work in with other group’s activities
§ Attractive brick paving in main street
§ Tree planting campaign
§ Old-style seats in main street
§ Improve toilet facilities
§ Promote heritage
– authentic colours on buildings § Lobby Council/RTA regarding town
– keep old facades approaches.
§ Promote round trip from Canberra – Clyde – § Town seating
Brown – Canberra. § Streetscape control
§ Beautify cemetery with trees and shrubs § Community signboard
§ Plant trees at sportsground for shelter § Signs
§ Create set of building codes to preserve § Traffic safety
streetscape. § Keep “working village” images
§ “Welcome to Cobargo” sign with logo § Update brochures
§ Historical tours – sites of significance § Coordinate businesses to offer activity
§ Small camping area with facilities for budget “packages” to tourist buses.
holiday-makers
§ Bed and breakfast accommodation on farms
§ Buy LOCAL campaign.
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Appendix E: Promotional Media – advantages, disadvantages
1 Brochures
Advantages Disadvantages
They are a very mobile form of promotion They are a passive and impersonal form of
because people take them home and give them promotion.
to friends and family.
They have souvenir value and can be referred People must make an effort to get them and then
to later. read them.
They can be developed to reach one market or Brochures tend to reach small audiences and
as a series to reach a variety of markets. must be targeted at specific markets to be
effective.
Tangibility Because brochures are overused, people tend to
overlook them.
2 Newsletters
Advantages Disadvantages
They can be written informally. They are not effective at reaching new
audiences.
They are good for reaching special markets. The cost of producing them for large markets
may become expensive and/or prohibitive.
They can be inexpensive to produce. The use of high quality production materials,
such as high quality paper and multi-colour
reproduction, can make the cost of producing a
newsletter prohibitive.
3 Newspapers
Advantages Disadvantages
High reach - they reach markets at national, High waste factor and inability to target
regional, and local levels
High geographic concentration Limitations on creative format
Good frequency Relatively poor reproduction quality
Tangibility Clutter
Short lead times Short life span
Relatively low cost High cost of national coverage
Ability to communicate long, detailed Readers are selective. They read only what they
messages and information are interested in.
People tend to see the events in newspapers as Advertising in national newspapers is expensive
happening "now" and being relevant to today; and can be prohibitive for non-profit
giving newspapers a sense of "immediacy." organisations or small businesses.
Once people acquire newspapers they can Colour reproduction varies in quality from paper
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either keep the entire paper or clip out the to paper.
information that is important to them.
Ability to place in most appropriate location - Frequency and colour are expensive
can place ads by topic (eg travel section)
They are an excellent medium to use to
promote local events or activities.
Newspapers reach both select and diverse
markets.
4 Magazines
Advantages Disadvantages
Good reproduction quality Limitations on creative format
Prestige, credibility, tangibility Clutter
Ability to communicate detailed information Low reach
Can provide quality advertising Low frequency
They are passed around to others more than Long lead times
newspapers.
High audience selectivity - They are very good Relatively expensive
for reaching selected markets
Long life span - Magazines have a sense of Most require that photographs and stories be
"permanence." Once people acquire them, they turned in far in advance of publication.
tend to keep them for a while. This allows them
to be re-read at a later date.
Difficult to make changes between the time a
story is accepted and published.
Most magazines, except for weekly magazines,
lack a sense of immediacy.
Readers only read what interests them and may
not read the whole magazine.
Difficulties in geographic targeting
5 Radio
Advantages Disadvantages
Relatively low cost No visual communications
Audience selectivity Inability to transmit complex messages or
detailed information
High frequency Short life span
Short lead times Shared attention
It is good for targeting specific markets The length of most advertisements and public
service announcements is usually short and easy
to miss or ignore
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Radio can reach large, diverse markets Radio cannot be used to demonstrate a process
Radio can help increase the market coverage of Often there are many stations in an area which
other media, especially print media makes the audience for each station small
It can be used to cover events or activities
"live."
It can be used locally or regionally
People can listen to it while doing something
else
It is an excellent medium for reaching people
on the move
Advertisements and public service
announcements can be repeated frequently
6 Television
Advantages Disadvantages
Potentially high reach - it reaches specific or Expensive to use
diverse markets – and can be used nationally,
regionally or locally.
High persuasive impact Short life span
Availability of uniform national coverage Inability to transmit detailed information
Some geographic and demographic selectivity Commercials and other promotional messages
are short and easy to miss or ignore
It uses both sight and sound for a dynamic form The number of desirable time slots for
of promotion commercials and other promotional messages in
prime day or night programs is limited and often
too expensive for small businesses to use.
It is a versatile medium
It can be used to cover an event or activity
"live."
7 Pay TV
Advantages Disadvantages
It reaches very specific markets. Not everyone has it
Advertising spots can be different than those Just because it is aired on a channel doesn't mean
for commercial television. For example, they it will be watched
can be shorter or longer.
8 Direct Mail
Advantages Disadvantages
Audience selectivity Junk mail syndrome and high discard rate
Highly flexible Relatively high total cost
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High level of personalisation Limitations on creative format
Ability to measure responses
Low Cost
Tangibility
Short lead times
9 Outdoor/Transit – Billboards, painted bulletins
Advantages Disadvantages
High reach and good frequency High waste factor and inability to target
Geographic selectivity Relatively long lead times
Long life span Inability to transmit complex or detailed
messages
Large size Not prestigious
Multiple readers Limitations on creative format
Can reach potential customers near point of Difficult to attract attention because of
purchase – for immediate incentive to stop geographical competition (concentrating on
driving, competition from other signs)
Proximity of signage – if limited to near Village–
it will only target those already travelling (rather
than motivate others to travel).
Can make surrounding landscape look
unattractive if signs neglected, or excessive (in
number, size or style).
Source:
Dimitroff, Coppedge, Cox, Bloomquist (1991)., Handbook., “Developing an Effective Tourism
Marketing Program”; Tourism Marketing Program - New Mexico State University.
Koth, B (1987)., “Tourism Advertising: Some Basics”., Minnesota Extension Service, University
Minnesota.
Morrison, A.M. (1989)., “Hospitality and Travel Marketing”. New York: Delmar Publishers Inc., pp.
346-359.
McDonough, M H., and G.A. Ackert., (1987)., “Selecting Promotional Media”., Michigan State
University.
Page 72
Appendix F: Response to comments received on the Draft Cobargo
Tourism Development and Marketing Plan
Comment Response to Comment Plan Amended
Cost of fuel and impact in Have added this to list of threats and also in Included in Report
5-10 years on main report (under research section).
prioritisation of
objectives
Plan is very ambitious for Have added the sentence under the section Included in Report
such a small town. which deals with prioritisation: “This
prioritisation is vital, as there are too many
initiatives and actions to tackle simultaneously,
particularly by such a small community”.
Funded Tourism Have replaced “funded” with “funded or Amended in Plan
marketing coordinator for volunteer”. Have removed all reference to set
12 months need to be time period (eg 12 month position) in all
changed. instances.
Scouts and Cubs, but we Venturers removed Amended in Plan
do not have Venturers
Email Marketing Plan is I agree. These are non-person specific Actions Amended in Plan
already the domain of aimed at generating additional resources so that
current web master. Cobargo our existing E-marketing presence can
be expanded.
Yuin Folk Club and Have added importance of developing co- Amended in Plan
SEAR web address linkages with local (eg Yuin) as well as other
linkages (tourism, SEAR) groups in their websites.
Can’t have road banners Hence the word “explore” opportunities for ...” Amended in Plan
in this Action. It also caters for if/when
Council changes its decision, based on
precedence set by other towns. But in mean
time, town can focus on use of Council-
approved sidewalk banners.
Accommodation booking Again “explore opportunities for ...”. Nothing Amended in Plan
– not allowed as Cobargo from stopping us from looking at possibility of
is not TIC accredited accommodation promotion at a local self-
initiated level (ie not TIC accredited).
I.T. resources By leaving the specific who and what out of Amended in Plan
this, it means we can apply for I.T. resources as
we need them, not only for current Web Master
but as other issues arise (eg if printer breaks
down, cameras get lost/stolen etc). Being
general doesn’t tie the town down to specific
I.T. requirements which may change over time.
Instead it allows Cobargo to apply for funding
across a range of grants (which are currently
evolving). Have made minor change.
Grass Ski Slope Have added reference to Millingandi. Noted in Plan
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Comment Response to Comment Plan Amended
Bermagui-Tathra route is This depends on the traveller. Although it may No changes to Plan
not popular for motorists not be popular for some caravans and boaters, it
is extremely popular for motorcyclists, younger
drivers, and boaters and those towing caravans
needing to access these areas (eg for
accommodation, or fishing spots), or those just
after scenic routes and windey roads. No
changes incorporated to Plan.
Writing grant Grant applications have strict criteria and tight Lobbying included
applications needs to be guidelines which need to be met in written form. as an Action
accompanied by lobbying Lobbying is not a part of the grant writing
process.
The need for lobbying addressed as a separate
item in Actions Table.
second dot point doesn’t Removing the “and” would make the sentence No change to Plan
need an “and” after it. grammatically incorrect.
Objective 2d: we could Both B&B’s and the Hotel/Motel already have No change to Plan.
add overnight overnight accommodation. Misinterpretation of
accommodation at both Objective: this objective is aimed at
B&Bs and the encouraging people who drive through, to stop
Hotel/Motel in Cobargo for their break, rather than some
other town.
Objective 3c: have This is an “Action” not an “Objective. Signage at bridge
information on Cobargo Signage at the local Park explicitly mentioned in park explicitly
available at the bridge the Actions Table (corresponding to Objectives identified in
park 4-6) and the SWOT table. Actions.
Need a concrete table This is an “Action” not an “Objective”. It has Added to the Plan
tennis table in the local been added to the Actions listed for Objective
park, and in similar parks 12. “(Thinking outside the square).
from Sydney to
Melbourne
Objective 6: New toilets The need for toilets was mentioned in the Plan, Now explicitly
in the park but emphasis has not been given to their included in Plan.
location in the Park.
Objective 7: Cobargo as Unclear what is meant here: hosting events, Already discussed
an events centre organising events, management of events? in Plan
Event hosting and coordination are discussed in
the main body of the report.
Objective 11a: Converting the 9-hole golf course in Cobargo Included in Plan
improvements to Cobargo requires extensive council approval, and
Golf Course, and creation resourcing (financial, time, people) for both
of Club House and infrastructure and on-going management. Its
labyrinth potential impact on increasing tourism versus
cost would need to be evaluated. Hence the
golf course upgrade, club house and labyrinth
have been addressed under “research and
analysis” in the Plan.
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Comment Response to Comment Plan Amended
Accommodation - Added to village presentation, services and Included in Plan
Camping site and youth infrastructure
hostel.
Concerts: need regular Included in Plan, in part. Greater emphasis Included in Plan
concerts and dances at given. Now explicitly included in report at 11a
School of Arts hall (Actions table).
“Meal and Music” Now explicitly included in report at 11a Included in Plan
scenario in local cafes (Actions table).
Theme weeks in Cobargo Included in Plan, in part. Now explicitly Included in Plan
eg animal painting, included in report at 11a and 12 (Actions table).
landscape painting
“an vibrant” changed to Grammatical error Amended
“a vibrant”
Cobargo population to be Population cited is just for town proper. No change
checked
Complementary health These have now been added to list of services Included in Plan
professionals and Cobargo provides.
psychologists
Sheep and poultry These have now been added to list of Included in Plan
agricultural activities Cobargo provides.
Paragraph 2.3 repeated at Wording to the two paragraphs was changed. Reworded
bottom of P13
Cobargo cooperative, Bangles Gallery and Cobargo Cooperative No change to Plan
Bangles gallery to be businesses already included in the Plan. Their
included in list of services (including pottery, hardware,
Services. respectively) are also presented in the Plan.
One table identifies business names, other table
identifies supplies/items.
Bird-spotting week, Not relevant to here, this section identifies what Added to Plan in
Cobargo walk maps already exists, not what we need. relevant section
Instead, have explicitly included in report at 9c.
Buddhist groups deserve Yes they do. Now explicitly included in report. Added to Plan
a mention
Tai chi, yoga Already specified in the report. No change
Sapphire coast producers Their name added to report of clubs, Added to Plan
association organisations etc.
Rabbits, herbs, tropical Now explicitly included in report. Added to Plan
produce
SWOT strengths – Added Added to Plan
several suggestions
SWOT weaknesses Issue of distance already mentioned as a SWOT No change to Plan
weakness. Campground/cheap accommodation
issue identified elsewhere in report.
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Comment Response to Comment Plan Amended
Cemetery needs to be less Mixed views. Some like it. Its a typical No change to Plan.
obvious country scene
SWOT opportunities Interest based tourist trails Added to Plan
SWOT threats Lack of highway frontage for markets – already No change to Plan
addressed. Putting in rose garden addressed (see previous
under improving streetscape. Campground, amendments)
labyrinth, golf course addressed elsewhere.
“Won’t travel” Don’t know what is meant by this comment No change to Plan
Adobe House closed Removed from Plan Amended in Plan
“Wicked Sticks” is not Have kept them in report as they plan to return. No change
longer in Cobargo.
“And the Storage” Modified. But it basically means “the dam” Reworded more
doesn’t make sense simply
Rogaining – what is this Its a bit like orienteering. Kept in report
“As this site the new Incorrect sentence structure. Amended text. Amended in Plan
church”
Bega District News – This issue is already addressed in the report Already in Plan
Council Dilemma (re under the S.W.O.T “threats”.
funding reductions to
local tourism)
Public comments on the A summary of the comments made, the Inserted in Plan
draft document and the response to those comments, and whether or not
responses to those they have been included in the report has been
comments should be included in the final document (this Appendix).
summarised in an
Appendix to this Report
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