Tourism Port Douglas Daintree is embarking on the development of a Destination Tourism Plan and the Douglas Shire community is invited to contribute their valuable feedback.
THE Douglas Shire Destination Tourism Plan will guide sustainable growth. The purpose of the new survey is to gain insights and desires of the tourism industry and Douglas community to help inform the Destination Tourism Plan. It centres on a five year vision so that short- and medium-term actions are identified to achieve a longer term vision. The public consultation is a critical stage in developing a plan that will capture the aspirations and insights of everyone in the community.
To learn more about the new Tourism Plan, DouglasNews.Network spoke with Tara Bennett, Executive Officer of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree.
When asked how she perceives the Tourism Plan to evolve, Ms Bennett said the Plan is designed to guide sustainable growth and help ensure the viability of the tourism industry, enabling it to become resilient to external shocks and changes in a dynamic and competitive market.
“Through this process, we aim to build a strategy which shares the vision, identifies tourism gaps and opportunities for future investment in the Douglas Shire.”
Broad consultation will insure the plan captures the key priorities for the community and tourism industry.
The Tourism Plan looks beyond simply domestic and international markets. It considers key travel groups, special interest niche markets and opportunities for high yield markets.
The plan is designed to position the region for all relevant markets going forward. The plan will reaffirm the key markets that have a natural disposition to the region’s core offering, not to ‘try to be everything to everyone’.
Domestic Market Recovery
Ms Bennett says that the Douglas Shire is well-positioned for a strong recovery from the domestic market as confidence in interstate travel improves, “the region has a strong brand that many Australians aspire to experience. The Daintree Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas and a wide array of experiences present a compelling holiday story which is imperative in the highly competitive domestic travel market.”
Ms Bennett looks forward to a promising 2021.
“While COVID-19 decimated visitation to the region in the past year, the most exciting aspect at present is watching forward bookings strengthen daily confirming we are slowly hitting recovery phase. “
“Over the weekend it was heartening to see a number of destination weddings in Port Douglas, corporate groups back in region and growing numbers of domestic leisure travellers.”
In the longer term, Ms Bennett is particularly excited to see Douglas Shire lead the way in sustainable nature-based tourism.
Complete the Survey
Have a say in our tourism industry of the future.
- Who is the Survey For? The survey is for business owners, residents, outside region rate payers, or anyone with an interest in the Douglas Shire.
- The survey takes 10 – 15 minutes to complete.
- Complete the survey by Monday 15 March, 2021 to enter the draw to WIN a $100 local dining voucher for Salsa Bar & Grill, Beechwoods Café, or Turtle Rock Café.
If you have more insight to share, please contact Tourism Port Douglas Daintree direct with your submission.
P: +61 7 4099 4588 Mon-Fri business hours
E: info@visitportdouglasdaintree.com
A: 8/40 Macrossan Street, Port Douglas, QLD 4877 / PO Box 511, Port Douglas, QLD 4877
