What will the Byron Shire Tourism Management Plan address?

The Byron Shire Tourism Management Plan will be developed around the following key sections:

Introduction: A short introductory section will provide a brief overview of the Shire and its destinations within its regional context and provide an outline of the purpose and content of the plan.

Vision statement: A one/two paragraph statement highlighting the vision for the destination. The values that underpin the vision are also expressed.

Goals and Objectives: Goals will reflect the overall direction of the Vision statement, but provide more specific direction and clear achievable targets. Ideally, the objectives will be expressed in measurable terms so that achievement can be monitored.

Future directions: A brief overview of the key future directions for the destination (3-5).

Strategies: Strategies will be organised under the three themes of destination development, management and marketing. Issues, challenges and opportunities will be addressed under each of these themes.

Development: This section will outline strategies that consider the type, style and level of tourism and infrastructure development that is consistent with the community’s vision and aspirations to ensure the social, cultural, political and environmental sustainability of Byron Shire to live, to work and to visit.

Strategies may address:

• Conservation of natural and built environments and the link to development controls
• Development of appropriate infrastructure & support facilities
• Access issues
• Transport systems
• Development of diverse tourism and business enterprises that have been developed to reflect community values and enhance the visitor experience
• Planning for and managing the capacity of the Shire’s destinations for tourism

Management: This section will outline strategies and practices that promote balanced, sustainable administration and management of the destination. Examples of strategies may include:

• Effective management structure to guide the management of tourism that foster tourism, government, and community stakeholder cooperation
• Managing and enhancing cooperation of stakeholders across state, regional and destination levels including relationships with: with regional bodies, state governments and adjacent local tourism organisations; local business, government and community stakeholder relationships
• Research to support decision-making including consistent visitor data collection
• Roles of government, business and community stakeholders in implementing strategies
• Funding strategies
• Crisis management planning
• Management of visitors and their impacts.
• Effective Visitor Information Centre Management
• Quality customer service standards & training for tourism and business enterprises
• Education to community, local government & tourism and business operators of the importance of tourism
• Education of visitors as to the values of Byron Shire

Marketing: This section will outline strategies that consider the development and marketing of tourism to achieve a style and type of tourism that is consistent with community’s vision and aspirations. Examples of strategies may include:

• Strategic and tactical marketing campaigns
• Consideration of domestic and international market trends and issues
• Development of a consistent image and brand
• Consideration of product strengths and attributes
• Consideration of visitor market segments and market mix, identification of the ‘right’ target markets
• Dispersal of visitors within the Shire and broader region
• How to foster cooperative marketing across state/regional/local levels
• Consistent and quality visitor information: coordination of websites/ visitor guide/signage/brochure development
• Leveraging positive PR and media exposure
• Ensuring development of product suits the market
• Evening out seasonality
• Visitor data collection systems
• Role of events & festivals in promotion of the destination

Action Plans: Strategic action plans will be developed for the short-term (one to three years) and medium-term (three to five years) and longer-term (five to ten years) that highlight the key issues, associated actions, timing and responsibilities. The emphasis will be on action that can be easily understood and applied. Roles of various stakeholders in implementing these actions and resources required.

Evaluation: This section will address how the Byron Shire Tourism Management Plan is to be evaluated including what indicators will be used to evaluate the implementation of the Plan.

return to top