Hitting the sweet spot: How Gourmet Coast Trail is tempting tourists to the Far South Coast

The Gourmet Coast Trail is an exemplar of how to bring new tourists to regional Australia.

It has evolved from a group of artisanal food and beverage businesses to become a one-stop shop for people looking for the best the region has to offer in food, accommodation and tourist activities.

The Gourmet Coast Trail has 75 members across the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla shires, Nimmitabel and Braidwood.

It was established in the wake of the Black Summer bushfires to strengthen the Far South Coast’s food economy and inspire year-round culinary tourism.

Members successfully applied for a grant from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF). They spent most of the $315,000 grant on a very large 12-month marketing campaign from 2021. It targeted the key markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

The campaign resulted in a 72 per cent increase in visits to the trail’s website. In total it generated nearly 550,000 page views.

Co-founder Fiona Kotvojs said since the campaign, website visits had remained four times above what they were pre-campaign. The website averages almost 3000 visits every month.

The campaign was shortlisted for the 2022 Mumbrella Travel Awards.

With years of experience evaluating Australian foreign aid programs, Ms Kotvojs applied that expertise to assessing the trail’s effectiveness in attracting visitors to the region.

She found that 80 per cent of subscribers who visited the region reported that the trail’s website and social media influenced their decision to come to the region, and it was a major influence for more than 50 per cent.

Additionally, 70 per cent of subscribers who visited the region identified the website and social media as factors in their decision to extend their visit beyond their initial plan.

Around 90 per cent of subscribers who visited said it had influenced where they ate or drank, the activities they did while visiting, and their choice of accommodation.

So she can confidently say “the BLERF grant increased the trail’s visibility outside the area.

“The great thing about food tourism is the money stays here,” she said.

She met a shop owner in Narooma who had noticed an increase in visitor numbers during the winter over the past four years. “He had not realised the impact of the Gourmet Coast Trail and the Fungi Feastival,” Ms Kotvojs said.

Earlier this year they introduced an interactive trip planner. It supplements the six sample itineraries on the website.

With it people can plan a weekend stay in Bermagui with friends, a romantic getaway in Tilba or an action-packed family holiday around Narooma. They can then share their itinerary with friends and family to get input.

“It is probably the best interactive trip planner on any website,” Ms Kotvojs said.

Their latest initiative is an online gift card.

Locals can give them as Christmas presents to friends and families to encourage them to visit the region later in the year and spend locally. Ms Kotvojs’ family in the UK can buy her one so she and her husband can dine at a restaurant of their choice.

“We need to promote year-round tourism to help stabilise employment, so the trail concentrates on out-of-season,” she said.

The gift vouchers are valid for three years for food, accommodation and tourist activities on the trail.

The Gourmet Coast Trail received a $5000 grant from Bega Valley Shire Council to contract a photographer to take photos of the member businesses. The photos can be used by both the businesses and the trail. It was a great deal for the businesses because the photos’ value exceeded their annual membership fee.

Eurobodalla Shire Council has given them a $1000 grant for a high tea in Narooma during Senior Citizens Week. They will purchase food from member businesses, while local kids will help serve the meals. They are inviting people from the food industry as inspirational speakers. The message will be, just because you are over 60 your life isn’t over, so keep going.

Ms Kotvojs said food tourism was big and mountain bike riders were a great target because they had money. “Good food and wine rank as the top ‘pull factor’, with 43 per cent of both NSW and interstate visitors listing it as the primary reason for travel,” she said.

Another growing sector is accessible tourism. “We are looking for a grant so we can support businesses improve accessibility and identify on our website places that are accessible.”

The current Gourmet Coast Travel committee members are Jacquie Smith from Wheelers, Mark Berry from the Bower, Josh Tyler from the Arlo and Oaks Ranch, Nelleke Gorton of Nelleke’s Culinary Adventures, Lucy Wilson from Blue Wren Catering, and Ms Kotvojs from Gulaga Gold.

To find out more or get involved, head to the Gourmet Coast Trail website.

Original Article published by Marion Williams on About Regional.