Study Results to Improve Forster-Tuncurry Tourism

New research by Tourism Research Australia (TRA), shows visitors to the Forster-Tuncurry region are bucking the national trend by staying an average of 5.7 nights in the region, compared to 3.8 nights nationally, yet visitor satisfaction is below the national average.
Commenting on the Forster-Tuncurry Visitor Profile and Satisfaction (VPS) Report, Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson, encouraged tourism operators to take advantage of the study to determine how to improve the visitor experience in the region.
Minister Ferguson stated "tourism regions in NSW have the advantage of attracting the highest overnight intrastate visitors and expenditure in Australia, yet they have to compete, not only with each other but against the appeal of international travel.
"This new study highlights the fact that simple things we can take for granted like public toilets can make or break a visitor's impression of an area.
"Despite the relatively low level of overall satisfaction by visitors to the region the reality is nine in ten are repeat visitors- the challenge now is to lift the quality of their experience and therefore the tourism yield for the region.
"The study, funded through the TRA Destination Visitor Survey (DVS) program in partnership with Great Lakes Tourism and Destination New South Wales, should be seen as an opportunity for improvement.
"Compiling this reliable and detailed information on the region gives tourism businesses and regional tourism organisations the best possible tools to assist with destination management, planning, development and marketing."
The findings of the TRA survey resulted in a number of recommendations around improving customer service, product development and diversification, and marketing, which will assist with the implementation of the Australian Government's National Long-Term Tourism Strategy in regional Australia.
More information on the TRA survey can be found at

http://www.ret.gov.au/tra