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DRAFT SOUTH BURNETT FOOD AND WINE

DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2006 - 2008

Prepared by:

Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism in consultation with the South Burnett Food and Wine Steering Committee

November 2005

Draft South Burnett Food and Wine Development Plan, 2005-2008 2

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3

Introduction 4

Context 5

Definitions 6

Situational Analysis 7

Strategic Direction 8

Research Sources 9

Critical Success Factors 9

Previous South Burnett Tourism Research 11

Wine and Culinary Tourism Research 12

Drive Market Research 15

Customer Profile 16

Preferred Media 17

Building The Regional Brand 17

Suggested Marketing Approach 19

Recommended Strategies 21

Suggested Budget 22

Conclusion 23


Executive Summary

With a domestic visitation growth rate of over 25% and an international

visitation growth rate of over 7%, Fraser Coast South Burnett is one of the

emerging tourism destinations in Australia.

The South Burnett is a region with a diverse range of activities and attractions

that is forming its own identity as tourist destination.

A key driver of visitors to the region is the South Burnett’s strong food and

wine industry. The South Burnett wine industry is young in Australian terms,

but it is Queensland’s fastest growing wine area, and one of its best known.

There are currently 18 cellar doors in the South Burnett region, with the

wineries embracing the wine tourism concept with on-site restaurants and

cafes, accommodation and events.

The South Burnett food industry is less known, but is emerging with a range of

quality produce, from award-winning cheeses and succulent olives to prime

beef and delicious redclaw. Kingaroy, a major town in the South Burnett, is

famous for its peanuts.

This South Burnett food and wine marketing strategy covers a three-year

period, and sets out a blueprint for marketing and promoting the South Burnett

as quality food and wine tourism region. It also nominates the key

stakeholders who will be critical to the region’s on-going growth in the food

and wine sector.

Further, this strategy outlines ways in which the food and wine industry

sectors can work together to develop a united brand, as the two sectors are

not mutually exclusive for the target visitor markets.

The plan provides broad overviews of the current state of the South Burnett

food and wine industry, indicates opportunities for future growth and identifies


some critical success factors for the sector to ensure its sustainability as a

tourist destination.

The plan concludes by suggesting a three-year strategic marketing approach,

and recommending a range of specific marketing strategies and actions that

can be introduced by the South Burnett food and wine tourism industry, in

conjunction with its partners, to raise awareness, and increase the profile, of

the region as a food and wine destination, and, in turn, attract increased visitor

numbers.

Introduction

The South Burnett region is located within an informal geographical boundary

known as South East Queensland, and is marketed by Tourism Queensland,

the state’s peak tourism marketing body, under the brand of ‘South East

Queensland Country’ (SEQC), using the strapline ‘Wake Up To The Beauty Of

It’.

Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism (FCSBT), one of 14 statewide regional

tourism organizations (RTO) recognized and supported by Tourism

Queensland, is responsible for the external marketing of the region, with a

primary focus on promoting to intrastate, interstate and international visitors.

Within the South Burnett region, there are three recognized bodies with a

strong interest in tourism marketing:

South Burnett Tourism Association (SBTA), an industry-driven

organization, known as a local tourism association (LTA), that has a joint

membership agreement with FCSBT and is responsible for marketing the

South Burnett within its region. It works closely with FCSBT in marketing to

wider audiences, and has Director-level representation on the Board of

FCSBT.


South Burnett Local Government Association (SBLGA), represents the

regional interests of local governments in the South Burnett area,

encompassing the shires of Kingaroy, Wondai, Murgon, Kilkivan and

Nanango. Each shire is a council member of FCSBT. SBLGA co-funds the

position of a Tourism Project Manager, who actively works within the region to

further tourism infrastructure and training development. It also has Director-

level representation on the Board of FCSBT.

South Burnett Wine Industry Association (SBWIA), represents the

interests of wine tourism in the South Burnett region, and engages a wine

marketing consultant to promote the region as a wine tourism destination.

Most wineries associated with SBWIA are members of FCSBT, and SBWIA

has representation on the FCSBT Tourism Advisory Group, as well as an

Industry Representative Director on the Board of FCSBT.

Fraser Coast South Burnett is one of five RTO regions involved in the SEQC

branding, with the others being Brisbane Marketing, Tourism Sunshine Coast,

Toowoomba Golden West and Southern Downs.

A majority of visitors to South Burnett originate from the Brisbane metropolitan

area, other South East Queensland areas and northern New South Wales.

Context

This document arose from strategies and actions identified in the South

Burnett Tourism Marketing Action Plan 2005 -2007, developed by Fraser

Coast South Burnett Tourism, in conjunction with South Burnett Tourism

Association and Tourism Queensland.

The Plan recommended a series of market segments that needed to be

developed individually as a part of the overall strategy, including wine,

gourmet food, festivals and events, bird watching, and fishing and water

sports. Further discussion of this strategy recognized a need to combine the


food and wine market segments to maximize their complementary appeal to

the target markets.

This document is not intended to be a definitive development or business

manuscript for the South Burnett food and wine industry.

Rather, within the resources available, it is designed to outline, and provide a

foundation for, marketing activities that will assist the region’s food and wine

industry to raise its profile as a vital tourism market segment for the wider

South Burnett region.

Much of the generic information in this document has been incorporated from

the South Burnett Tourism Marketing Action Plan 2005-2007, and adapted to

the food and wine market segment.

It is also recommended that this South Burnett Food and Wine Development

Plan be used in conjunction with the South Burnett Wine Industry Association

Marketing Strategy, developed in May 2003, which includes a valuable SWOT

and competitor analysis of the South Burnett wine industry, provides further

insight into the general wine industry, and identifies goals and actions for the

local wine industry.

Definitions

Wine tourism is defined variously as:

• Domestic or international visitors who visited at least one winery during

a trip in Australia

• A wide range of experiences built around tourist visitation to wineries

and wine regions, including wine tasting, enjoyment of wine and food,

the exploration of regional environments and the experience of a range

of cultural, nature-based and lifestyle activities.


Wine tourism is not only associated with cellar door wineries, rather all

businesses that are involved in the wine, tourism and associated industries

within the wine region, including accommodation houses, tour operators, gift

shops, and national parks.

Tourism Queensland defines food tourism as travel to specific regions to

sample cuisine unique to the region1.

Further, Tourism Australia separates the definition of culinary tourism:

• Domestic overnight culinary tourism is defined as domestic overnight

visitors who travel for holiday/leisure purposes and one of the reasons

for their trip is to experience Australia’s wine or food.

• International culinary visitors are international visitors who state that

one of their reasons for visiting Australia is to experience Australia’s

food, wines and wineries.

Situational Analysis

Queensland is not globally recognized for its food and wine tourism. States

such as New South Wales (Hunter Valley, Riverina), South Australia

(Barossa, McLarenvale, Coonawarra), Victoria (Yarra Valley, Mornington

Peninsula, Milawa) and Western Australia (Swan Valley, Margaret River) have

significantly more recognition as food and wine regions than Queensland

does.

Therefore, South Burnett operates in an environment that is not regarded by

consumers as a food and wine region, despite a good quality product.

These other regions have built up awareness over a long period, and it must

be accepted that the South Burnett is a relative newcomer in the food and


wine experience market. It should also be realized that considerable dollars

and resources would need to be invested to seriously raise the profile of the

South Burnett as a prime food and wine destination, particularly in interstate

markets.

However, the elements are currently in place for South Burnett to take a

leading role in the recognition of Queensland as a competitive food and wine

destination.

It has a critical mass of cellar doors, a variety of quality primary producers, a

growing range of accommodation options (including accommodation types

that appeal to the target markets), good support tourism product, close

proximity to one of the fastest growing population growth region in Australia,

and increasing destination maturity.

The Queensland wine industry, in particular, has been boosted by Australia’s

first wine portfolio at State Government level, under the umbrella of the

Department of Fair Trading, Tourism and Wine Industry Development. The

Department provides a range of development and marketing advice and

resources for the Queensland wine industry.

Strategy Direction

The overall strategy should be to actively promote the South Burnett food and

wine experience to to the South Burnett’s regional target markets of Brisbane,

Sunshine Coast and south-east Queensland.

In addition, the strategy should assist the South Burnett to be significantly

recognized as a premier food and wine destination in Queensland, and one of

the leading culinary regions in Australia.

Achievable outcomes such as visitor number increase, volume of

familiarisations, growth of yield and industry cooperation should be set to


ensure that the objectives of the marketing and development activities are

being attained.

Research Sources

This strategy would like to acknowledge the following research sources for

empirical data provided through this document:

Food Tourism, Tourism Queensland, September 2003

Food & Wine Tourism Fact Sheet, Australian Tourist Commission,

January 2004

Niche Market Snapshot on Wine Tourism in Australia, Tourism

Research Australia, June 2005

Niche Market Snapshot on Culinary Tourism in Australia, Tourism

Research Australia, August 2005

The Drive Market, Tourism Queensland, summary results for the year

ending June 2005

Winemakers’ Federation of Australia website – www.wfa.org.au

Queensland Government Department of Tourism, Fair Trading and

Wine Industry Development website – www.dtftwid.qld.gov.au

Queensland Wine Industry Association website –

www.queenslandwine.com.au

Critical Success Factors

The success of the food and wine market segment in the South Burnett region

to drive greater visitor numbers to the destination depends on several critical

factors:

• A strong and united food and wine market segment, to ensure that

the region is acting with a common goal to promote awareness of, and

increase visitation to, the region


• Support from key tourism-related associations (SBTA, SBLGA, SBWIA), to ensure that interests of their food and wine members are

represented in the process

• A realistic understanding about South Burnett’s position in the Queensland and Australian food and wine industry, to ensure that

there is a clear vision of what is required to become successful

• The development of a focused food and wine style, to ensure that

there is a clear brand for consumers to connect with

• Co-operative dollars to come from the food and wine industry to support marketing initiatives, to ensure there are adequate funds to

effectively market the food and wine market segment in the South

Burnett region and to ensure that operators become financial

stakeholders in the marketing process

• An understanding that food and wine tourism is part of the wider regional tourism industry, to ensure the visitors are encouraged to

visit the region and increase their length of stay

• A commitment to move forward and to avoid fragmentation, to

ensure that the food and wine market segments collaborate with a

positive, united and forward-looking attitude

• Commitment to a long-term plan, to ensure an adequate timeframe

for the marketing elements to yield results and to ensure planning

objectives

• All promotional elements to focus on the South Burnett food and wine brand, to ensure that a consistent and focused message is

communicated to target markets by all promotional partners

• Membership of tourism industry associations, to ensure that the

food and wine sector has a channel to voice their comments and have

input into the promotional activities

Previous South Burnett tourism research

There is limited tourism research available for the food and wine market

segment in the South Burnett region, and little research for the broader South


Burnett tourism industry, with insufficient qualitative data on the South Burnett

area to adequately determine visitors’ knowledge, awareness and perceptions

of the region.

In 2001, a Visitors Survey1 for the South Burnett region was commissioned by

FCSBT, and was conducted by regional high school students with assistance

from Tourism Queensland. Although the sample size was small, it does

provide some historical insights into the travel patterns of tourists to the South

Burnett.

Some of the key demographic data gleaned from the 2001 Visitor Survey was:

• 26% of visitors spent the night before arrival in Brisbane and will return

there afterwards

• 69% of visitors originated from Queensland, including 32% from the

Brisbane metropolitan area, 12% from the Gold Coast and 10% from

the Sunshine Coast

• 45% of visitors were in the 45-64 age bracket

• 29% of visitors were in the 25-44 age bracket

• 44% of visitors had school-age children

• 15% of visitors were young couples

• 32% of visitors had household income between $20,000 and $39,999

• 24% of visitors had household income under $19,999

• 20% of visitors had household income between $40,000 and $59,999

• 44% of visitors visited for ‘holiday’ purposes

• 26% of visitors visited for ‘leisure/recreation’ purposes

• 50% of visitors were traveling as an adult couple

• 59% of visitors were traveling in a party of 2 people

• 35% of visitors spent 2 nights in South Burnett

• 27% of visitors spent 1 night in South Burnett

• 16% of visitors didn’t stay overnight in the South Burnett

1 Fraser Coast & South Burnett Visitor Survey, Brosnan, Pearson, Parfitt, August 2001


• 57% of visitors had never visited South Burnett before

• 24% of visitors had visited South Burnett one to three times

• 68% of visitors traveled in their own car

Importantly for the food and wine sector, 75% of visitors indicated that they

had visited a winery during their stay, and 23% listed wineries as their main

reason for visiting.

Wine and culinary tourism research

There is a wider variety of research into the general food and wine tourism

industry sector currently in the marketplace.

The Tourism Queensland website (www.tq.com.au) has selected data on the

food and wine market segment including Wine Tourism (2002), Wine &

Tourism (Roy Morgan Research, March 2002), Food Tourism (2003), and

Wine Tourism in South Burnett/North Of Gympie Region (2004).

In addition, there is broader research into related areas of tourism which will

impact on the food and wine market segment, including Tourism Forecasts

(2004), Information Sources and Booking Methods (2003), Road Travellers in

Queensland (2000), Roy Morgan Research Discretionary Expenditure (Roy

Morgan Research, May 2002), Information Sources and Booking Methods

July 2000-June 2001 (Roy Morgan Research, 2001), Bed & Breakfast

Tourism (2003) and Visitation To National Parks (2004).

NFS Market Research (Brisbane) has also prepared a Wine Tourism

Infrastructure Audit (July 2003) for Tourism Queensland, which provides an

overview of facilities and wine tourism operations in Queensland.

Tourism Australia has researched food and wine tourism on a national level.

Their ‘Food and Wine Tourism Fact Sheet’ (January 2004) provides some

valuable insights about international wine and culinary tourism visitors.

Tourism Research Australia has also produced niche market snapshots on


‘Wine Tourism In Australia’ (June 2005) and ‘Culinary Tourism In Australia’

(August 2005).

The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia also produces a range of wine

tourism marketing and research sheets, which individual wineries may find

useful to build their wine tourism business. These can be found at

www.wfa.org.au

Similarly, the Queensland Government’s Department of Fair Trading, Tourism

and Wine Industry Development has a range of marketing, operational and

research information on its website at www.dtftwid.qld.gov.au

In research released by Tourism Australia on Wine Tourism in Australia,

United Kingdom, Germany and Other Europe were the top three international

source markets for international wine visitors in 2004, which complements the

source markets for international drive market visitation as outlined above.

This research also indicated that the majority of domestic overnight (65 per

cent) and day wine (97 per cent) visitors traveled within their state of

residence in 2004.

It also indicated that both domestic and international wine visitors had longer

overnight trips in Australia in 2004 compared to other domestic and

international visitors, across all age groups.

The majority of domestic overnight wine visitors who traveled as an adult

couple were aged over 45 years (61 per cent), working full-time (54 per cent)

and had an annual income above $52,000 per annum (67 per cent).

Tourism Australia has also released statistics on Culinary Tourism In

Australia, which indicates that, in 2004, there were eight million domestic

overnight culinary visitors in Australia, who accounted for 27 per cent of

holiday/leisure domestic overnight visitors, but 35 pr cent of spend. However,

a large proportion of these domestic overnight culinary visitors (40 per cent)


were from Sydney and Melbourne, which does not suit the South Burnett

region.

Further, more than 90 per cent of domestic overnight culinary visitors took

their trip to escape and unwind, and more then 70 per cent took their trip for

luxury or indulgence purposes. And over 80% of them used a motor vehicle

(private, company or rental) as their mode of transport.

Tourism Queensland research into Food Tourism in 2003 also looked at the

type of experience sought amongst visitors classified as food tourists. In terms

of the destination, they rated the following aspects:

• Variety (of eating options) 73%

• Regional Food 36%

• Value For Money 27%

• Reputation 18%

• Partnerships 18%

• Number – access 18%

Further, food tourists were also likely to engage in the following activities

during their holiday:

• Visit museums

• Go shopping

• Attend music and/or film festivals

• Participate in general outdoor recreation

The key inbound markets for culinary tourism in Australia are the United

Kingdom, Europe, USA, Canada and New Zealand, which are all markets that

Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism has identified as its key international

target markets.


Whilst the above data only provides a thumbnail sketch of broader research

into food and wine tourism, and deeper analysis of available statistics needs

to be undertaken, it is sufficient to conclude that the South Burnett region

closely matches the profile and preferences of typical food and wine tourists,

and the experiences they are seeking.

What the region requires is a focused food and wine identity, and the

marketing resources to communicate that identity, which is what this

Development Plan aims to rectify

Drive market research

Tourism Queensland research for the year ending June 2005 shows that

Queensland receives a total of 21% of all domestic drive visitors in Australia, a

total of 9.8 million visitors. This figure showed an average annual growth rate

of 1.6% from the year ended June 2001 to the year ended June 2005, which

is the highest average annual growth rate in the country.

It is recommended that the Drive Market fact sheet be read in its entirety to

further understand the various segments, touring market demographics and

travel behaviours of both the domestic and international drive markets.

In terms of international drive visitors, the Fraser Coast South Burnett region

ranked number three in the state for United Kingdom Drive Market Visitors

and European Drive Market Visitors, just behind Brisbane and Tropical North

Queensland.

However, most relevant to this strategy is the fact that domestic touring

visitors to Queensland are more likely to participate in a number of activities,

including restaurants/international food/wine and wineries/vineyards, than the

average visitor to Queensland.


Customer Profile

At the 2005 Australian Wine and Food Tourism Conference in Adelaide, Mr

Andrew McEvoy, Director, Australasia Marketing for Tourism Australia,

outlined the ideal international food and wine visitor.

The ideal international food and wine visitor is a high value visitor, who has

common values, is easy to talk to, are opinion leaders, and have a higher

spend. They want to visit untouched and undiscovered places, they want to

meet new people, they enjoy nature (especially World Heritage areas), they

like indigenous culture and they are seeking learning experiences, such as

museums, galleries, events and festivals.

From this ideal food and wine visitor profile, the South Burnett region can fulfill

most of these requirements, and therefore is in an excellent position to attract

this type of tourist. The key is not just focus on wine and food experiences, but

to ensure that promotional collateral highlights the other activities on offer

within the area as an added attraction.

Preferred Media

Andrew McEvoy, in his presentation, also outlined the preferred media used

for research and planning by the ideal international food and wine visitor. It

includes:

• Friends or relatives (word of mouth)

• Newspaper articles

• Internet travel sites

• Reading/hearing about famous explorers

• Specialist travel magazines/programs

• TV documentaries

• Clubs and groups they belong to

• History books


Building the regional brand

At the 2005 Australian Wine and Food Tourism Conference in Adelaide, Peter

Sawrey, Chairman of Wine Barossa, spoke about strategies for building a

regional brand. Following are some extracts from his presentation which will

help crystallize the requirements for the South Burnett region to establish its

regional brand, based on the successes of the building the Barossa and

McLarenvale brands:

“Identifying your natural assets and working with them, then taking your

history, culture and personality and weaving it into a magnificent story, your

regional story, the blueprint of your identity, your DNA unlike any other region.

Your USP, your unique selling proposition, as they say in the music business,

your ‘hook’.”

“Building your regional brand requires time and a critical eye cast widely over

your defined territory that will forever be your region’s mission, vision and

modus operandi. Never stray from this path once it is set but make absolutely

sure you are on the right path. Have the conviction to change the right patch if

you think it’s wrong. It is never too late to check or audit your region.”

“Consider the look of your region, the cards that Mother Nature has dealt you.

Flat, hilly, steep, lakes, sea, granite, limestone, forests and gum trees are

potentially your assets.”

“Proximity to your consumer base is a huge bonus. I suggest that one to one

and half hours travel is the maximum for a spontaneous, unplanned visit.”

“Every region needs a decent event and every region needs diversions of a

non-wine nature. Fishing on the sea, the lakes and the rivers. Fishing, the

number one leisure pursuit for Australians.”


“Your region needs a specific champion to focus on, then once inside your

region, you can set about regaling the visitor with your complete offering.

Don’t waste precious time trying to be everything to everyone.”

“Do you all have a regional champion? Because you need one. Ideally, you

need a learned, craggy-faced elder who has the industry from the inside for 30

or more vintages and must be a local. This makes for credibility.”

“Your region must be totally integrated. You cannot drive a region when

tourism, winemakers, visitor information, local councils, events committees

and every other driver is working independently.”

This strategy supports these key messages from an experienced winery

region like the Barossa, and these are developed further in the attached

Tourism Marketing Strategy and Action Plan.

Suggested marketing approach

The consistent message from successful regional brand marketers is that the

whole region needs to work together to promote the region. Where there is

relatively low awareness of a region, the best chance of successfully raising

awareness is for all market sectors to work together, that is, attractions,

activities, accommodation, dining and services. Individual market sectors

should identify and cooperate with other common market sectors to ensure

there is a consistent message about the region.

Partnerships are a critical factor for the success of building a regional brand.

Naturally this report focuses on partnerships between the South Burnett food

and wine market sectors; however, the accommodation sector is also a critical

partner, given that the South Burnett is generally outside the 1 ½ hour drive

time suggested for a day trip. This, of course, is a benefit to the region, as it

encourages longer length of stay, greater dispersal throughout the region, and

increased dollar spend.


Other attractions and activities in region, both natural and created, are also

key partners for the South Burnett food and wine industry, as the research

indicates that the target audience are enticed to visit by a range of things to do

and see. This means that, whilst food and wine are the main drivers for

visitation, due consideration needs to be given to promoting complementary

attractions and activities, such as markets, festivals and events, the Bunya

Mountains, museums, arts and crafts, lavender farms and fishing.

These partnerships also extend further, by working with key local and state

industry bodies who can provide support and resources to the South Burnett

food and wine industry, such as:

• Queensland Government Department of Tourism, Fair Trading and

Wine Industry Development

• Queensland Wine Industry Association

• Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism

• South Burnett Tourism Association

• South Burnett Local Government Association

As mentioned earlier, it is important to establish a strong platform that will

support future growth. This involves a couple of basic, yet vital, concepts that

must be rock-solid prior to moving forward:

a) Being realistic about South Burnett’s position in the Australian and

Queensland wine markets.

b) Ensuring the basics right on an operational level and offering consumers a

clean, safe, consistent and courteous experience

c) Understanding the South Burnett region in terms of strengths and

opportunities, and points of difference with other regions

d) Clearly defining target markets for the South Burnett food and wine industry


The premise of these foundation blocks is that expectations will be realistic,

we will know who we are talking to, we will know what will bring them to the

region, and we will fulfill their experience.

Once the basics are firmly established, then the promotional and marketing

aspects are logical.

The key marketing approach that should be adopted is to ensure that the

South Burnett food and wine industry provides the consumer with what

Andrew McEvoy calls a “braggable experience”. This means that the

experience has to be so good that the visitor returns home and brags about

their visit to friends, family and work colleagues. This is an attribute of the

ideal food and wine visitor.

There are many ways to achieve this, which are outlined in recommendations.

The food and wine sector needs to tell its story through interpretation and

consumer engagement. It needs to educate visitors through local flavours and

local characters, and by using a variety of elements, such as design, history

and produce, to brand the region. It needs to provide experiences and

facilities that will allow visitors to unwind and be pampered.

It is recommended that there be a three-pronged attack to marketing the

South Burnett food and wine industry over the next three years (2006-2008):

a) Raise the profile of the region as a food and wine destination within its

target markets

b) Promote the complementary key attributes, activities and attractions of

the wider South Burnett region to its food and wine target markets, and

c) Encourage higher yield and increased visitor spending in the region, by

focusing on increased length of stay and promoting the food and wine

experience in the region


Recommended Strategies and Actions

Throughout this document, some clear and consistent marketing messages

have emerged, and these are expounded in the attached Tourism

Development and Marketing Action Plan (Appendix 1):

Ensure a strong and united link between food and wine

Consolidate the umbrella promotional name and brand for South

Burnett food and wine – Taste The Magic

Generate more funding for marketing activities

Creation of a wine and food tourism marketing steering committee

Focus on a singular food product and wine variety – own a category

Greater packaging between food and wine producers

Focus on key markets

Creation of a year-round wine events calendar

Development of a signature food and wine event for the South Burnett

region

Celebrity ambassador for the South Burnett food and wine industry

Ensure strong linkages between food and wine

Sell the South Burnett region as a whole

Develop local character stories for publicity

Suggested Budget

An estimated budget for individual marketing and promotional activities is

included in the attached Tourism Development and Marketing Action Plan.

Firm quotes should be obtained for each activity before implementation.

Contributing partners include Tourism Queensland, Department of Tourism,

Fair Trading and Wine Industry Development, Department of State

Development, Trade and Innovation, South Burnett Wine Industry Association,


South Burnett Tourism Association, South Burnett Local Government

Association and the South Burnett tourism operators.

It is suggested that the South Burnett Wine Industry Association consider

extending its membership to include a category for primary and

supplementary food producers/providers.

Alternatively, a marketing contribution based on a project-based, buy-in basis

could be requested from participating food and wine operators to contribute to

on-going marketing and promotional activities, including the retention of

SBWIA’s current publicity contractor.

Grants and other funding sources should be explored to extend the amount of

available funds.

Conclusion

This document confirms that the South Burnett region is well-positioned to

become the leading culinary destination in Queensland.

It has a strong, established wine industry, a growing number of quality primary

food producers, and abundant other attractions to fulfill the culinary visitors

needs.

The region needs to harness these outstanding attributes into a single entity

that builds on the experience that is offered to visitors. It has been shown that

the region will gain significant benefits by forming alliances between the wine,

food and general tourism sectors, and being very clear, concise and targeted

in the messages being delivered to its target markets.

The creation, delivery and maintenance of a memorable food and wine

experience are the keys to branding the region as a tourism market leader.

There is a strong need to confirm current culinary attributes, identify market

supply gaps, and seek to fill these gaps with existing or new industry partners.


The critical success factors outlined in this document are also paramount to

food and wine tourism growth in the South Burnett region, and given the

limited amount of financial resources, it will be essential that all stakeholders

have a focused, regional approach to the marketing of the region to ensure

maximum return.

Within the Queensland food and wine industry, there is no clearly

recognizable regional brand, and the South Burnett is ideally poised to

assume this mantle.

There are many new opportunities to be explored in further depth, but it is

hoped that this marketing plan provides a platform to achieve the promotional

goals of the South Burnett food and wine industry over the next three years.

Appendix 1 – Tourism development and marketing action plan for South Burnett’s food and wine sector STRATEGY ACTION TIMELINE WHO

Ensure a strong and united link

between wine and food

Establish a South Burnett Food and Wine

Committee with representatives from SBWIA,

RTO, SBTA and industry

February 2006 SBWIA, SBTA,

FCSBT, DSDTI

Develop the South Burnett wine and

food brand

Conduct an audit of all existing food and wine

producers in the South Burnett

Identify and develop potential food and wine

clusters

Focus on a one or two wine styles as the

signature styles for the South Burnett region

Establish an accreditation system that leads

to improved training for food and wine

operators

Further develop the ‘Taste The Magic’

branding to identify the South Burnett food

and wine industry

March 2006

April 2006

On-going

On-going

March 2006

FCSBT, Dev.

Manager, SBWIA,

SBTA, DSDTI

Use key identifying messages on a regular

basis to build the brand

Identify and focus on identified target markets

Identify and support potential catering

businesses to set up in the South Burnett to

provide greater catering options for

conferences and conventions, including the

establishment and/or upgrade of commercial

kitchens in key public facilities in the South

Burnett

On-going

On-going

On-going

Use other regional attributes to

create a regional brand

Identity other attractions and activities

(natural and created) to provide a complete

regional visitor experience

Promote the diversity of attractions and

activities in the South Burnett, with food and

wine as a key driver

April 2006

On-going

FCSBT, Dev.

Manager

Generate additional funds for the

wine and food sector

Develop a series of project-based, buy-in

opportunities for food and wine operators,

with different contribution levels for members

and non-members of FCSBT

Source appropriate grant funding

July 2006

On-going

FCSBT, SBWIA,

Dev. Manager,

DSDTI

Seek funding assistance from the Department

of Tourism, Fair Trading and Wine Industry

Development, Department of State

Development, Trade and Innovation, and

Department of Education, Employment and

Training

May 2006

Liaise with key stakeholders Participate in regional food and wine

marketing workshops and conferences

August 2006 Dev. Manager,

SBWIA

Ensure better communication of food

and wine activities

Retain PR company to promote food and

wine elements

Maintain food and wine representation on key

tourism and business associations

2006 – 2008

On-going

SBWIA

Provide a genuine food and wine

experience for consumers

Package and partner complementary food

and wine products

Develop existing food and wine events into a

signature events for the region

Create a new event to involve South Burnett

cellar door activities

October 2006

2006 or 2007

2007

Industry, Dev.

Manager, SBWIA,

FCSBT, Qld Events,

WID

Develop a South Burnett Food and Wine Trail

Develop a food and wine brochure,

incorporating all tourism businesses

Incorporate food and wine component in

FCSBT regional guide

Ensure staff receive customer service training

to provide a high-quality interaction with

visitors

Liaise with relevant government departments

to improve signage in South Burnett

Department of Main Roads and Tourism

Queensland representatives to address

SBLGA meeting to encourage consistency in

signage within South Burnett shires

Encourage South Burnett local councils to

provide entry signs promoting food and wine

experiences

November 2006

July 2006

April 2006

On-going

On-going

April 2006

On-going

As above plus DMR

and local councils

As above plus DMR,

SBLGA and TQ

All above plus steering committee

Initiate a set of marketing activities to

promote food and wine experiences

in the South Burnett region

Link with Southern Downs/Granite Belt

wineries to cross-promote experiences

Identify and approach a celebrity to be an

ambassador or spokesman for the South

Burnett food and wine region

Develop a series of local character stories to

be used for publicity purposes

Develop a Masterclass package with

accommodation, food producers and wineries

Develop a consumer loyalty programme to

ensure repeat and on-going business

Develop a Cellar Door Pass concept to

disperse visitation to more wineries and food

outlets

Develop a year-round food and wine events

calendar

On-going

March 2006

May 2006

May 2006

February 2007

February 2007

On-going

SBWIA, Dev.

Manager, FCSBT,

contractors, industry,

WID

Implement a media campaign to promote

food and wine experiences in the South

Burnett

Attend relevant consumer events to promote

South Burnett food and wine experiences,

such as The Ekka

2006 - 2008

As required

Packaging Package food and wine experiences with

accommodation and other attractions and

activities

September 2006 Industry, Dev.

Manager

Investigate wine & food activities in

other regions

Organise & conduct study tour to relevant

regions specializing in food and wine

experiences, eg. New Zealand, Central

Victoria, Mornington Peninsula

2006 FCSBT, Industry,

Dev. Manager,

DSDTI

Research Undertake further research into food and

wine tourism, including visitation, multiplier

effects, spend and operator data

November 2006 FCSBT, Dev.

Manager, TQ,

Tourism Australia,

WID

Documents

SB food and wine development plan 2006southburnett.com.au/pdfs/2006winefoodpan.pdf · and wine regions, including wine tasting, enjoyment of wine and food, ... be accepted that the