Animal, Vegetable, Mineral & the Visitor Experience in regional destinations
From regional roadtrip games of ‘animal, vegetable, mineral’ to the latest insights from Tourism Australia applied to new international arrivals in 2023, this article looks into some of the more subtle nuances that travellers may experience in regional destinations.
I played the road trip game ‘animal, vegetable, mineral’ with my 14 year-old (eye-rolling) teenage twins in the car during our trip from Sydney to Hobart & back over the Xmas holidays (we left at the same time as the famed boat race of the same name … the yachts won line honours over us in our dusty SUV on the Spirit of Tasmania!).
As a tourism operator with an ethno-botanical health science qualification, I have respect for the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in his book “Systema Naturae” published in 1735, in which he established the classification system, dividing the natural world into three kingdoms, Regnum Animale (Animal), Regnum Vegetabile (Plants), and Regnum Lapideum (Minerals).
From playing this roadtrip game over 1000’s of kms of rural country roads, it had me thinking also in terms of the visitor experience in regional Australia … how independent travel looks in 2023, how the traveller pays & manages their tourism bookings whilst on the road, and what they look for … in basic needs, visitor servicing where digital payments are the new mineral, & the draw of Aussie flora & fauna in the latest tourism research.
Mineral
cold hard cash & coin, or more to the point … the absence of it.
More and more travellers are leaving with only their phone, & no physical wallet, due to advances in digital technology in the travel industry. With widespread adoption of online booking platforms, such as Booking.com & AirBnB allowing travellers to easily research and book their travel arrangements – flights, hotels, and car rentals, & using the mobile apps, managing their trips on-the-go, & with the increase of mobile payments and digital wallets (with driver’s licenses, concession & health cards also digitised), it’s reducing the need for travelling with cash or credit cards, making transactions more secure and convenient, and less risk of leaving a wallet behind.
Though if businesses in the destination are not ready for this new techy type of traveller & don’t rely on cardless payments – it can prove to be a real issue in rural destinations for visitors who are used to solely relying on Google Wallet or ApplePay. Several travellers in recent travels have had issues at unattended self-service petrol stations, where the next service station was a long way away, or when at the car hire desks, where physical ID cards are needed, or when accommodation payment systems had issues due to limited connectivity.
Another potential problem is that digital payment methods may not always be reliable. In regional areas, visitors from urban areas may not realise internet connectivity can be intermittent, making it difficult or impossible to use digital payment methods. And of course, there’s the local community economy where cash can help buskers/musicians/artists, local community fetes & markets etc.
Tourism operators of hospitality venues, accom & tourism attractions, essential services & Visitor Information Centres, can help the visitor experience by communicating to travellers prior to bring their actual physical payment card and cash as well as health / concession cards etc, and to not rely on their phone, especially in areas of low connectivity.
A simple gesture, though it goes a long way in helping service a visitor
whose habits are immersed in a high connectivity life, when things go wrong.
Prebooked and Prepaid bookings
There’s been a great improvement overall for the visitor experience with automated emails being received by travellers a few days prior, informing them of:
- what they need to know prior to arrival
- what to do if plans change (which they do VERY frequently still due to flight delays / cancellations)
- any personal requirements
- and another email requesting feedback after their visit / stay.
If your business or destination is not doing these prompt-style emails yet, it’s a great way to streamline communications, & reduces time-consuming individual comms between customers and the business. Your booking system may already have this option in place, ready to be activated with essential information for the visitor.
Cancellations
Accommodation providers should do regular checks of their cancellation & payment settings on OTAs such as Booking.com as there seems to be an increase in providers collecting payment even after the visitor has cancelled their booking well within the free cancellation time frame. For the visitor experience, it’s time-consuming to have to contact the accommodation to request a refund, and it could reduce the chance of the visitor rebooking at, or recommending this business.
Animal & Vegetable
(Wombat on the flats of Cradle Mountain, Tasmania. Author’s own image)
We are simple beings … when it comes to destinations and reasons for travel, it seems we can be satisfied easily – all we need mostly is a cute furry animal in a friendly natural environment here in Australia.
The recent Future of Tourism Demand research report by Tourism Australia shows substantial visitor interest in Nature Immersion experiences, via landmarks & wildlife (extending to farm animals).
In the breakdown of the Nature Tourism segment, two important visitor markets are well represented:
- the High Yield Traveller – spending in the destination
- Working Holiday Maker – helping reduce skills shortage
One of the main reasons for the popularity of nature, conservation and wildlife tourism is the growing awareness of the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats. Travellers are now looking for ways to support conservation efforts and to have experiences that are not just about viewing animals, though in understanding and preserving them.
Another reason for the popularity of nature tourism is that it often offers more authentic and immersive experiences. Instead of simply visiting a zoo or wildlife park, visitors can go on a ‘farm safari’, go on bird-watching expeditions, or volunteer with conservation projects – it’s easy to forget that visitors want to connect with nature and wildlife in a way not possible with more traditional forms of tourism, depending on where they come from, especially from urban environments, where a cow, roo, wombat or cockatoo is deemed exotic!
(City teenager in wonderment at a calf whilst attached to phone, & whilst wondering if barbed wire is ‘electrified’. Rural Tasmania, author’s own image)
And with international arrivals increasing in 2023 after a long delay in visa applications (especially from subcontinental Asian countries), make sure you promote your natural assets! As well as connect with your local community members who originated from these countries as local ambassadors, to help attract & welcome new long-stay travellers, international students & working holiday visa-holders to your destination.
The future of tourism in Australia 2023 onwards has a continued focus on sustainable and experiential travel, & with an increased use of technology to enhance the travel experience. As more and more travellers become conscious of the impact of their travel on the environment and seek out unique and authentic experiences, though with the planning & payment of the journey being digital, our industry will continue to evolve to meet these changing demands.
Are you as a tourism operator winning in the game of animal, vegetable, mineral, when it comes to the visitor experience? ..
- Do your travellers know about all the highlights of your destination in these regards
- Is it easy for travellers to plan and pay using technology, are they contacted prior to their travel with essential information, and are aware of any limitations to travelling in your region?
- Do you take the opportunity to receive feedback, and action relevant suggestions for improvement?
Author of Article
Katrina Denoux is a tourism practitioner with her own business based both in Europe and Australia, & a registered health practitioner with postgraduate qualifications. She feels lucky to be able to combine her two loves, travel & education as an Ambassador for Regional Tourism Australia, and her role as Learning Teaching & Innovation Manager at the International College of Management Sydney, furthering the international & domestic student experience in tourism, hospitality & event degrees & employability in Australia. She specialises in the experience economy, wellness tourism, & sustainability; as a lecturer & speaker on the international academic insights circuit.
References:
Linnaeus, C. (1735). Systema Naturae. Holmiae, Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii.
Mayr, E. (1982). The Growth of Biological Thought: Diversity, Evolution, and Inheritance. Harvard University Press.
Tourism Australia (2022). The Future of Tourism Demand: