Local Government NSW Tourism Conference

Local Government NSW
Tourism Conference
Success of Moonshadow Cruises !
Presented by Janene Rees
11th March 2013
Introducing…….. Janene Rees
About Moonshadow
Family owned and operated business for 32 years
Still owned by original directors
Located two and a half hours north of Sydney
Offer a range of products including Dolphin Watch
Cruises, Whale Watch Cruises, Private Charters, Dinner
and Lunch Cruises
We can offer the two key attractions in Port Stephens
with our number one selling product “Cruise and Dunes”
Combo Package
How we work with Local Council
& Government Organisations
 Local Government Tourism Organisations
 Port Stephens Council
 Sponsorship of the Port Stephens Mayoral Academic Scholarship
 Sponsorship of the Port Stephens Business Leaders Lunch
 Destination Port Stephens
 State Tourism
 Working with surrounding government area’s




Hunter Tourism
Legendary Pacific Coast Touring Route
Newcastle Tourism Industry Group
City of Newcastle Council , DNSW, TA
Where did we start in the
Asia Market?
2008
1990
First
international
business
secured
First China
2003
mission
First trade plus
another SE
mission
Asian
SE Asia
Mission
20092012
Trade
missions to
China twice
yearly with
TA and
Destination
NSW
2012
Indonesia
mission
What markets do we
work with in Asia
North Asia
 Korea
 China
 Japan
 Taiwan
South East Asia
 Singapore
 Malaysia
 Indonesia
 Vietnam
 Philippines
 Thailand
India
55% of our business is from Asia
Building Relationships
 Trade missions are an excellent way to start
 Participate in TA & Destinations NSW
missions
 A great opportunity to meet with many
agents
 Focus building relationships with your top
20 appointments
 Don’t make the mistake of trying to build
relationships with every appointment
 Find out which inbound tour operator the
agents work with in Australia
Sales Call to Uexpress
Shanghai Office Sept 12
Build Strong Lasting
Relationships
 Wholesalers
 Inbound Tour Operator
 Tour Operators
 Tour Guides
 Famils
 Private Delegations
 Making Friendships
Janene with her interpreter
in China (April 12)
The Challenges: Consumer
‘In the next 20 years, over half of projected global consumption
growth will come from developing economies, the majority in
Asia. The shift in buying power in the world economy is driving
change..’ *
 Tastes, preferences and communication methods vary
significantly across the regions
 The Asian Tourist comes in many styles
 Sophisticated and Savvy
 Becoming aware of regional Australia
 Understand food & wine
 A need for a western experience
 FIT – how do we get them to our products if not self driving
 Don’t under estimate the high end from China
* Source: The Boston Consulting Group Imagining Australia in the Asian Century Sept2012
The Impact of Social Media
& Technology
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia use Facebook
China banned Facebook & Twitter in 2008.
They use Weibo & Wechat & Youku
You need your website translated into Mandarin
The Challenges: Product
Making your product Asia ready- it’s the small things that count
Look at your product and assess where it best fits the Asian
markets
Staff training in greetings, cultural understanding
Menu planning
Halal certified
Translated collateral
Brand reputation is important
Work with agents to develop unique tailored offerings
Partner with other operators to develop complete packages
and full service offerings
The Challenges: Product
Product Development Example
1. An opportunity was identified- excess demand for
Accommodation during Chinese New Year Holiday
2. Approached & met with Toga Hospitality Group to put a
package together
3. Rate was agreed upon and package defined
4. Presented to Shanghai Wholesaler and to
inbound tour operator in Sydney
5. Discussions lead to package modifications
6. Commitment from both secured and 30
rooms allocated from 8th-17th Feb 2013
7. A successful business relationship is born
 This same process has been successfully
implemented previously- Accor Properties
The Challenges: Product
 Attractions must work with
accommodation & visa versa
 Look at what is around you
geographically and partner with as
many key attractions, restaurants &
accommodation as you can
To succeed you need..
 A passion for and genuine interest in the Asian/China market
 A commitment to building long term relationships
 A commitment of resources to growing your business in this
market
 To tailor your product or service to meet local preferences
 An adaptable operating model to meet changing market
conditions
Tips for Success
Educate yourself and your staff as much as possible on
each market.
Tap into Social Media In Asia
Join inbound tour operators on sales calls to wholesalers
this is very powerful to have the product, ITO and
wholesaler sitting at the same table.
When doing overseas missions or sales calls try to fly with
airline that is relavent to that market ie Malaysian Air
Lines when going to Malaysia, China Airlines etc also get
your ITO to Book for you – you will save
Tips for Success
If you don’t completely understand the culture – good old
fashion manners will always go over well
Subscribe to a Chinese newspaper online – Shanghai daily
is my preferred publication and keeps me up to date with
what is going on in China
Be prepared for change and never become complacent.
Think about your product and why it is suitable for the
Asian Market
Some great resources
to get you started…
 Planning for Inbound Success Report
http://www.tourism.australia.com/en-au/downloads/Planning-for-Inbound-Success.pdf
 Imaging Australia in the Asian Century Report
http://www.bostonconsulting.com.au/documents/file115487.pdf
 Experience Seekers in China Report
http://www.tourism.australia.com/en-au/downloads/Experience_Seekers_China_2006.pdf