Sapphire Coast Tourism (SCT) has asked council for an extra $95,000, in the upcoming financial year, to allow it to continue its social media and international marketing programs.
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Speaking to council, SCT manager Anthony Osborne warned that without the extra funding there would be a significant effect on the shire as a destination.
“The digital work we do is about staying competitive. Look at our neighbours, they are spending a lot of money on digital. I am asked all the time what are we doing about Singapore,” he said.
“We are no longer a little domestic market, we have skin in the game, we have built an asset,” Mr Osborne told council in a reference to international markets and the work that SCT has done to raise the profile of the Sapphire Coast.
The international markets are more sophisticated but 12 local businesses were selling internationally and had paid money to help the campaign, Mr Osborne said.
“We need to break into those international markets and we need the money to be part of trade and tourism missions,” he said.
He said that SCT received $280,000 of which $90,000 was shared between the four Visitor Information Centres in Merimbula, Bega, Eden and Bermagui.
The Visitor Information Centres then top up their grants with funds from members in order to remain viable.
The additional $95,000 requested is split between two pots; $70,000 is put towards the main digital strategy using social media, marketing and upskilling local industry websites, Mr Osborne explained.
The other $25,000 is used to help industry develop maximum opportunities from Singapore and help develop the local businesses to be more international ready, he added.
Without it the additional money which has been granted in three of the previous four years, SCT would be less visible, have less influence as a partner in the ACT and Sapphire Coast destination model and wouldn’t be able to participate in any of the Singapore trade missions, Mr Osborne said.
At the meeting there was discussion about where the extra money could be found with both Mr Osborne and some councillors suggesting that council needed to tap into the industry to get the money. The question though remains how that can be successfully achieved without impacting the Visitor Information Centres who could not exist without local businesses who pay a membership fee.
Councillors are expected to debate the matter as part of the upcoming budget discussions for 2017/18.
