Are you one of the 6500 who visited Gourmet Coast Trail's polished and inviting website in January?
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It is worth checking it out again because to mark its third birthday this month the Gourmet Coast Trail (GCT) has launched a pioneering feature that could be rolled out to trail websites around the country.
The GCT showcases the finest food and drink the Far South Coast has to offer from Batemans Bay to Eden, Nimmitabel and Nelligen.
Fiona Kotvojs, Greg Lissaman and Lucy Wilson founded the trail to build year-round tourism.
Understanding that visitors from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra have high expectations of food and drink, the GCT helps those discerning travellers find the region's best in one site.
Kicking goals for the region's small businesses
Mr Lissaman said Bushfire Local Economic Recovery funding helped the trail get off the ground.
"That helped us develop our website and do paid media placements.
"We had hundreds of thousands of views during that period," Mr Lissaman said.
It sits well with the region evolving from being popular with summer beach-goers to a year-round destination for cultural, adventure and nature-based tourism.
The latest drawcard is world-class mountain bike trails in Narooma and Eden, with Mogo to follow.
The 63 premium food and drink businesses on the GCT benefitted from the 6500 pairs of eyeballs on the website during January.
Combined with the 8000 social media engagements and hundreds of downloads of the trail's summer guide that led to an increase in GCT subscribers, it is clear the trail is kicking goals for its members.
The trail has added places to stay, as well as experiences such as Tathra's Navigate Expeditions and Narooma Charters.
Customised boutique platform
Previously visitors to the website could see all the businesses listed, search by function - food, beverage, accommodation or experience - and browse inspiring itineraries.
With the new trip planner however, people can sign up to create an account and build their own itinerary, be it for a romantic getaway, an action-packed weekend with friends or a leisurely week-long meander.
"They can share it with friends on social media and say 'look at all these great places'", Mr Lissaman said.
"We are reaching more and more people, showing them the amazing quality and diversity of the region."
He is very excited about the platform they have built which they intend selling to other regional communities wanting to create trails.
We already have nature- and culture-based visitors from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra coming here with great expectations of food and drink. Bushwalkers and cyclists love to eat so we are helping them to find the best of the coast through this one site.
- Greg Lissaman, co-founder of Gourmet Coast Trail
A rising tide floats all boats
Mr Lissaman said the new mountain bike trails will be added to GCT's website to engage cyclists with food.
"People will be coming for the bike trails but we will be showing them the other things - adventure, nature, culture - so showing those links," he said.
GCT works with the Eurobodalla and Bega Valley Shire councils and every business offering exceptional food, drink and experiences.
"That is what binds the membership together and we are very open to conversations and ideas about ways to help each other," Mr Lissaman said.
"Community-led and volunteer-run, we are very proud of what we have been able to achieve for so many small business in our region."
