Tourism information services in the South West town of Augusta will take on a new format following the closure of the Augusta Visitor Centre this week.
Scheduled to close on Wednesday February 20, the shop front information centre will be replaced by two Visitor Information Hubs, located at the Augusta Newsagency and Deckchair Cafe.
The MRBTA said the decision would see operational funds reallocated into “meaningful marketing marketing opportunities that will drive visitation and increase length of stay in Augusta.”
ACCI Chair Andrea Lindsay said there was an opportunity for the local community to champion visitor servicing in the region.
“We know we have a lot of passionate locals within the community who tell the story of Augusta unlike anyone else can,” Mrs Lindsay said.
"This approach is about warmly welcoming visitors and encouraging them to seek advice from local businesses about their favourite parts of Augusta.”
The announcement was made last week at a meeting at the Augusta Hotel, where a number of other marketing initiatives were also unveiled.
Representatives from the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association (MRBTA), the Augusta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), local business and community members formed the the Augusta Marketing Reference Group (AMRG) to develop the new strategies.
Local businesses received ‘Augusta Ambassador’ marketing collateral to assist them in helping tourists, while a new promotional video and a new map of the area aimed to highlight the tourism experiences available in the lower South West.
MRBTA Marketing Manager and Joint CEO Sharna Kearney said the move reflected the changing pace and focus of tourist information delivery.
“The future of visitor servicing is about meeting visitors where they are, this includes in high traffic areas and via our digital channels,” Mrs Kearney said.
“The MRBTA’s other visitor centres and centralised Reservations Team, will continue to play a key role in educating visitors about the experiences available in Augusta and the AMRG will meet regularly to discuss new marketing initiatives for Augusta.”
Businesses looking to obtain the new Augusta Ambassador collateral can email communications@margaretriver.com or call (08) 9780 5911.
