Dig deeper into our destination
John Fitzgerald explains the invitation to “come down for air” in Tasmania.
OVER the past decade, Tasmania has proved how successful we can be in the global marketplace when we all come together in support of our visitor economy.
We have developed a quiet confidence. We are proud of who we are and how we live. We have no need to boast or brag — the world is already watching.
We have seen great success in tourism visitor growth, expenditure and dispersal as a result. We’ve become a truly competitive destination — not to be taken lightly.
But we cannot rely on our past success. We are heading into uncertain times, as consumers weigh their travel decisions carefully.
Travellers are becoming more aware of global events and tensions and more discerning in their travel choices.
Tasmania’s destination marketing competitors have been snapping at our heels — looking to emulate our success and mimic our work.
We must once again innovate and place ourselves ahead of the pack. A strong tourism brand which represents us as a place and people is vital.
Over the past weekend, Tasmania’s evolved tourism brand was launched in our key domestic target markets. Tasmania — Come Down for Air plays on the notion of “coming up for air”.
It’s an invitation to our potential visitors to break free from their busy, urban lives and to feel more human.
It’s a departure from the traditional destination marketing that many may be accustomed to. This is deliberate.
Nothing about Tasmania is ordinary. Our new work captures who we are as people now, presented in an antiordinary way.
There will be no loud and noisy television and radio advertising. Our imagery, videos and commercials are focused on Tasmanian moments in time.
Tourism Tasmania conducts comprehensive research into the types of audiences which best fit what our state has to offer.
We are targeting two discrete audience segments with our marketing campaigns. This audience accounts for 33 per cent of the travelling Australian public.
These travellers seek enrichment from their holidays. They have a need to reconnect with themselves and their loved ones and to feel more human.
Tasmania can meet this need.
Through our new brand platform, you will see us responding to that need by showcasing micro-moments to our audiences designed to cutthrough their busy lives, providing them with the calmness and inspiration they yearn for.
We are digging deeper into our destination to illustrate who we really are and showcasing experiences from across the entire state.
Examples include Ben Lomond in the north, Hastings Caves in the far south, Flinders Island, Lake Rosebery in the west, Stanley in the north west and the Bay of Fires in the east.
An important part of Tourism Tasmania’s role is to encourage the movement of visitors outside of Hobart. Tasmania — Come Down for Air is heavily focused on achieving that. We’ll be showing visitors s different ways to o experience our state and steering people beyond our popular icons, which already receive plenty of visitors.
Our audiences will also see a new approach to storytelling designed to emotionally engage e with our audiences by tappitapping into a feeling. We’ll be unpacking the storylines of Tasmania and its people, showing readers what is possible and taking a deeper dive into our product and experiences.
As our island’s destination marketer, we are in a unique and privileged position. We have an influential voice on the national and international stage — one that communicates who we are and why people should visit to experience our destination. The Tourism Tasmania team is united in taking this responsibility seriously and our new brand represents the culmination of 18 months of energy, focus, effort and teamwork. We are confident that we’ve struck the right chord. Come Down for Air will position our destination for the next three to five years and is something we can be truly proud of as Tasmanians.