After its first full year of operations Inland NSW Tourism has announced a directional shift, transforming from a regional tourism organisation to a destination management organisation.

Inland NSW Tourism chief executive officer Graham Perry said destination management requires a detailed consumer focus.

“The foundation for this new approach is Inland NSW Tourism’s $100,000 consumer research program which will determine the propensity of consumers to travel to Inland NSW and their awareness and perceptions of each destination and the cross regional experiences.”

This requirement for change has been supported by Inland NSW Tourism chairman Rodger Powell.

“Destination Management will allow destinations to align with the needs of visitors,” Mr Powell said.

“The outcome will not only inform marketing, but help identify product gaps and product development opportunities to allow regional NSW to thrive in a sustainable way.”

Inland NSW Tourism currently manages 50 different co-operative marketing activities and product development programs.

“With a combined value of more than $4.7 million, these programs are already delivering strong results,” Mr Perry said.

“These campaigns are also starting to contribute to the regions’ overall growth in visitation expenditure.

“Most notably, the New England North West area of Inland achieved an 18 percent increase in the year-on-year domestic overnight expenditure to March 2012, according to the National Visitor Survey conducted by Tourism Research Australia.”