Brooke Madill, the new Regional Council of Goyder “Tourism & Events Coordinator” writes,
“At present I am working on the New Trail Experiences Project and would like to ask each of you to assist by undertaking the attached targeted survey (& resulting workshop if you are interested).
The below information comes from the Trail consultants TREDWELL and the attached flyer offers some information for you.
The Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council and the Regional Council of Goyder in conjunction with the Clare Valley Business and Tourism Association, Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), Regional Development Australia Yorke and Mid North (RDAYMN) and the Clare Valley Wine, Food and Tourism Centre (CVWFTC), recently facilitated the development of the “Clare Valley New Tourism Experiences Roadmap”. The key objective of the Roadmap was to identify activities and experiences that would draw tourists and lengthen stay in the Clare Valley Tourism Region.
A key recommendation of the Roadmap was improving the activation of existing trails within the region.
It was highlighted that despite the plentiful and good quality trails the region has, beyond the Riesling Trail, they are relatively uncommercialised assets with limited information for the average tourist about which ones to do and what are the best bits, i.e. they are largely recreational walks, not genuine tourism products.
Tredwell Management, a specialist trail planning firm, has been engaged to prepare the Clare Valley Tourism Region New Trail Experiences Project. The key objectives for the project include:
- Activate the existing trails the region has which currently provide passive recreational pursuits with limited information for the tourist to engage with.
- Create a variety of new, “must-do” experiences for tourists that potentially lengthens stay or brings people to the region.
- Identify walking trails that have unique selling points and regional stories attached to them.
- Create the platform for businesses to engage with and enable them to commercialise in the future, further creating new experiences for tourists.
- Provides clear guidance to Local and State Government on where to invest trail development funding going forward.
- Builds the region’s brand as a location with interesting trails and enjoyable experiences.
- Provides a variety of experiences for a range of demographics and fitness levels.
We are engaging with the business community and tourism organisations to identify the most engaging walks / experiences for tourists and what has the most appeal to tourism operators, i.e. ensures the trail investment creates commercial opportunities.
The Regional Council of Goyder and the Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council have received $166,000 from the Federal Government’s Drought Communities Program which has been committed to delivering the project’s outcomes by the end of 2020. This project will form the foundation of future investment in our trail assets.
Please complete the survey prior to 24th of May 2020 by clicking on the link below to assist in identifying a series of great walks (including short, medium, long walks and loops) within the Clare and Gilbert Valleys and Goyder Council areas.
Please complete the survey prior to 24th of May 2020
Please note: Although the region is well known as a cycling destination via the Riesling, Rattler and Mawson Trails, the focus of the project is on walking trails.
The survey should take around 10-15 minutes to complete and has been developed to gather local information about the existing trails and potential future trail opportunities.
You are also invited to join the