Case Study: Destination Management in the ACT

flowers-142013 was Canberra’s 100th birthday, which presented an opportunity for the ACT to capitalise on its already rich events landscape. Floriade, Canberra’s annual flower festival held in September-October, is the most popular Canberra event, and Events ACT has now released its Floriade 2013 Event Report.

The report discusses the visitation and expenditure experienced by the event, and indicates that VisitCanberra, Events ACT, and local operators have done well in attracting visitors to the ACT for its centenary, through targeted marketing campaigns, a number of other high-profile events throughout the year, and new sponsorship opportunities. The organisers of Floriade also improved their research methodology and have been able to report on the event more accurately than ever.

flower-25 This synthesis of tourism activities and the ability to measure their effectiveness demonstrates the ACT’s success in destination management. The activities undertaken in 2013 align with VisitCanberra’s updated strategic plan for marketing activities in 2013-2015, namely to change perceptions of Canberra through marketing campaigns, to leverage Floriade as the iconic event of the region, and to engage visitors throughout their travel experience through social media.