Start Feeling It on the Sapphire Coast

29 May 2020

The Sapphire Coast - Start Feeling It! campaign has been launched, to reinvigorate our vital tourism economy. It draws on the memories and feel of a great Australian road trip and unearths new destination stories.

The campaign was created by Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing in consultation with industry representatives from the Shire’s Visitor Information Centres, Chambers of Commerce and local Tourism Associations, as well as local businesses and Council.

It is part of a broader $60,000 tourism marketing activation program funded under the joint Commonwealth - NSW Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

As travel restrictions begin to lift in NSW and across other parts of Australia, travel experts are predicting the quick return of road trip holidaying and this new campaign will have our community well placed to benefit from this.

Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing’s Anthony Osborne said the unprecedented combination of the summer bushfires and COVID-19 had inflicted a hammer blow on our tourism economy, but he was confident that Sapphire Coast - Start Feeling it! and the broader economic marketing program will provide a real boost.

“Road tripping is back and the key to a successful recovery in the long-term is building a more resilient destination,” Mr Osborne said.

“By revisiting a number of our traditional focus areas and extending that focus, then wrapping these into one consolidated campaign, we aim to build a better and richer visitor economy family.”

The campaign takes a strong retro theme, generating thoughts of simpler times when families journeyed through regional Australia, while a new micro-website and a film project commencing next week will provide further key planks.

The micro-website will include virtual tours, promote online shopping and provide the opportunity to pre-book your spot by the beach through local providers for later in the year.

Bega Valley Shire Council Mayor Sharon Tapscott said at the end of 2019 the Bega Valley Shire visitor economy was worth over $400 million a year, highlighting its great importance to our Shire.

“Sapphire Coast - Start Feeling it! builds on Council’s existing investment in tourism through our tourism service provider contract with Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing, and I strongly encourage our own Bega Valley Shire community to reconnect with all that makes our region a desirable place to visit,” Cr Tapscott said.

“We all need to play a role in promoting the magic of the Sapphire Coast.

“We are rich in natural attractions and experiences and have so many wonderful stories in our region, from producers, to artists, designers and artisans. We want to uncover the best of those stories and use them to tell our destination story.

“Our large and loyal audience also means we have the chance to help local businesses sell their product outside of the region.”

Industry and the community will be invited to support the campaign by sharing the promotional content. There are Start Feeling It! shop stickers, bumper stickers and other merchandise planned and each will carry the warm reassuring colours and father and child imagery, silhouetted in a charming holiday moment.

We ask that people be safe while they are here and businesses welcoming back visitors should keep up to date with the latest government health requirements.