SA tourism – innovative, cheeky and winning National Tourism Awards.

SA’s new marketing campaign includes an emailed Outback SA Cattle Drive game – see www.cattledrive.co.uk. It is a clever, quirky idea linking wine producers Jacob’s Creek and tour operator Trailfinders to capture the attention of UK visitor numbers to SA – already 70,000 pa and 23% of all overseas visitors.

The computer game will be emailed to 39,000 people on Trailfinders’ database as well additional UK residents on Tourism Australia’s database. It is based on the 2005 Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive, an epic six-week journey across outback SA, beginning April 30th.

Jacob’s Creek is offering prizes of the Brits’ Number 1 wine brand to people who email the game to friends which expands the SA Tourism Commission’s database of potential visitors. Just playing the game can win a trip to take part in the Drive.

Two SA winners of 2004 National Tourism Awards – no mean feat – are (1) Murraylands Tourism Marketing, which won the Destination Promotion category for the second year running and (2) Adelaide Hills Country Cottages in the Hosted Accommodation category – also previous winners.

(1)25 years ago the multiple Award Winning Adelaide Hills Country Cottages B & B business grew out of a derelict building renovation on a lovely 83 hectare Murray Grey cattle property at Oakbank. Steve and Mandy Adcock have been the hosts since 1998 and it was Steve’s parents who did the ‘reno’ back in 1980. The building and the setting were obviously wonderful and the Adcocks took on board friends’ advice that ‘people would pay to stay there!’

The business – five luxurious self-contained country cottages now – has developed slowly as occupancy levels rose. The Adcocks love running their B & B, though it doesn’t suit everyone. Seclusion and privacy, if that is their guests’ choice, as well as personalised service, are clearly a major ‘winning’ part of their business.

Mandy says they have a policy of ‘meeting and greeting’ and ‘seeing off’ guests and they have a reception area in their own home where they get to know people, sharing their own experiences and ‘where to go and what to do’ tips. They feel as if they really get to know their guests and have many return visits.

Only 30 minutes from Adelaide and close to the Barossa and McLaren Vale wine districts, Victor Harbour and the Murray, guests can enjoy water and country views in complete privacy.You can contact Steve & Mandy Adcock on (08) 8388 4193, visit www.ahcc.com.au or email them relax@ahcc.com.au.

(2) Julie Bates of Murraylands Tourism works with the communities of the ‘River Country’ – the names Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend and Swan Reach evoke nostalgic pictures of broad expanses of river and historic paddle steamers – and the ‘Mallee Country’ which takes in the vast expanses of the Coorong National Park and its wonderful bird and wildlife.

Julie says they approach their task of marketing their region locally, nationally and internationally in a very inclusive way. They run on a shoe-string budget and are a traditional membership-based organisation.

They remember that visitors don’t know and don’t care about tourism boundaries, so they work closely with neighbouring regions, pooling money and resources and talking to ‘everyone’ about what’s on – members and community people alike.

Their website www.murraylands.info is excellent – very clear, informative and easy to navigate. They produce high-quality brochures and pamphlets and conduct media and trade tours looking at a range of ways to measure the end result, such as actual visitor numbers, operators’ involvement in campaigns, as well as grassroots feedback