A GUIDE to help tourists make the most of Western Australia’s wildflower season has won the WA Tourism Commission this year’s ‘marketing excellence’ award in the StateWest Achievement Awards.
The WATC has been producing the guide for the past eight years and, over that time, it has evolved to a 36-page full-colour brochure boasting a print run of 50,000.
While the wildflowers attract international and national visitors alike, the WA Wildflower Holiday Guide specifically targets wildflower enthusiasts and nature lovers.
The first target market is those who specifically holiday in WA to see wildflowers. This market tends to be empty nesters who are likely to undertake package tours with a greater interest in experienced botanical guides.
The second category is those who like to see the wildflowers but in the context of a greater nature and icon-related holiday.
This market tends to be over-45s who are more likely to self-drive and look for independent and interactive experiences.
In 2003 the WATC commissioned research to assess the size and characteristics of the wildflower market and evaluate the current guide.
The research confirmed one in four WA residents aged 25 and over intended to visit wildflower areas while on holiday and a similar number had heard of the WA Wildflower Holiday Guide.
The research also highlighted that the guide was used for information to plan a WA wildflower experience and as a reference tool.
