page27

DAW/DOOR TO NO WHERE!

by a special correspondent

When one has a business name DESTINATION ALBURY WODONGA it is clear that is where one should be going to. The word Destination being defined as 'place a person or thing is bound for; goal; purpose'.

However, the long overdue Official Visitors' Guide for the twin cities produced by Destination Albury Wodonga is an exercise on how not to have an experience in Albury Wodonga. The first two pages in the brochure have enticing ads to send you elsewhere and in particular the towns of Rutherglen and Howlong. These ads set the scene of what is to follow which no doubt will leave the potential visitor wondering where they will end up!

This new brochure is called Albury Wodonga and Surrounding Regions Official Visitors' Guide 2009. It is news to the 'surrounding regions' that they have become part of this 'Official Visitors Guide' - who gave it the 'official crown'? No doubt the spin doctors at DAW, because by the time you try and find quality information about what to see and do in Albury Wodonga your head will certainly be in a spin!

The release of this brochure follows a tirade of industry statistics that DAW has been touting recently; from saying that visitors spend over $500 per day per person, to DAW being responsible for bringing an extra 47,000 people through Albury airport last year (they failed to mention that Virgin Airlines entered the market and is taking people away on cheap holidays). But where is the research to support all these statistics, how were these figures derived when DAW has not had a promotional brochure in the marketplace for many many months - how did people learn about Albury Wodonga?

The new brochure only has one major airline ad (Qantaslink), what about REX and Virgin airlines - they would have taken ads if DAW helped them to bring in an extra 47,000 people? These airlines wouldn't need to advertise anywhere else as DAW has taken credit for securing all these passengers for the airlines?

As everyone says statistics sound impressive and you can do what you like with them and DAW has a Masters Degree in Spin. Bit like their GM Mark Byatt, he has a Masters Degree in Leadership but seems to be unable or never to be seen when there is any conflict around. He certainly has a Masters in Spin as he has managed to get the poor ratepayers to give him two full-time wages (one for being the GM of DAW, the other Mayor of the City of Wodonga) - Spin pays well around $180,000 pa!

Speak about stats here are some which no doubt will impress the Albury Wodonga ratepayers who fund DAW. As you will see things seem to be going downhill rather than uphill, these type of statistics DAW doesn't like because they are having one big party on the ratepayers and they certainly don't want to the party to end with a few home truths!

New brochure has seventyseven (77) ads spread over fiftytwo (52) pages, previous brochure one hundred and thirteen (113) ads (plus other businesses advertised in the Business Directory section) spread over sixtytsix (66) pages, so industry participation has dropped right away.

Previous brochure had a large Business Directory section which listed all advertisers plus other businesses could pay to go in this listing (business name, address and phone number), no Directory in new brochure. Previous brochure had detailed maps of both Albury and Wodonga which showed all the major roads-streets and suburbs with all advertisers having a grid reference for easy location. New brochure has only two very small CBD maps of Albury Wodonga. Also previous brochure had the contact numbers of event organisers in the Calendar of Events section, new one doesn't have this.

The Albury Wodonga Convention Bureau which is funded by DAW doesn't get mentioned in the new brochure, conventions and events are meant to be one of twin cities strengths?

Overall comment, disappointing - focus should be more on Albury Wodonga as it is meant to be the Official Visitors Guide for the twin cities. AlburyCity say that they are a major sponsor but have they got value for money ie there is no ad for AlburyCity with their contact details, there is no display ad for the Albury Botanic Gardens or Wonga Wetlands both of which are Albury City Attractions. Poor PS Cumberoona misses out as well, the very prominent Monument doesn't feature either.

There is no display ad for the Bonegilla Migrant Reception Centre (mention is made of it on page 29 under the 'Lest we forget' heading - Army Museum Bandiana is under the same heading)? The Bonegilla Centre is meant to be a City of Wodonga's iconic attraction and over $100,000 of Wodonga ratepayers' money is being spent on it this year. Light Horse Museum and the museum in South Street not mentioned. On page 23 only the top part of the coloured balls are shown in the photograph (the balls are near the Murray River bridge as you enter Wodonga). No photograph of the water tower in High Street, Wodonga. All the different parklands in Wodonga not mentioned nor is the Wodonga Leisure Centre or the Wodonga showground and its buildings for events. Huon Hill lookout?

Regional maps and CBD maps are very popular - comments on what has been produced in this brochure are mentioned below.

Very advertised driven - if someone has paid for a display ad they get mentioned in the copy elsewhere. Why aren't all the AW rate paying tourism businesses including accommodation listed in this brochure, just over 20 are promoted and yet accommodation is meant to be one of Albury's strengths?

Other members of DAW who have not taken an ad don't even get a listing in this brochure - so what do they get as far as a benefit from being a member of DAW?

Comments on the content of the brochure:

Front Cover
Photographs of Dean Street, Albury plus High Street, Wodonga - no mention made of this in the brochure. It would have been better to have 'attractions' such as the Albury Botanic Gardens etc on the front cover.

Inside Front Cover
Ad The Winemakers of Rutherglen - this should have been an ad promoting AW?

Page 3
Howlong Country Golf Club & Motel ad - Usually a contents page or perhaps a forward from the Albury Mayor given AlburyCity is a major sponsor of the brochure?

Page 4-5
Copy - would be careful using the word 'peaceful' to describe the Murray River, that is why people drown in it, they think it is safe?
Under the heading 19th century….. last sentence re Noreuil Park says 'have a coffee in the café' (which is closed most of the year); ie shouldn't promote something that is not available.

Page 6-7
DAW has created five 'new' regions - nothing exciting about the names given, should be called touring routes rather than regions. Also there is already State Government branding for the regions - AW plus other towns along the Murray and the area up north of Henty is all part of the Murray River branding - The DAW GM, Mark Byatt and his Chairman, Graeme Irons are on the Murray Campaign Committee? Both NSW Tourism and VIC Tourism endorse this as the only regional branding for the area.

Furthermore, North East of Victoria is branded Victoria's High Country by the Victorian State Government and spent millions of dollars marketing it as this. There is a government funded association called North East Victoria Tourism Inc who are paid to market the region as this on behalf of the Victorian Government. Don't think they would appreciate three different DAW regions within this one High Country branded region?

Some regional shires wouldn't appreciate some of their towns being in two different DAW regions ie Myrtleford is in the Southern Region Discovery Region and not in the Alpine Region Adventure Region where the other Alpine Shire towns appear. Alpine Shire likes to market their main towns under their own Alpine Region branding. Likewise with Indigo Shire - now split into two different DAW regions.

Pages 8-9
Very old regional map, at least twelve years old - right out of date with content eg.
Sign posted touring routes are old and no longer displayed on roadsides ie the Tallangatta to Corryong route should be B400 not 16. Kiewa Valley Hwy should be C531 not 191. Road to Beechworth is C315 not 154, Great Alpine Road is now signposted B500 not 156 etc etc.
Haven't put in the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park or the Woomargama National Park or the Mt Granya State Park in.
Wymah spelt wrong, have wrongly spelt it as Whyma
Haven't changed the spelling of Kosciuszko
Map doesn't include Henty which is part of Greater Hume Shire (who took a full page ad in the brochure).
Poor Tumbarumba isn't covered in any of the suggested touring routes? Snowy Valleys Way route not marked.
Some roads are now sealed but are shown to be unsealed.
Also Hume Freeway now extends north of Albury ie no longer Hume Highway - the new bypasses aren't in this map.

Pages10-11
Heading Your delicious directions to Albury Wodonga's 'eat streets' two of the photographs show the names of two regional businesses - wouldn't it be appropriate to promote some of the AW ones instead?

Pages 12-13
Ads

Pages 14-15
Ads plus Calendar of Food & Wine Events - very limited list to what is on in the region. No direct contact details ie phone or website details for the event organisers.

Pages 16-17
Ads and copy - 2nd last para there is no regular farmers' market in Beechworth - it is actually a bone of contention at the moment in Beechworth as some would like to see it happen but there are objections to it.

Pages 18-19
Ads and copy

Pages 20-21
Ads

Pages 22-23
Photograph of female sculpture running across water - sculpture is no longer there.

Pages 24-25
Ads - Albury Hobby Centre ad in with historic Indigo Shire ads doesn't fit well.

Pages 26-27
Ads - at least Wodonga City has done an ad covering four things but the Bonegilla Migrant Reception Centre is left out.

Retail is certainly one of Albury's strengths but there is only an Albury Central ad, where is the Myer, Centro or other retails outlet ads?

Re ad for Hampers 4 You (should this be in the food section?).

Pages 28-29
Under the 'Lest we forget' heading re para 3 - poor Bonegilla Migrant Reception Centre is under this heading, so is the Army Museum Bandiana?

Photograph - what is the point of having the crocodile photograph, does it infer we have this animal in the Murray River?

Could have mentioned about the incredible amount of State & National Parks we have in the region and perhaps named some of them?

Pages 30-31
Ads including a Retirement Resort, one?

Pages 32-33
Ads and copy including a Retirement Resort and Snowy Hydro, one - good placement of ads or not?

Pages 34-35
Schmidt's Strawberry Winery - should it be in the food-wine section?
Golf map - Commercial Albury Golf Club is now called Commercial Golf Resort

Pages 36-37

Pages 38-39
Ads
Would have been nice to list all the airlines that come into Albury? Mr Byatt said that they have brought the extra 47,000 people into Albury airport and yet he hasn't listed the airlines companies that did it?

Pages 40-41
Photographs - a towel and a thong? What about some photographs of the accommodation in AW?

Pages 42-43
Ads

Pages 44-45
Ads

Pages 46-47
Ads

Pages 48-49
Ads plus Calendar of Annual Events - very limited, Bright Spring Festival not in it and yet it is a huge drawcard, also no Wangaratta Jazz Festival etc etc. RSPCA Million Paws Walk and the Lake Hume Bridal Fair are hardly appropriate? Again no contact details of the organisers of these events.

Pages 50-51
Under Important Numbers section - last entry is Bike Hire at the Gateway Visitor Info Centre - this could have gone in a better place in the brochure and/or in the Gateway Visitor Info Centre ad?

CBD maps - not very accurate - Wodonga Olympic Pool on wrong side of the street, only one place for parking is shown - hardly attract tourists to park in city! The Wodonga City Council's location is only shown as WCC - visitors wouldn't know what this means? High Street, arrow pointing to the Freeway, could have been useful to put Albury there as well? Public toilets not marked on map etc.

Albury car parks - some are for Club members only ie Commercial Club car park also where is the new AlburyCity multi story one off Olive Street where you park when you go to the Albury Entertainment Centre activities? Albury City Council building location is listed as ACC.

No map showing the new freeway entrances and exists.

No list of the regional visitor information centres.