ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
Gladstones about growing lupins in the area, to which Gladstones responded: forget lupins and focus on vines. In the spring of 1966, Cullen planted his first experimental vines, soon followed by Tom Cullity in 1967.
And the rest, as they say, is history. By the 1990s, Margaret River wines were penetrating eastern and overseas markets on the back of their maturing vines and vastly improved equipment and expertise. Today, the region has a thriving food and wine tourism industry, accounting for 3 % of Australia’ s grapes, but 20 % of its premium wine. It is home to over 150 wine producers. And the impact of this industry extends well beyond the cellar door to virtually the whole regional economy, including food, the arts, events, and general tourism, helping to attract around 100,000 international visitors and over a million domestic overnight visitors in 2015 to the Margaret River- Busselton region.
One of the key success factors for Margaret River was the‘ defining’ and‘ branding’ of the region as a whole. In the late 1970s, the official boundary of the Margaret River Wine Region was defined. It stretched from the coast on the north, west and south, to the State Forest in the east. Not without controversy( the boundary encompassed several markedly different wine growing areas), it was chosen so that the region would have sufficient critical mass to market itself to a global audience. This was deemed more important than the region’ s different micro-climates and soil types. None of these sub-regions were large enough or well-known enough to independently market themselves effectively. And diversity within a region can be a positive. So they all carried the‘ Margaret River’ brand.
And now, after several decades of promotion and growth, the Margaret River brand is sufficiently well-known locally and globally, that sub-regions within Margaret River are starting to independently promote themselves. The northern sub-regions arguably have a stronger advantage in Bordeauxstyle red wines, while the cooler southern subregions are better suited to white wine. The subregionalisation has only been possible because, initially, the entire region promoted itself together.
While the region does also possess scenic beauty and amenity, it was the regional cooperation that was crucial to its success.
AN ALTERNATIVE MODEL
While the three examples above consider towns that have had to transition from one activity to another, the following is an example of a town set up exclusively to service a specific tourism attraction – proximity was the reason for its existence.
YULARA – ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE TOURISM
Yulara is 18km from the world heritage site of Uluru. It provides tourists with accommodation, restaurants, a supermarket, petrol, and other essential services. The private owner of the town operates under a Special Purpose Lease.
Over the last 15 years, Yulara’ s resident population has declined from around 1,300 to 1,100. On Census night, not counting overseas visitors, at least as many again have, however, been visiting Yulara.
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