The Unleashed Collective | Tourism Marketing & Business Growth

What Tourism Businesses Need to Know This Week

Every week we review tourism data, visitor behaviour, industry news and marketing trends to identify what matters most for tourism, hospitality, accommodation and experience-based businesses across Western Australia.

Our goal isn’t to report the news.

Our goal is to answer a more important question:

What does this mean for your business?

Tourism Continues to Grow, But Competition Is Growing Too

Tourism continues to recover and strengthen across Australia, with domestic travel remaining strong and international visitor numbers continuing to increase.

For tourism operators, this is good news.

More people are travelling.

More people are researching destinations.

More people are looking for experiences.

However, increased demand also means increased competition.

Travellers now have more accommodation options, more experiences, more content and more choice than ever before.

The businesses that stand out are rarely the biggest.

They are usually the most visible, the most trusted and the easiest to choose.

The Experience Economy Continues To Expand

One of the biggest shifts we continue to see is the movement away from product-based marketing and toward experience-based marketing.

Visitors are no longer buying:

• A room
• A tour
• A meal

They are buying:

• Family memories
• Relaxation
• Adventure
• Connection
• Celebration
• Escape

The businesses that communicate the outcome of an experience rather than the features of a product continue to perform better across websites, social media and booking platforms.

A traveller rarely says:

“I want a three-bedroom holiday home.”

They say:

“I want somewhere the kids can relax.”

Or:

“I need a break.”

Understanding this distinction changes everything.

AI Is Changing How Visitors Discover Businesses

Search behaviour is changing rapidly.

Increasingly, travellers are using AI tools and conversational search to plan holidays, research destinations and compare experiences.

Instead of searching:

“Dunsborough accommodation”

Travellers are beginning to ask:

“Where should I stay in Dunsborough with children?”

“What is the best dog-friendly accommodation near Busselton?”

“What can we do in Margaret River during winter?”

Businesses that create content answering these questions will have a significant advantage over those relying solely on social media posts.

Your website is becoming increasingly important again.

Agritourism Remains A Major Opportunity

Agritourism continues to emerge as one of the most exciting growth sectors within Australian tourism.

Visitors are seeking authentic regional experiences that connect them with local producers, landscapes and stories.

Opportunities include:

• Farm stays
• Farm tours
• Produce experiences
• Agricultural education
• Seasonal events
• Farm gate experiences

For many regional businesses, agritourism represents an opportunity to diversify revenue while showcasing the unique character of their property and community.

This is a space we will continue to monitor closely.

What This Means For South West Businesses

This week we recommend five practical actions:

1. Review Your Website

Can a visitor immediately understand:

• Who you help?
• What experience you provide?
• Why they should choose you?

2. Create Helpful Content

Answer the questions your guests ask most often.

These become blogs, social media posts, videos and future search content.

3. Focus On Experiences

Lead with the outcome.

Not the facility.

Not the feature.

The experience.

4. Build Local Partnerships

Visitors don’t experience businesses individually.

They experience destinations.

The strongest tourism businesses actively collaborate with other local operators.

5. Collect Better Guest Insights

Every enquiry, review and conversation provides valuable information about visitor behaviour.

Pay attention to what guests are actually telling you.

Opportunity Of The Week

School holiday planning is now underway.

Businesses should be preparing:

• Family itineraries
• Local activity guides
• Winter recommendations
• Visitor FAQs
• Direct booking campaigns

The businesses that help visitors plan their holiday often become the businesses they choose.

Final Thought

The tourism businesses that succeed over the next decade will not necessarily be the largest.

They will be the businesses that understand their visitors best.

Tourism is changing.

Technology is changing.

Marketing is changing.

But one thing remains constant.

People still choose experiences that make them feel something.

Everything Is Connected.

The Unleashed Collective
Helping tourism, hospitality and accommodation businesses become destinations people choose, remember and recommend.