Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund
The Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund (TCMF) was announced by the ACT Chief Minister in August 2020 as part of a broader Tourism Stimulus Package. The TCMF is administered by VisitCanberra and is a two-year program designed to encourage eligible Canberra-based businesses to collaborate on new marketing campaigns and projects.
The primary objectives of the TCMF are to:
- Deliver positive and measurable economic outcomes for the ACT tourism industry
- Support collaboration between industry operators
- Support new product and experience development
- Provide increased investment in high quality marketing campaigns or projects promoting Canberra and the region
Applications for the 2021-22 round of TCMF are closed.
TCMF 2020-21 CASE STUDY
In September 2020, the National Dinosaur Museum, Cockington Green Gardens, Canberra Reptile Zoo and Canberra Walk-In Aviary decided to collaborate and apply for a Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund grant. With an objective of increasing visitation to the four attractions, dwell time in the Gold Creek area and visitor expenditure, this partnership resulted in a new product being developed – the Gold Creek Adventure Ticket. Lead by the National Dinosaur Museum, this new ticket offered a reduced overall ticket price for general admission to all four attractions, and allows for commissionable pricing, making it an attractive product for travel trade to consider when developing Canberra packages.
David Barker, General Manager at the National Dinosaur Museum, says they were prompted to apply for a Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund (TCMF) Grant in the wake of ongoing collaboration discussions. “The Gold Creek Attractions have discussed the concept of a joint ticket in the past but there has never been the catalyst moment to take discussions further. The onset of COVID and the effects on tourism reignited the discussion, and when the TCMF was announced it was a logical next move to take action and set up the ticket”, says David.
When asked what to keep in mind during the application process, David suggests “… Understanding the business of all partners to ensure that everyone has similar values and tourism appeal, make sure that the campaign will have common target markets for all partners, and ensure the campaign will add a new incentive to visit to Canberra as a destination”.
The funds from the $10,000 grant went towards developing and executing a marketing plan, establishing branding and assets including website and online booking portal, training staff from all attractions involved and securing hotel partners. With the pilot program complete, David is pleased to report that ticket sales have exceeded expectations, over 450 pax booked in the first month, resulting in $14,000 in revenue. Further, the product was taken to the Australia Tourism Exchange 2021 and received a great response from tourism trade, with contract negotiations currently taking place. Trade were excited about the product as it is commissionable and requires at a 1 night stay in order to redeem the 4 attractions in one visit. David confirmed the Gold Creek Adventure Ticket is here to stay!
2020-21 GRANT RECIPIENTS
| GRANT 1 | |
| Project name | Funding amount |
| Gift of Golf | $8,200 |
| People Watchers more than Welcome: Direct Mail Campaign | $9,518 |
| Great things come in little packages | $10,000 |
| Digital marketing campaign, promoting Canberra Cultural Attractions package | $10,000 |
| Gold Creek Attractions Joint Ticket | $10,000 |
| Summer Art Feast @ the National Gallery of Australia | $10,000 |
| Canberra's Outdoors | $10,000 |
| Ultimate Canberra Experience Package | $10,000 |
| Cool climate: why Canberra's wine region is the place to explore | $10,000 |
| Sleep Sip Shop Save | $10,000 |
| Art - Stay - Indulge | $10,000 |
| Taste more than relaxation - Canberra Wine Region Package | $10,000 |
| Digital Content Creators Tourism Marketing Campaign | $10,000 |
| NSW Caravan and Camping Show - Canberra showcase | $10,000 |
| Discover more than you expect | $9,962.50 |
| The Dock Dome | $2,500 |
| High Tea at Australian Parliament House tour | $10,000 |
| Staying Cosy with Cubby and Co: Introducing Dinny | $10,000 |
| Heights, Sights and Vines Package | $10,000 |
| GRANT 2 | |
| Project name | Funding amount |
| Canberra: More than inclusive, more than accessible | $20,000 |
| The Clubgoer Campaign | $20,000 |
| Accor Recovery Campaign | $64,000 |
| 4Canberra | $96,000 |
| Your Cultural Capital | $100,000 |
CONTACT DETAILS
For more information about the Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund, please contact one of the VisitCanberra contact officers.