Analysis: Cascades Motor Inn

CONCEPT

"Dubbo City, with a resident population of 38 000, performs the vital role as the key retail and service centre to an area of almost a third of New South Wales" (Total Travel, 2007). The Cascades Motor Inn, as a budget, yet comfortable motel on the intersection between two major highways and only moments from the Dubbo city centre. The internationally acclaimed Western Plains Zoo is an important 'pull-factor' for the city, with many motels and budget accommodations reaping the rewards of such high tourist visitation to the region. The Cascades Motor Inn, through its close proximity to the zoo has a significant competitive advantage to other similar properties.

The Cascades Motor Inn and Conference Centre is a modern 36 unit motel ideally located for an overnight stop for large groups or coaches, or an extended stay with the family. Cascades offers comfortable single, twin, and double rooms or for a more spacious stay two bedroom units and family guest rooms.

The award winning Cascades on Cobra a la Carte Restaurant is able to be configured to cater for up to 200 guests for large functions and dinners and is currently open for breakfast and dinner from Monday to Saturday. The cocktail bar is also available to guest wanting to relax after a day in the region.

The Cascades Motor Inn is also an ideal destination for the corporate traveller, with all guest rooms fully equipped with wireless internet. Seating for small or large conferences over four conference rooms, all with wireless internet is available year round.

VISION

To be recognised in Dubbo as "the place to stay", providing clean comfortable and affordable accommodation with the space you need to relax.

MISSION

To provide quality service through:

 Offering high room standards at a competitive price

 Creating individual service focusing on the requirements of each guest

 Providing a convenient location only moments to Dubbo's famous Western Plains Zoo

 Recognise that profitability is vital to future success.

TARGET MARKETS

As part of achieving these goals the business will target the following customers in its marketing efforts:

 Rural Residents from Surrounding Region

 Families from Sydney with Young Children

 Grey Tourists as part of Organised Tours

 

MARKETING PLAN

MARKET ANALYSIS

Geographic

 Dubbo is also one of the most accessible regional hubs in the state, due to its location at the intersections of major routes for road, rail and air. Country residents located within the Dubbo region account for 88,280 people or 1.31% of the population of New South Wales (ABS, 2006).

 Dubbo Airport is also one of the busiest in the region operating 140 return flights to Sydney each week, excluding other flights to regional destinations. The population pool from Sydney for visitors to Dubbo in Central NSW is 4,225,088 people. Approximately 414,738 people or 9.82% of the population of Sydney are families with children under the age of 15 (ABS, 2006). Cascades Motor Inn is targeting these Sydney based families.

 The elderly market for the Cascades Motor Inn is approximately 1,612,990 (ABS, 2006) people or 24% of the New South Wales population, indicating the strength of this particular market.

 41.2% of all tourists to the area were from Regional NSW and 34.6% from Sydney Dubbo receives approximately 741,600 and 622,000 visitors, respectively, an approximate 1.3 million visitors from within the State (Tourism NSW, 2006).

Demographic

 There is large growth potential within the region, with the population increasing by 98% since 1975 (ABS, 2006).

 Based on ABS figures from 2001 the Orana Region has close to 10,000 families. Approximately 40% (ABS, 2006) of these families have children under the age of fifteen. From this a large potential customer pool can be established based on the popularity of Dubbo's central attraction- the Western Plains Zoo.

 Dubbo's central geographic location allows it to service up to a third of central NSW's population (TotalTravel, 2007).

 Potentially there is a 120,000 strong shopping population based on the central location of Dubbo.

 The median age within the Orana region is 35, with an average annual income per capita of $35,000 (ABS, 2006). This indicates a population within the region with a low disposable income and an environment ideal for budget accommodation.

 The convenient location of the Cascades Motor Inn at the intersection between two major highways, is ideal as 90.4% of visitors to the region travelled by 'private or company car' (Tourism NSW, 2006).

Psychographic

 Similarly to the demographic profile of the Cascades Motor Inn, budget traveller show a higher tendency to stay in the region as on average, domestic overnight travellers spent $121/ night on accommodation (Tourism NSW, 2006)

 Dubbo's location and associated attractions are popular with holiday-seekers contributing to 35.9% of 4.7 million annual visitor nights to the region, whilst 12.4% were visiting for business (Tourism NSW, 2006).

 The Western Plains Zoo recorded a 5% increase in visitors from Sydney in 2005 to 2006(Tourism NSW, 2006). This may directly impact on the financial success of the Cascades Motor Inn, and other similar businesses in the region.

Behavioural

 Touring travellers accounted for 32.1% of all travellers to the region, whilst 21% were family travellers and of the 4.7 million nights spent in the region, 22.9% was spent at a motor inn under four stars (Tourism NSW, 2006).

 In 2006, holiday and leisure totalled 48.4%