The Grampians attracts visitors from Melbourne, interstate, and overseas. But getting them to choose your accommodation, tour, or restaurant in a crowded market requires more than beautiful scenery.

I spent time with Grampians tourism operators to understand how they’re using technology to compete.

Online Booking Is Now Table Stakes

Every operator I spoke with emphasised direct online booking as fundamental.

“If people can’t book on your website, they’ll book on a platform that takes 15-20% commission. Or they’ll book somewhere else entirely.”

What works:

• Simple booking widgets integrated into websites
• Real-time availability that prevents overbooking
• Instant confirmation by email
• Mobile-friendly interfaces (most bookings now come from phones)

Popular systems include Little Hotelier, ResBook, and FareHarbor for tours. Setup isn’t trivial but it’s no longer optional.

One accommodation owner: “I resisted for years, taking phone bookings. When I finally added online booking, revenue increased 40%. People book at 11pm when they’re planning their trip. If I’m not available then, they book elsewhere.”

The Platform Question

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Booking.com, Airbnb, and Tripadvisor dominate tourism distribution. Regional operators have complicated relationships with them.

“They send me guests I’d never reach otherwise. But the commissions are brutal, and I can’t build direct relationships.”

The consensus strategy: use platforms for visibility, but drive guests toward direct rebooking.

“First stay, they might come through Booking.com. I give them a discount code for booking direct next time. Over time, more business is direct.”

Some operators have successfully reduced platform dependency; others remain heavily reliant. The key variables seem to be uniqueness of offering and marketing capability.

Social Media That Converts

Instagram dominates tourism social media. The Grampians photographs beautifully, and operators have learned to leverage this.

“Every room has an ‘Instagrammable’ moment—a view, a feature, something guests want to photograph and share. User-generated content is our best marketing.”

Successful operators:

• Actively encourage guest photos
• Repost guest content (with permission)
• Use location tags and local hashtags
• Post consistently, showing different seasons and experiences

“I spend 30 minutes daily on Instagram. It’s the single highest-return marketing activity we do.”

Facebook remains relevant for an older demographic and for event promotion. TikTok is emerging but most operators haven’t figured it out yet.

Review Management

Online reviews make or break tourism businesses. Managing them is essential.

“I respond to every review—positive and negative. It shows we care, and it influences how potential guests perceive us.”

Strategies for review management:

Prompt reviews: Send follow-up emails with direct links to review sites. Timing matters—within 24-48 hours of departure.

Respond thoughtfully: Generic responses look automated. Specific, personal responses show engagement.

Learn from criticism: Repeated complaints indicate real problems. Address them rather than dismissing reviewers.

Don’t argue: Defensive responses look worse than the original complaint. Take discussions offline when needed.

Technology in the Experience

Some operators use technology to enhance the actual visitor experience:

Digital guides: QR codes linking to information about walking tracks, wildlife, or local history. Cheaper than printed materials, updateable, and environmentally friendly.

Automated check-in: Self-service arrival for accommodation, reducing need for staff at odd hours while maintaining 24/7 access.

Activity tracking: Partnerships with apps like AllTrails that help visitors navigate and share their experiences.

Smart room features: Voice assistants, automated lighting, entertainment systems. More common in newer properties targeting tech-savvy visitors.

The Connectivity Challenge

Tourism technology requires reliable internet—for operators and guests.

“Guest reviews mention internet quality constantly. They expect to be connected, even in the bush.”

Operators have invested in infrastructure:

“We installed dedicated business-grade NBN and enterprise WiFi. It cost thousands but our reviews improved immediately.”

For operators in areas with poor fixed connectivity, solutions include:

• Multiple mobile boosters
• Starlink (increasingly common for remote properties)
• Guest expectations management (some properties market disconnection as a feature)

Data-Driven Decisions

Sophisticated operators use data to optimise operations:

Dynamic pricing: Adjusting rates based on demand, season, and events. Tools like Beyond Pricing or PriceLabs automate this.

Guest analytics: Understanding where guests come from, how they found you, and what they do during stays.

Operational efficiency: Tracking cleaning times, maintenance needs, and occupancy patterns to optimise staffing.

“We make decisions based on data now, not just intuition. The software shows us patterns we’d never see otherwise.”

Getting Started

For Grampians tourism operators early in their technology journey:

1. Prioritise direct booking. This is the foundation everything else builds on.
2. Claim Google Business Profile. Free, essential, and often neglected.
3. Start social media. Pick one platform and commit to consistency.
4. Manage reviews actively. This can start immediately with no technology investment.
5. Invest in connectivity. Poor internet undermines everything else.

Don’t try everything at once. Master basics before adding complexity.

The Competitive Advantage

Technology levels some playing fields. A well-optimised small operator can compete with larger establishments for visibility and bookings.

But technology doesn’t replace the fundamentals: genuine hospitality, quality experiences, and understanding what visitors actually want.

The most successful operators I met use technology to amplify their strengths, not to compensate for weaknesses. They’re still fundamentally in the hospitality business—technology just helps them do it better.

For Grampians tourism, that’s the winning formula: the natural beauty and regional character that draw visitors, enhanced by technology that makes finding, booking, and experiencing it seamless.