Aussie tourist spot makes subtle change to visitor brochure
Mount Gambier's Blue Lake has many shades throughout the year, but tourism bosses are walking away from the most vibrant.
As Gen Z and Millennials constantly seek striking locations that can rake in the Instagram likes, one popular Australian tourist location has made the bold move to dull down its top attraction.
In the age of filters and photo editing apps, tourists across Australia can often skew reality with their vibrant photos to draw the envy of their followers. And visitors to Mount Gambier's Blue Lake are no different.
A quick glance at tags to the tourist site formed in a volcanic crater shows electric blue waters which have famously drawn in eager visitors. But this year the South Australian city has decided to ditch striking imagery and instead opt for photos portraying a much softer and darker blue for its promotional material.
Strategic development and visitor economy coordinator Amanda Stevens explains tourism bosses don't want visitors to be disappointed by what they find on arrival and want to offer a realistic vision of what they'll find.
"The traveller really does expect to see when they get here what they're seeing in the visuals before they get here, and that's what we're leaning into more," she told the ABC.
Younger tourists' travel trend behind decision
Stevens explains her team have detected that younger generations now care far less about weather conditions than boomers do, meaning visits to the area are not necessarily peaking in the summer months.
"They're travelling all year round — things like long weekends, public holidays, school holidays, they're not technically sticking to those — and they're embracing whatever weather comes with their destination," she said.
"So they're more interested in the landscape rather than picking a season, but they're happy to come in all seasons and just embrace what they're getting when they get here."
With the Blue Lake not at its most vibrant out of season, Stevens believes they mustn't lead tourists on outside of the traditional tourist period.
Deceptive imagery surrounding Aussie attractions is nothing new however, with a European watchmaker previously attempting to pass Perth's famous Crawley Edge Boat Shed off as a Scandinavian structure.
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