Our 22 years of online history...more than most

	Sunraysia Daily - April 1999

The Murray River website was first established in 1998 and merged with Discover Murray River. This highlights our sustainability, innovation and commitment to the region. The internet and marketing has changed significantly since 1998 and with the establishment of a strong brand, Discover Murray, our region is rapidly becoming unified nationally under one vision...

to highlight and showcase the Murray River and mallee as a unique Australian tourism experience and journey to our visitors. Ultimately to improve visitation, profitability and sustainability for all stakeholders, businesses and the community.

We cannot rest on our proud heritage alone. As online technology rapidly evolves into mobile, Discover Murray River is keeping the region constantly showcased as a progressive, unique tourism destination for the world to enjoy, experience and connect with.

Discover Murray River is not a large corporate or national media company. We aren't a multi-national either. We're a very strategic, unique, independent and innovative tourism marketing business that's developing sustainable, long-term strategies, solid plan and professional support through our brand experts, Brand Action. Ultimately this is bringing integrity to Australia's greatest river region and it's surrounds unlike ever before.

We're working to grow the region's tourism organically. This ensures that our region has the best and most innovative tools to compete and draws visitors to us, for today and into the future. Our region's tourism marketing and presence is growing stronger.

The internet and mobile technology is the marketing future but we also recognise that good brands still need to work in print and through traditional mediums. We're working with Visitor Centres to promote the river and mallee as a driving destination and experience.

Our Discover Murray Trail is increasing visitation. To date we've printed and distributed 65,000 Trails and set up permanent displays in Mildura, Renmark, Mannum and Morgan Visitor Centres. The Trail supports the customer experience and our region. Importantly it's a significant tool in our marketing back to MurrayRiver.com.au. Our marketing and innovation keeps evolving which supports our region's constant need to improve to remain competitive and keep growing.

Confused about advertising in travel websites?

This is the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) recommendation on advertising with travel and tourism websites. Discover Murray River is focused on ensuring integrity, responsibility and delivering quality results, sales and leads for your advertising dollars through community, equity and sustainability. Tourism operators are often approached by travel websites selling listings or advertising space. It can be difficult to decide whether to advertise, how much to spend and indeed whether the website is legitimate. If you are considering listing on a website here are some key things to ask:

How many people are visiting the site? Ask for their unique visitor or unique browser statistics. A top travel website could have thousands of unique visitors per month. Discover Murray has approximately 100,000 visitors per month.

Is it easily found in search engines like Google? Do a search for keywords related to the travel business - eg 'South Australia accommodation'. If you can't find it, how will travellers? Discover Murray is No 1 for "Murray River accommodation" along with listing high on many town searches. We are also No 1 for Murray River and Murray River Tourism. Discover Murray is No. 1 for Houseboats.

What is the site's business plan, and what makes it different from other travel sites? Does their target audience match yours? Discover Murray is 100% Murray River and mallee focused. We are the only and Peak body that represents the Murray nationally and our 1.2 million strong visitation per annum is much higher than state tourism bodies for the Murray River.

Ask for a preview of how your advertisement will look and, as with any purchase, check out their terms and conditions and obtain a written quote outlining inclusions, timelines and all costs (including commission rates if they are a booking site). All Terms and Conditions for advertising are clearly found on the Murray River website along with our Privacy Policy. The most you'll invest for advertising is only $1.09 per day or $440 per annum and you can fully control all your advertising, photos, text, specials and marketing message. Discover Murray receives the industry standard of between 4-10% for online bookings. We make advertising easy and rewarding.

The SATC does not endorse individual travel websites including Discover Murray, except for specific campaigns, in which case they would advise you themselves. If you are approached by a website that claims to have the support of "SA Tourism", contact us at feedback@tourism.sa.com.

Discover Murray Values

Discover Murray's primary objective is to assist and grow tourism regions along the Murray River and mallee using equity, sustainability and community as our guiding principles. As Australia's peak and largest national Murray River tourism marketers we strongly believe it's our role to support the 3 pillars that make up the tourism community - operators, visitors and local government. This focus on the 3 pillars aims to provide sustainable regional economic development in tourism.

With this we feel our core responsibility was to develop an extensive tourism marketing systems through the internet and brand desire that links river regions as a network that gives our region competitive strength through professional marketing structures that allows every operator equitable access to leverage of a strong online systems unlike any other in the marketplace that is 100% Murray River and Mallee focused.