Benchmarking

Benchmarking helps you understand how your business performs compared to others. This guide shows you how to use industry data and regional insights for meaningful comparisons.

What is benchmarking?

Benchmarking compares your performance against:

Industry averages — what's typical for tourism businesses
Similar operators — businesses of comparable size and type
Regional data — your local tourism market
Best practices — what top performers achieve

Why benchmark?

Benchmarking helps you:

Set realistic goals — know what's achievable
Identify gaps — spot where you're falling behind
Find opportunities — learn from high performers
Make better decisions — context for your data
Track progress — measure improvement against external standards

Types of benchmarks

Performance benchmarks

Compare your results:

Metric	What to compare
Visitor numbers	Your growth vs regional average
Average spend	Your yield vs market average
Occupancy rate	Your utilisation vs industry norm
Review rating	Your score vs competitor average

Operational benchmarks

Compare how you run your business:

Metric	What to compare
Response time	Hours to reply vs industry standard
Conversion rate	Your enquiry-to-booking vs average
Cost structure	Your costs vs typical ratios
Staff productivity	Output vs industry norms

Capability benchmarks

Compare your business maturity:

Digital presence vs peers
Marketing sophistication vs leaders
Customer experience vs expectations
Sustainability practices vs standards

Using Launchpad for benchmarking

Regional comparison

Compare your area to the state average:

Go to Insights Hub
Click Visitor Analytics
Select your State/Territory
Choose your Sub-Region
Enable Comparison Mode
Select State Overall to compare

This shows how your region performs against the broader market.

Sub-region comparison

Compare similar areas:

Select your sub-region
Enable comparison mode
Choose another sub-region
View comparative charts and metrics

Historical comparison

Compare against your own history:

View current year data
Note key metrics
Switch to previous years
Calculate your improvement

Key tourism benchmarks

Visitor metrics

Metric	Typical range	Top performers
YoY growth	2-5%	10%+
Repeat visitors	20-30%	40%+
Length of stay	2-3 nights	4+ nights

Financial metrics

Metric	Typical range	Top performers
Revenue growth	3-7%	15%+
Profit margin	10-20%	25%+
Yield per visitor	Varies by product	Above regional average

Quality metrics

Metric	Industry average	Excellence
Google rating	4.0-4.3 stars	4.7+ stars
TripAdvisor	3.5-4.0 bubbles	4.5+ bubbles
Response rate	24-48 hours	Under 4 hours

Understanding regional benchmarks

State comparisons

Each state has different tourism characteristics:

State	Key strengths	Benchmark focus
NSW	Major gateway, diverse	Volume, international
VIC	Events, food/wine	Yield, experience
QLD	Beach, reef, adventure	Seasonal, dispersal
WA	Nature, distance	Length of stay
SA	Wine, outback	Yield, regional
TAS	Nature, premium	Quality, sustainability
NT	Indigenous, nature	Seasonal, experience
ACT	Political, heritage	Business, events

Seasonal adjustments

Compare like seasons:

Your Q1 vs regional Q1 average
Your peak vs regional peak patterns
Your off-peak vs industry strategies

Altitude Score benchmarking

The Altitude Score provides capability benchmarks:

Score interpretation

Score range	Position	Benchmark
0-25	Starter	Below industry basics
26-50	Developing	Working toward standard
51-75	Established	Meeting industry norms
76-100	Leading	Above average

Category benchmarks

Compare yourself in specific areas:

Digital presence
Business fundamentals
Customer experience
Marketing capability
Sustainability practices

Finding external benchmarks

Industry reports

Access tourism research:

Tourism Research Australia
State tourism organisation reports
Industry association publications
Tourism Australia data

Competitor research

Learn from similar operators:

Check competitor review scores
Note their pricing levels
Observe their marketing activity
Experience their product firsthand

Professional networks

Connect with peers:

Industry associations
Tourism groups
Networking events
Mentoring programs

Using benchmarks effectively

Choose relevant comparisons

Compare against:

Good benchmark	Poor benchmark
Similar size operator	Very different scale
Same product type	Different category
Comparable location	Different market
Similar market position	Different target customer

Focus on gaps that matter

Not every benchmark gap needs closing:

Which gaps affect customer experience?
Which gaps impact revenue?
Which gaps are within your control?
Which gaps align with your strategy?

Set improvement targets

Turn benchmarks into goals:

Identify your current position
Note the benchmark level
Set a realistic target
Define the timeframe
Track your progress

Common benchmarking mistakes

Comparing unfairly

Avoid:

Comparing to much larger operators
Ignoring market differences
Using outdated benchmarks
Overlooking external factors

Obsessing over all metrics

Instead:

Focus on what matters to your strategy
Accept you can't lead in everything
Prioritise improvements

Ignoring context

Remember:

Your business is unique
Market conditions vary
Benchmarks are guides, not rules
Local factors matter

Turning benchmarks into action

Gap analysis

For each benchmark gap:

Measure the gap — how far behind are you?
Understand the cause — why does this gap exist?
Assess importance — does closing it matter?
Plan action — what will you do?
Track progress — are you improving?

Improvement priorities

Rank your benchmark gaps by:

Factor	Weight
Impact on customer	High
Impact on revenue	High
Effort to improve	Consider
Alignment to strategy	High

Creating an action plan

For your top priorities:

Define specific improvement target
Identify actions needed
Assign responsibility
Set timeframe
Schedule review

Tips for effective benchmarking

Start with your strategy — benchmark what matters to your goals
Use multiple sources — one benchmark isn't the full picture
Update regularly — benchmarks change over time
Learn from leaders — study what top performers do differently
Celebrate progress — improvements are achievements

Common benchmarking questions

Where do I find benchmarks?

Launchpad's regional data
Industry associations
Tourism research reports
Peer networking

How often should I benchmark?

Quick comparison: quarterly
Detailed analysis: annually
After major changes: immediately

What if I can't find relevant benchmarks?

Use regional averages as proxy
Build your own baseline over time
Network with similar operators
Focus on your own improvement trajectory

Benchmarking shows you where you stand — what you do with that knowledge determines where you'll go.