Langhorne Creek Comes Together to Shape Its Tourism Story
Langhorne Creek’s tourism future is taking shape, with local business and community leaders gathering at Lake Breeze on Wednesday 6 May to explore how the Langhorne Creek Discovery Trail can be leveraged to drive tourism.
Run by The Tourism Collective, the workshop brought together a strong mix of local operators, alongside regional tourism and economic development partners. The tone was collaborative and energised from the outset, with participants quickly moving into discussion and idea generation grounded in deep local knowledge and a clear pride in place.
Like the Trail itself, the tourism workshop was a community-led effort. It was a key milestone in planning for the Trail’s activation, a process being driven by the Project Partnership Group, comprising Langhorne Creek Grape and Wine Association, the Langhorne Creek Hub, the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation and Alexandrina Council. Working alongside this group, Alexandrina Council’s Economic Development team has engaged The Tourism Collective to initiate tourism planning.
Discussion centred on the stories that define the region. Several themes stood out, including strong sense of community, history, and family heritage, a deep connection to water and landscape, the globally recognised wine industry, and long-standing Indigenous connection to Country.
These ideas are lived and visible across the region, from fifth-generation winemaking families to the unique floodplain irrigation system that continues to shape local agriculture. What emerged clearly is that Langhorne Creek is rich in story, but those stories are not always easy for visitors to access or experience.
Participants also examined what tourism experiences currently exist, where there are gaps, and how experiences could be better linked or packaged to appeal to specific markets. The importance of partnerships came through strongly, particularly in reaching new audiences and strengthening the overall visitor offering.
The workshop marks an important transition in the tourism activation process. Insights from the day will inform a Tourism Development Plan, which the Project Partnership Group will then lead into its next phase.
Meanwhile, 35 South Building Co is rapidly advancing the infrastructure side of the project, and will have final detailed designs ready for the community to view as soon as possible – anticipated for late July, shortly before construction begins.
With the Langhorne Creek Discovery Trail set to become a major drawcard upon completion in 2027, the potential for Langhorne Creek to build new tourism experiences around this is significant. Increased visitation, new business opportunities and stronger regional partnerships are all in sight, underpinned by a shared commitment from the community to shape its own tourism future.
Follow the project at www.alexandrina.sa.gov.au/discoverytrail