Griffith Unversity report finds more needed for Silo Art Trail

The Griffith University Australian Silo Art and Wellbeing Report, published in August, collated survey data from 1140 respondents about the economic benefits of the Silo Art Trail.

Of the 183 businesses surveyed, 64 per cent reported that silo art attracted customers to their business.

Only 47 per cent said the art had a noticeable positive impact overall on business in the town.

Griffith's Business School's Dr Amelia Green and Professor Scott Weaven published the report, which came with a suite of recommendations on how to further improve the economic opportunity of the trail.

"Whether an individual business benefits from silo art visitors depends on many factors such as where the business is located within the town, if other businesses are closer to the silo art site and if the business offers facilities like toilets," Dr Green said.

"While some business owners and managers attributed the survival of their business entirely to silo art visitors, others reported that silo art has made no difference to their trade."

Rupanyup Living, Home and Gift wares owner Claire Morgan said their town was able to successfully funnel visitors from the silo art into town through the construction of an information shelter nearby the site.

Ms Morgan started her businesses in 2012, in the building of Rupanyup's first general store, the Cust Store.

She said she remembered the impact on visitor numbers when the silo art was first unveiled in 2017.

"That just changed everything for us, because at that time as well we launched our online store. We were looking at ways to continue to grow the business and strengthen what we were doing," she said.

"We needed something else, people needed some other reason to come to Rupanyup for other reasons than just Rupanyup Living.

"The silo I think have been an amazing experience because it has just brought so many different people from all over the world. The people I have met have been so amazing, and the connections there are so lovely."

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The report recommended that small silo towns work together as a silo art network in order to overcome resource constraints, as well as collaborate with businesses in the towns to provide a stronger tourism offering.

Ms Morgan said hearing experiences and knowledge was important in letting visitors to know what to see.

"People in businesses in small towns need to work together to promote each other and the region and what to see and do," she said.

"You'll get people that just pull up to the silo, take a photo and drive off. Those people are going to miss so much. You need to get out of your car, kick around the dirt, walk down the street and get to know the region. That is going to make people's experience of visiting these small towns more wonderful."

The report also recommended towns provide up-to-date online and print information about silo art, local businesses and the town, as well as information on local attractions and signage identifying the town's businesses.

"The perception amongst visitors that these towns want to attract tourists sets up their expectations when they arrive and find information before and during visits is crucial," Dr Green said

"The data shows that the silo art consistently attracts new visitors, but recognising the long term economic potential is oriented around what people experience once they arrive in the town.

"Visitor awareness and attraction are two initial hurdles. The question then becomes, how do you make visitors fall in love with your town?."

However, the report also highlighted the positive impacts of silo art on small towns, 56 per cent of respondents said they valued the contribution of silo art to the town's art scene, and 54 per cent said they personally value silo art turning their town into a tourist destination.

Dr Green said this enforced the economic potential of the silo art trail as a tourism asset.

"We did also find that the silo art has many social benefits for the local community, happiness stemming from interactions with quality art, beautification of the local environment, reinforced or increased town pride," Dr Green said.

"I think there is definitely huge potential, but it comes back again to ongoing investment and acknowledging that the silo art project is not finished when the artwork is complete.

"We have to reframe silo art as a launching pad and a valuable asset as part of broader tourism revitalisation."

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