Towms unite for tourism future
AS the convoy of tourist caravans, camper vans and trailers slowly returns to the cooler south, tourism operators are shifting down gears, using their newly-freed time to assess the season and improve next year’s prospects.
For the first time since it was announced that the Outback would share in $750,000 worth of State Government tourism dollars, members of the Central West Tourism sub committee met yesterday to discuss how they would spend the windfall.
The Longreach Leader spoke to committee chair and Barcaldine Shire Council mayor, councillor Rob Chandler before the meeting.
As a sign of things to come, Mr Chandler spoke about the new co-operative approach to tourism that was slowly being adopted across the West.
"It’s the only way to go," Mr Chandler said.
"You can’t make Barcy bigger than Longreach, so you have to work together co-operatively and pool your marketing dollars to get a bigger bang.
"There are now 21 shires involved in the Outback Queensland Tourism Authority."
The OQTA is a membership-based organisation responsible for promoting the region to target markets on behalf of the local tourism industry, businesses, communities and local government within the region.
Drawing on the marketing ability of the authority, Mr Chandler revealed that the committee had plans to stage an Outback Trailblazer event next year, aimed at uniting many of the region’s smaller towns and by-ways.
"All of the communities would be involved.
"In its first year, we would look at staging the event from Longreach.
"Outback Trailblazer will be a rally-type event in which participants collect points in each of the towns.
"For example they could gain 100 points for catching a Yellowbelly in the Oma waterhole or for purchasing a Tambo Teddy, but lose some points for being stopped at a road block."
For OQTA chief executive officer Barry Duncan utilising the ‘shoulder’ months of the year to plan for next season is an exciting time.
"From anecdotal evidence from tourism operators, it has been a good year for some, and not so good for others.
"But overall, the region has bucked the national trend of falling domestic visitors.
"While Tourism Australia reports a drop in domestic visitors, the region has remained on par with last year.
"Now we move into the time of the year to come together and facilitate some of the new initiatives and things we have learnt during the season."
For the first time since it was announced that the Outback would share in $750,000 worth of State Government tourism dollars, members of the Central West Tourism sub committee met yesterday to discuss how they would spend the windfall.
The Longreach Leader spoke to committee chair and Barcaldine Shire Council mayor, councillor Rob Chandler before the meeting.
As a sign of things to come, Mr Chandler spoke about the new co-operative approach to tourism that was slowly being adopted across the West.
"It’s the only way to go," Mr Chandler said.
"You can’t make Barcy bigger than Longreach, so you have to work together co-operatively and pool your marketing dollars to get a bigger bang.
"There are now 21 shires involved in the Outback Queensland Tourism Authority."
The OQTA is a membership-based organisation responsible for promoting the region to target markets on behalf of the local tourism industry, businesses, communities and local government within the region.
Drawing on the marketing ability of the authority, Mr Chandler revealed that the committee had plans to stage an Outback Trailblazer event next year, aimed at uniting many of the region’s smaller towns and by-ways.
"All of the communities would be involved.
"In its first year, we would look at staging the event from Longreach.
"Outback Trailblazer will be a rally-type event in which participants collect points in each of the towns.
"For example they could gain 100 points for catching a Yellowbelly in the Oma waterhole or for purchasing a Tambo Teddy, but lose some points for being stopped at a road block."
For OQTA chief executive officer Barry Duncan utilising the ‘shoulder’ months of the year to plan for next season is an exciting time.
"From anecdotal evidence from tourism operators, it has been a good year for some, and not so good for others.
"But overall, the region has bucked the national trend of falling domestic visitors.
"While Tourism Australia reports a drop in domestic visitors, the region has remained on par with last year.
"Now we move into the time of the year to come together and facilitate some of the new initiatives and things we have learnt during the season."
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