Tourism Group Starts Membership Drive

Nanango Music Muster — Many annual events such as the Nanango Country Music Muster draw thousands of visitors to the South Burnett … now a local tourism organisation wants to reinvigorate regional tourism opportunities around events such as this

January 22, 2020

The Visit South Burnett Local Tourism Organisation (VSB) will launch a membership drive over the next four weeks as part of its plan to reinvigorate local tourism.

The group, which has been seeking the support of the South Burnett Regional Council for the past three years, reached a partnership agreement with Council in December.

It now hopes to recruit tourism operators throughout the region in order to reverse the steep decline seen in local tourism during the past decade.

VSB will hold meetings at Blackbutt RSL (January 28), Kingaroy’s 19013 Council Chambers in Edward Street (February 4), Nanango RSL’s Long Tan Room (February 11), Murgon RSL’s Diggers Room (February 18) and the Wondai Regional Art Gallery (February 20). All meetings will be held from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.

The meetings will be followed by an official launch at a function in Nanango on February 25.

At the recruitment meetings, members of VSB’s management committee will outline the group’s aims and objectives and invite operators to become part of it.

VSB president Jason Kinsella said the main aim of the group was to promote all parts of the South Burnett and all industry sectors in a co-ordinated way.

He said the State Government’s Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) network and the SBRC’s Discover South Burnett had both adopted a “top down” approach which left operators feeling disenfranchised.

VSB would try to adopt a “bottom up” approach where members’ experience could be harnessed and their ideas put into practice.

The group’s management committee has adopted a portfolio approach similar to that used in Council, with industry operators heading sub-groups that focus on particular sectors such as motels, bed and breakfasts, events, wineries etc.

“Our aim is to get all industry sectors involved in tourism marketing, and most importantly working together,” Jason said.

“For example, our events portfolio chair could advise the management committee about major events coming up in the next three months.

“Other portfolio heads – armed with this knowledge – could then take it back to their sector’s members to work out the best ways to capitalise on those events, which are major drawcards that bring hundreds or thousands of tourists to our region.

“The most important thing is that all members are kept informed and involved, and they all have a say in the way we sell the South Burnett to visitors.”

Jason said VSB also planned to have talks with the Southern Queensland Country RTO in coming months.

The South Burnett Regional Council was formerly a member of the RTO, but left in August 2017 amid concerns the South Burnett was being ignored by the Toowoomba-based organisation.

“We understand the State Government has been giving the RTO $150,000 a year to promote the South Burnett,” Jason said.

“We’d like to find out what projects the RTO has applied this money to so we can ensure members get the maximum benefit from this.”

Related articles: