Doubts over tourist cash
AN $83 million injection to the Queensland tourism industry could help Warwick recover after the devastation of the floods, but locals fear the cash will bypass regional towns.
Pit Stop Lodge owner Yve Stocks was not optimistic the funding would bring a boost to the Rose City, despite Warwick suffering not only from the effects of the floods but also the ongoing work at Cunningham’s Gap.
“They seem to be spending it all on the coastal areas and I don’t think there is enough focus on the regional areas,” Ms Stocks said.
“The work at the Gap has had a big effect on tourism and people are finding alternative routes, bypassing Warwick altogether.”
Southern Downs Granite Belt Regional Tourism general manager Stuart Perry said even a small slice of the funding would be very beneficial to the growth of regional events.
“The opportunity to access additional funding to bring in more visitors will have a marked impact on our ability to build on existing events and to develop new ones,” he said.
“We have a huge potential customer base in Brisbane and along the coast and by growing the event market, it will give us an opportunity to show the visitors the flavours of our regions.”
Warwick Visitor Information Centre supervisor Charee Aspinall said winter was usually the busiest season for the centre, with visitors flocking to the area for events such as Jumpers and Jazz and those held at Morgan Park.
