FRUSTRATION In Advancing Rural Tourism in NSW

You have to admire Marc Aussie-Stone’s passion about doing something for rural tourism. He just does NOT give in AND he backs his ideas with his own funds. PWF believes his ideas are good and we hope with a new focus on the need for longterm tourism strategies in NSW, someone in NSW tourism will give his ideas – which have the support of grassroots people – the consideration they deserve.

How Marc Explained His FRUSTRATION To PWF

“Our biggest problem is that “Tourism” is not considered seriously by Governments for what it is. The largest industry in the world, and more important for all of us in Australia, as manufacturing is stripped from the developed countries, to the developing countries, offering $5 a day cheap manufacturing labour, is that Tourism is ALSO the largest service industry in the world.

As such it is the industry, where we can develop it to compete globally, as we can do in Australia, a country richly endowed, and equipped environmentally, flora and fauna, primary and secondary industry, resources, sports champions, unique history, amazing 20,000 year surviving Aboriginal Culture, we treat it as a folksy , come look at us as we are, industry. And that just doesn’t work for the global supply dynamics which we need, have to harness in order to create jobs and economically boost rural regions.

The people being given the Tourism jobs in Australia are all nice people, but lack experience in starting up new businesses, having entrepreneurial promotional flare and experience, working with the giant overseas tourist wholesaler suppliers. And so they don’t understand , in the same way as the local milk bar cafe and restaurant owner didn’t understand, the need for minimum new food service models with car parks, food to go, free morning newspaper, facilities, as was given to us by the overseas fast food chains. And of course now they own the Australian Food supply industry. And Government stood meekly by and watched, allowed it all to happen.

One year ago when I first started my dealings with Landline, and researched their site, they had Site Category headings lists, IE: sheep cattle, wheat and so on but no heading for “tourism”. But when you put the word “tourism” into Landline’s, on site, search engine, 60 stories about tourism came up. Many of these stories painted the picture how tourism can help sustain a weakening community.

So I wrote to them and suggested why don’t they do a special show just on rural tourism as it should and could be. And initially they were very nice to me and I thought it may happen. Then they sent me an email saying they were sure I would be interested in a new tourism story they were running on a Paddle Wheel Steamer on the Murray River. I replied that I wasn’t in the least bit interested since that was not what was needed to attract and hold throughout Rural Australia large numbers of the long haul special interest. long stay, up to 21 days, daily touring, big spend, tourists, having an average daily spend of $300.

Landline has emailed me since. I sent them another shot the other day but they didn’t reply. So I guess the answer to the second part of your question is “yes” they poorly( don’t) understand the needs and mechanics of the global tourism industry.