Accommodation providers in Beechworth are sick of cycling being promoted as a main tourist attraction in the town.
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About 20 business owners met with the Indigo Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Committee on Friday for a meeting which became very heated at times.
Beechworth’s Geoff Palmer made an emotional plea to the committee to see past Tourism North East’s overall focus on wine and cycling to look at the draw card of the town’s unique history.
“We have subjugated ourselves and continue to do so by seeking to jump into bed, through TNE, with surrounding shires which don’t have that uniqueness,” he said.
“Our history has been lost, who is marketing the brand of history?”
The public gallery gave a round of applause to the suggestion the council’s tourism department needed to focus on what made Beechworth unique.
Beechworth Chamber of Commerce president Elizabeth Mason, also a member of the committee, supported the view.
“In a nutshell, we need to get back to the basics of heritage,” she said.
It was the perfect time to raise the gap in the city’s promotion because Indigo Council was about to start its tourism policy review for the next three years.
The council’s corporate and community services director Greg Pinkerton said he agreed TNE needed to ask what was different about the region.
“I’m as frustrated as you are because I believe in the same thing,” he said.
The committee also discussed a report from TNE, which stated four council-operated visitor information centres, costing $500,000 per year, could be scaled back in favour of digital marketing with iPads.
Foxgloves Bed and Breakfast owner Sheila Rademan said the council’s change of the online booking system for Beechworth 12 months ago had cause reservations to go backwards.
Up to 70 per cent of Beechworth accommodation bookings came through bigger websites like booking.com which was easier to use, but meant the region missed out on commission.
“I want to know what the committee has done to stop this,” she said.
Ms Mason said it was time for change.
“In the 12 months since this system has been introduced, you’re still completely dissatisfied,” she said.
“We’ve given it a good crack.”
The committee did not have an immediate solution to the complaints.
Members resolved to ask the council’s tourism department to continue working with the angry accommodation providers before they made a decision on any changes.
