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Super RTO bogged down in funds issue

A major restructure of regional tourism has been delayed as authorities thrash out funding issues for the proposed new board, according to the Geelong Advertiser.

The Victorian government had planned to have a new super tourism body, which would have control of the coastal area from Geelong through to the South Australian border, start today [1 July].

However negotiations between the government and councils have failed to resolve, despite the former putting forward a larger funding offer from Tourism Victoria of $500,000 a year for the next three years. To maintain marketing and promotion activities, the City of Greater Geelong has extended its 20-year arrangement with Geelong Otway Tourism to June 2014.

Geelong Otway Tourism will remain in place until the new board, to be called South West Victoria Regional Tourism, has been endorsed and is operational.

Geelong mayor Keith Fagg told the Geelong Advertiser that Geelong Otway Tourism had developed a one-year action plan for the city, with the support of $1.69 million funding from the council.

The extension of the existing arrangement led to some strong debate among councillors at a meeting last week. Deputy mayor Bruce Harwood said the Geelong Otway Tourism model – which represents the G21 area’s five municipalities – remained successful. However Windermere councillor Tony Ansett reiterated his concerns that the body was too focused on areas outside of Geelong, and did nothing to encourage tourism activity in the city’s north.
The sector is estimated to generate $553 million annually in Geelong.

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