Plea for tourism plan

THE new board of local tourism association Destination Byron is calling on Byron Shire Council to fund a paid tourism employee and a ‘Destination Management Plan’ for the region.

The move to employ a visitor economy officer and developing a guide to how tourism product is developed and promoted would bring the region into line with neighbouring local government areas, including the Ballina Shire and Tweed Shire.

Destination Byron president Wendy Bithell said the organisation, which has more than 600 members, wanted to work collaboratively with the Council to ensure sustainable tourism growth in line with the community’s aspirations to protect its social, environmental and cultural fabric.

“As one of Australia’s most-visited regional areas, and a well-known holiday spot on the global stage, we must do a better job of communicating what our Shire stands for,” she said.

“We are lucky to have such a vibrant creative community, agriculture and food scene, as well as incredible natural assets, and if we act now and manage tourism effectively, we can shape the future of Byron in line with what the community desires while boosting economic benefit to the region.

“It’s time we take control of how the Byron story is told and ensure our visitor economy thrives while also protecting and nurturing the things that make this community and place so special.”

The Council’s draft Business, Industry and Visitor Economy Strategy shows that Byron Shire’s gross regional product is $2.7 billion, and visitor expenditure to the shire accounts for more than 35 per cent of this. But with visitor numbers down to 2014 levels, businesses are facing challenging conditions.

While the draft strategy suggests the Shire should move away from its dependence on tourism and develop other industries to ease the pressure that visitors put on local infrastructure, Destination Byron believes tourism is essential to the region’s economy, culture and lifestyle.

It is also a requirement that all regions receiving funding from government bodies such as Destination NSW have a ‘Destination Management Plan’.

A Byron Shire Council spokesperson said the Council decided post-COVID to support a combined approach.

Its draft strategy was developed through extensive engagement with businesses, various stakeholders and the Council’s business and industry advisory committee via workshops, discussions and surveys.

Discussions with recently elected councillors on the draft strategy are planned for early 2025.