Tourism Mount Gambier welcomes $20,000 in Federal Government Building Better Regions Fund Community Investments, to bring the Guides of Mount Gambier visitor economy project to life to revitalise the local tourism industry.
Tourism Mount Gambier will match the funds provided by the Federal grant to develop Guides of Mount Gambier, a long term project in partnership with the City of Mount Gambier to create a formal professional tour guiding program within the local tourism industry.
“Guides of Mount Gambier is a concept that has been developed as a key initiative by Tourism Mount Gambier in our strategic plan. We are delighted that the government has backed our vision and we look forward to bringing the vision to reality,” Tourism Mount Gambier Board Chair Kent Comley said.
City of Mount Gambier Tourism and Economic Development Manager Donna Foster said the program aims to increase the attractiveness of Mount Gambier as a destination and encourage visitors to stay longer, spend more and support local economic growth and jobs.
“This project will work closely with community stakeholders to develop content, stories and fact sheets to share Mount Gambier’s stories. The program will build skills and business capacity to positively influence visitor perceptions,” Ms Foster said.
The business case shows that in three years the Guides of Mount Gambier program will create an estimated $2.9million in visitor spend per year.- City of Mount Gambier Tourism and Economic Development Manager Donna Foster
The guided tours will be based around themes such as geology, volcanoes, history or early settler years.
“The project will draw on expertise from organisations such as Savannah Guides and the South Australia Tourism Industry Corporation to provide in depth knowledge and experience in the guiding field for those learning to lead tours,” Ms Foster said.
It’s expected that the first guides will be recruited and trained as part of the pilot formation and initial delivery in August to be ready for the 2018/19 summer season.
“The development of this project is another example of the outcomes that can be achieved by a collaboration between the City of Mount Gambier and Tourism Mount Gambier,” Mr Comley said.
Media contact: Tourism Mount Gambier Chair Kent Comley (08) 8726 9999 and City of Mount Gambier Tourism and Economic Development Manager Donna Foster (08) 8723 0459.
