Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 15:53
Hm some emotive stuff here. e've just been through QLD from Brissy area, Gympie,
Clermont,
Cloncurry, Isa and many in between. We are not in a hurry and tend to stop and look around smaller
places and try to support the small business where we can, on the nomad budget.
Firstly the people are great, especially the remote and small you go IMHO.
The tourism information however is often lacking compared to other states and regions within states. I'm not going to criticise anyone.
However I believe QLD needs to promote regional areas better by each region supporting the next more,,, ie have the tourist info for the road/areas ahead.
We don't want glossy books just info on what is on offer and what locals think we would be interested in,,, and therefore a plain old A4 photo copy will do rather than nothing.
ONE key issue for consideration is free
camping areas. We find when we free camp we suport the BROADER COMMUNITY not just van parks. we do this by longer stays and eventually we spend more money with more businesses if we stay for 10 days and look around.
Typically 2 nights in van park say $60 plus bread and sundries if we whiz through, BUT if we say as we do say 6 nights free
camping and we poke around the like benefir to the local economy is fuel $150, food shops $100+, the pub $45 for essential tinnies, fresh veg $50, coffees and papers, lotto, etc etc; say $350 without thinks AND SPREAD THROUGH THE WHOLE COMMUNITY - a 6 fold increase in expenditure without even thinking of the smaller items.
This tyrp of spending by nomads can really boost a community. If you don't believe me as Cowell residents on
Eyre Peninsula in SA. We stayed (8 vans) about 11 days in their free
camping area sout of town so imagine the $ benefir for the community, best guess as we fished (bait), needed fuel and one guy purchased heaps of
boating gear - so lets say the benefit to the community was $6000.00 versus 2 nights at van park for all 16X$30 = $480 if we pushed through. There is no comparison IMHO.
Back to the thread - glossy brochures etc are not required,,,,,,,, what is needed is friendly people (and Aussies are generally) and info AND somewhere to stay at reasonable cost if no free
camping.
Van parks are tending to put in cabins so van spaces are disappearing fast.
My 2 cents worth.
Cheers Baz
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Barry (NT) - Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 15:57
Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 15:57
ah sorry
error above $480 shouls be $660 but still no comparison to longer stays and poking around
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Follow Up By: carlsp - Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 17:20
Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 17:20
Exactly Baz has the right idea.
In
Australia a backpacker spends more money here than Japanese tourist. We are however directing out marketing campaigns to this end of town.
See the big picture is the
solution. Travellers are doing their bit to support small towns. If small towns do not get with the program and stop just trying to just make a easy fast buck, it will, and is coming back to bite them.
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Follow Up By: nqdave - Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 22:13
Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 22:13
I agree with and appreciate your sentiments on spending your money but I think you're overlooking an important point.
The $60 in the van park *all* stays in the local community, even the rates and levies which go towards services and infrastructure also used by the locals.
On the other hand:
fuel $150 - 5% gross profit
food shops $100+ - 20-30% gross profit
the pub $45 for essential tinnies - 20-30% gross profit
fresh veg $50 - 10% gross profit
coffees and papers, lotto, - same again..
Total it up and you've left with well under $60.
The locals may well be better off if you paid for the
accommodation even if you don't stay long....
This isn't a criticism. I'm just pointing out the realities. Many of the small business owners wouldn't realise this themselves.
Backpackers, on the other hand, pay for
accommodation nearly everywhere they go AND they're an essential source of that scarce commodity called labour. Rural communities couldn't do without them.
Cheers,
Dave
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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Friday, May 14, 2010 at 11:10
Friday, May 14, 2010 at 11:10
nqdave ,yep you have it about right , one point though is the benefit of regulars , those generaly 'grey nomads' who go to the one '
spot' year in year out for several mths of every year ,they become a part of the local community and their input is of immense value to small communities ,
Seems that people forget that a small town is where it is for the community that lives and works there and to support the surrounding farms/ stations and NOT just to pander to the whims and wants of the nomad , Tourism is a by product of the location ,not the primary concern for many small
places.
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Follow Up By: Member - Barry (NT) - Friday, May 14, 2010 at 11:38
Friday, May 14, 2010 at 11:38
nqdave
you have some valid points I admit but the $60 from the van park doesn't always stay local, ie GST, power, water, land tax, go away from the area.
One point I was going to make with free
camping and spending local is that we assist business with turnover and whilst directly related to profit is also an essential part of business ie stock rotation/use by dates, so are helping to prevent actual losses
also if you listen to van park owners their margins are so low they are battling also
also just learnt that some big QLD van parks are part of super funds of a private group so profits won't remain local also
it's a pity van owners can't get together more and lobby like the motorhome group does
it's not a simple matter but at least we are throwing these issues around
cheers Baz
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