TOODYAY tourism operators hope to attract more overnight visitors to the town through a new strategy and advertising campaign.
While visitor centre numbers were higher for January compared with the last two years, and Brian Dawes from the Coca Cola Café said business had been steady on the main street, accommodation providers have been under-booked compared to previous years.
Lynda Burke from Black Wattle Retreat said her business had suffered considerably since the December fire and would have been forced to close if her husband didn’t have a job working away on the mines.
“The phones aren’t ringing,” she said. “We’re 63 per cent down on last year over the January to February period.”
Lesley and Kevin Hug, who run the two caravan parks in town, confirmed their bookings were also down.
“It is seasonally slow anyway in summer but it is off 20 per cent,” Mr Hug said.
The door counter at the Visitor Centre recorded 3939 visits in January this year, compared to 2556 in 2009 and 2935 in 2008.
But the figures are not an accurate reflection of tourism in the town, given the Visitor Centre was used during the fire recovery.
Tourism operators have been invited by Mrs Burke and Mrs Hug to a meeting on March 24 to discuss the future of tourism in the town.
Mrs Burke said she hoped the meeting would provide a clear strategy and assist all to work together for the benefit of everyone.
“We have appointed an independent facilitator to chair the meeting,” she said.
Mrs Burke also hopes a tourist advisory committee will be established to help attract visitors to the town – an idea supported by Toodyay Shire President Chris Firns.
“It is not an item that has come up on the agenda yet, but I suspect the council will appoint a committee given the situation in Toodyay,” Cr Firns said.
Mrs Burke and Mrs Hug hope to generate bookings at next weekend’s Caravan and Camping show in Perth.
Easter is traditionally the busiest time of the year for the pair but both operators say they still have vacancies. “I want people to stop feeling sorry for us and start staying with us,” Mrs Burke said.