Tourism thriving

PHILIP Botte, chair of Prom Country Regional Tourism was justifiably upbeat at the authority’s Annual General Meeting held in the function room at the Korumburra Railway Station on Thursday night, October 23.
It has been another great year of growth for tourism in the region and the authority has played a leading role in developing the region’s assets.
Prom Country Regional Tourism, incorporated in 2002, liaises with council from which it receives funding and Destination Gippsland to play a leading role in developing the region’s natural and human assets.
Attended by some 30 people the AGM was catered for by Lucy May’s Cafe whose proprietor, Lucy May, is a success story in her own right. Excellent at multi-tasking, Lucy May was also guest speaker at the function.
Mr Botte described it as a busy year with a full calendar which included workshop training for those in the accommodation industry.
“We have a lot of members who run bed and breakfast businesses with from two to 20 rooms and workshops cover all the ins-and-outs of the industry.”
Mr Botte himself has been chair of the authority for four years.
From a family with a hotel in Richmond and running McCartin’s Hotel in Leongatha, Philip has a solid background in hospitality which qualifies him well for his role to which he brings a passion for customer service and tourism and as an advocate for “the wonderful attractions of Gippsland.”
Wilsons Promontory, he says, is the destination landmark which defines the area and the ongoing work is supporting the extensive tourism infrastructure of South Gippsland which includes free WiFi in towns such as Korumburra, Meeniyan and Foster and the new smartphone app which provides tourists with location based services.
Prom Country Cheeses is an example of a new business enhancing tourists’ experience of the region and the recently announced funding for the extension of the rail trail provides further opportunity for gateway towns, Mr Botte said.

Simply beautiful: from left, Brent Moran, executive member of Prom Country Regional Tourism; Philip Botte, chair of Prom Country Regional Tourism; Christine Legg, executive officer; Rachel Brown, executive member; and Danielle Todaro, tourism coordinator for council.

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Posted by Sarah Vella on Oct 30 2014. Filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry