IRATE Beechworth tourism operators pleaded the case to Indigo Shire on Monday for no changes to operations of the town’s visitor information centre.
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Reduced centre operating hours to be introduced by council on July 1 were put on hold in late March after being met with an angry response from accommodation and other tourism-related providers.
The council agreed to a meeting to thrash out concerns which was held at the George Kerferd Hotel and attended by more than 100 people.
Indigo mayor James Trenery said the council was prepared to listen to feedback about proposed changes in opening times in response to peak and off-peak customer demand.
The shire subsidises the operation of visitor information centres in its major towns at an annual cost of $540,000, with Beechworth the largest centre.
Accommodation providers were strongly in favour of the centre remaining open seven days a week, all year round.
John and Sheila Rademan have operated a Bed and Breakfast for a decade in Beechworth and are incensed about proposed changes.
“They have to take on board we have no confidence in them making decisions for us from the CEO down,” she said.
“Nobody is happy with anything and they don’t listen.”
Beechworth chamber of commerce president Elizabeth Mason said the information centre was a “vital part” of the town’s overall tourism package.
“It is the front door to our town and if it is shut the town will be seen as shut also,” she said.
“We recognise and accept tourism activities must be run efficiently and economically and overheads must be restrained where practical. Volunteers must be trained and supervised and we need bookings centralised.”
Frustrations about a move away from the bookeasy online system were also raised during the two-hour meeting and the website crashing for an extended period recently.
Another accommodation provider Geoff Palmer revealed the information centre had lost $61,000 in the six months to December 31 last year.
“Who has heard of growing a business by giving away our membership and accommodation commissions,” he said.
“It is a nonsense and those activities, if returned to the information centre, would go at least some way to off-setting what was a self-imposed deficit.”
Council director Greg Pinkerton said the demand for online content was increasing and visitation to information centres was “dropping across the board”.