Dear sir,
Ross Veale’s letter in the Riv on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, concerning the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre closure was concerning and now we find the entire tourism association has gone. Gutted? No! loss of interest, yes.
Historically, there has been a tourism association in Echuca for many years, although those in Moama thought Echuca Tourism did not give the recognition of Moama which it deserved, so Rich River Country Tourism was established. Subsequently, the Echuca Moama District Tourism Association formed with support from both shires and a committee or board of directors governed it. Now it has all gone, done, and dusted, and this must be an acknowledgement of mismanagement of the association by both shires. Maybe not, but that is the way the lack of support by the shires comes across. From memory the shires were always a reluctant contributor but contribute they did. Surely the community of Echuca and Moama needs a tourism association and could afford to run and manage one. Have the tourism businesses also lost faith in the association? I hope not.
The problem, as I see it, is that the current community is unaware of the history of tourism in the area and have no ownership. Should nothing happen, then it will take a long time to recover as happened prior to the association formation. The tourism we have today did not happen overnight. I wonder if tourism businesses have noticed any change since the closure of the visitor information centre, maybe not. However, death is a slow process and time will show the effect of not having a tourism industry.
As for Campaspe Shire running tourism and promoting Echuca, well it did not work before so why should today be different. However, the television commercials which are now screening, if organised by the shire look good.
Come on current members of the tourism board, put your minds to it and determine how to go forward and show you can succeed.
Yours faithfully,
Phillip K Johnson,
Rochester