TOURISM operators are likely to be able to promote themselves for free as part of the industry restructure under way.
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A transition board formed late last year to set up an industry-led tourism entity by June has met on four occasions to decide its structure.
Its membership includes Orange mayor John Davis, Blayney mayor Scott Ferguson, Cabonne councillor Ian Davison, Orange councillors Jason Hamling and Jeff Whitton, Orange City Council general manager Garry Styles, Brand Orange representatives David Hoskins, Peter Robson, Philip Shaw and Tony Cheney, and business representative Phil Tudor.
Cr Davis said it was important to make membership accessible to all businesses.
“If the first level is $300 a year, some people in their businesses can’t fit that into their budget,” he said.
“The free one is the one difference we can [make] if we want to change the outcomes, otherwise it’s a club and that’s not what it’s about, it’s about improving the economy in our region.”
The move is likely to take on a tiered structure – free membership would include a base level of service, with additional opportunities available to those who pay more.
The transition entity’s executive officer, Justin Byrne, said work during the coming months would include compiling data from the councils and Brand Orange, as well as surveys of residents and tourists.
“I think we probably don’t know enough about who comes and where they come from,” he said.
He said the research would also look at brand recognition for the existing Brand Orange and Visit Orange entities, after duplication caused confusion for visitors, and which social media formats worked best.
“People do a lot of their visitation research online and we want to know what’s the future of technology and how can that be delivered at a regional level,” he said.
“Five or six years ago, QR codes were meant to be the brave new world.”
Mr Shaw said while he was a winemaker by trade, he cared about Orange’s development as a whole.
“We’ve got reasonable growth and it’s about keeping it going now,” he said.
He said he liked the idea of promoting distance bike rides between Orange, Molong, Carcoar, Millthorpe and Manildra.
“Certainly you would do it in Europe, why not do it here?” he said.