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That was the thought running through Orange businesswoman Nicole Farrell's mind when COVID put a stop to her international touring startup, Red Door Tours.
What started as a necessary pivot in response to a once in a century pandemic has culminated in being named as a finalist in the 2022 NSW Tourism Awards.
Country Food Trails is one of four Orange businesses named as finalists alongside Orange Trike Tours, Byng Street Boutique Hotel and the Remington Orange.
Ms Farrell, who will restart some international visits in 2023, said there was so much on offer for visitors and locals alike in Orange.
"When I look internationally I look for a great walking tour and to connect with locals, really quality experiences," she told the Daily.
"I'm passionate about showcasing more than the wineries in Orange. We do history, farm visits, we collaborate with an Indigenous company.
"We're passionate about showcasing the whole region and no one was doing that. There was a gap in the market so I thought I might as well try."
Despite another lockdown in 2021 and staffing shortages Ms Farrell said there was light at the end of the tunnel.
"There has been every challenge under the sun," she said.
"We've had cancellations from snow, floods and lockdown. We could only run private tours because people were reluctant to be in the car with other people.
"We've just been able to launch small group tours so things are getting better."
Finding a gap in the market was a goal shared by Orange Trike Tours founder Mark Garey
"I looked at other tourist destinations particularly ones with a winery theme," he explained.
"We were pretty much the only one in NSW that didn't have a trike tour company. So I did a bit of research, spoke to some of the other operators in NSW, spoke to the importer of the trikes and put the whole deal together literally in a couple of months.
"The wine destination part of Orange has been evolving for close to 30 years now so it's become mature enough to support a trike tour company."
The Byng Street Boutique Hotel won the gold category in the 'four to four and a half star' accommodation category in 2021.
Thomas Nock, who runs the hotel with wife Kristen, said he was thankful to be in a city he thinks has a big future ahead of it.
"It's an honour, we're very chuffed to have a chance to defend our award from last year," he said.
"We're staring to get people on big road trips from South Australia, Queensland, that sort of thing. They've heard about us, they want to come to Orange, they are hearing good things about the city. The word is slowly getting out there.
"I think they've been surprised what Orange has to offer and surprised they just can't walk into Charred on a Saturday night without a booking.
"We can definitely be positive about the future."
The Remington Orange was also nominated after opening its doors in 2020, meaning three out of four finalists opened their doors post outbreak of the pandemic.
"The first year of the business commencing gave us time to consider different ways of operating and preparing for when the world opened again," marketing and administrative executive Kylie McCloskey said.
"As the restriction of the pandemic reduced, we have been able to share our wonderful hotel and Whitneys Restaurant and Bar to the region and the locals.
"To be recognised for a state-level award, we feel is such an amazing achievement and the whole team will be ecstatic to win this award.
"This award is not just about our four and a half star hotel but the dedication of our entire team to help deliver an excellent experience for our guests."
