Yes Together "BLOG" … We can INCREASE VISITORS TO YOUR REGION

I HAVE MADE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO GIVE SERVICE ON THE TOURISM VICTORIA BOARD.

I meet tourism and recreation, business management, event management, and investment facilitation, criteria Board Members need.

The UN Policy that tourism, when owned , or majority shared by regional interests, can be a vital force for sustaining those regions, is my Policy.
I argued for this over many years when I was CEO of an Affiliate of the UN’s World Tourism Organisation. In that capacity I represented a Consortium of Australia’s largest Professional Firms in Land Planning, Architecture, Economics, Tourism Planning, and Engineering.
See  www.aussiestone.com/alleviatingpover.htm

Australia needs one dynamic and progressive State, to take action now and lead the way show the other States how to increase domestic and inbound visitors, and sustain Regional areas with long stay, big local spend, visitors. This could easily be Victoria. However it won’t happen without some changes being made from our present, 30 year, behind the times, “pogo sticking” Visitor Centres, They continue to offer their “PASSIVE RESPONSE”, give them a brochure after they arrive, approach. Instead we need to be offering an  active response, active WEB follow up, new type, 7/24 multi options, special interests, multi lingual, local hostings fully integrated with the new type, local transport, local attractions, local shopping arrangements.to become the next, most sought after, long haul, long stay, big spend on local products, special interest experiences, world destination.And Regional Australia needs a new type, as best suits them, link up, to Australia’s globally respected, Aboriginal peoples, their culture, music and arts. For an explanation how best to do this, do a Google search for the” Aboriginal and Outback Experiences Super Highway” and review again the number one solution on the WEB where I explain how to do this.

VISITS TO AUSTRALIA FOLLOWED BY LEADING AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN . WE WERE ALSO VISITED BY THE CEO’S OF TWO OF JAPANS LEADING TRADING HOUSES, FURAKAWA AND CITOH.  AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS LEADERS ASSEMBLED TO WELCOME THEM.  THE JAPANESE TRADING HOUSES WERE INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING AN EQUITY INVESTMENT IN OUR RURAL INLAND DISCOVERY VILLAGES. THEY BELIEVED THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN OF GREAT INTEREST TO THE AFFLUENT JAPANESE VISITOR.  AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS LEADERS ASSEMBLED AT THE COMPANY’S HEADQUARTERS IN SYDNEY TO GREET THEM. UNFORTUNATELY AUSTRALIA WAS UNINTERESTED IN FOREIGN EQUITY INVESTMENT IN AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY AT THAT TIME. OUR FEDERAL TREASURER WAS UNINTERESTED TO DISCUSS ANY ALTERNATIVES. THEY FLEW BACK TO JAPAN.

THE SON OF A FOUNDER OF THE WORLD BANK, THAT OWNED A HUGE PARACHUTING SPORTS COMPANY OUT OF NEW YORK, JAQUES ISTEL, FLEW IN TO AUSTRALIA AS A THE GUEST OF OUR DEVELOPING COMPANY. HE PROPOSED AN EQUITY INVESTMENT OF 10 MILLION TO BE SPREAD THROUGH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM FIRMS. 3 MILLIONS TO FUND THE START UPS OF THE FIRST STAGE OF 3 RURAL INLAND DISCOVERY VILLAGES AND THE BALANCE TO BE SPREAD THROUGHT OTHER ESTABLISHED AND SUPPORTING FIRMS. REGRETTABLY, AT THAT TIME IN AUSTRALIA’S DEVELOPMENT HISTORY, UNLIKE TODAY,  OUR FEDERAL TREASURER WAS UNINTERESTED TO MEET WITH HIM OR NEGOTIATE AUSTRALIA’S FOREIGN INVESTMENT TRADING RULES. HE FLEW OUT.

AT THE SAME TIME AUSTRALIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS WERE NOT INACTIVE. THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE PROGRESS OF THESE RURAL INLAND DISCOVERY VILLAGE’S SCHEME. THEY CONVENED AND HOSTED A MULTI  COUNCIL, PROJECT LAUNCH, DINNER. REPRESENTING THE PREMIER OF NSW WAS  SIR ERIC WILLIS. HE WAS THE GUEST OF HONOUR AND  NSW’S CHIEF SECRETARY AND MINISTER FOR TOURISM.

AFTER AND BEFORE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAUNCH DINNER, PLANNING ACTS WERE ALTERED TO PROGRESS THE PROJECT, AND FUNDS PROMISED TO PROVIDE SEWERAGE AND ACCESS ROADS AND SERVICES TO THE PROJECTS . THESE FUNDS WERE TO BE AVAILABLE PROVIDED THAT FINANCE COMPANIES FUNDED THE VISITOR ACCOMMODATION UNITS.  BELOW IS A LETTER FROM SIR JOHN FULLER , MINISTER FOR PLANNING AND DECENTRALISATION.

THE PROJECT DIRECTORS HAVE INCLUDED THE EMINENT AUSTRALIANS, ARTHUR PARSONAGE OBE,  DON LUCAS OBE (SURF LIFESAVING), SIR BILL NORTHAM , SIR JACK BRABHAM, ALLAN HAYES,  CHAIRMAN OF RANKINE AND HILL, AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST GLOBAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY, AND JOHN MCNAUGHTON, AM, FORMER LORD MAYOR OF NEWCASTLE AND SECRETARY OF THE NSW SURVEYORS INSTITUTE. THEY HAVE SUPPORTED A NUMBER OF TRIAL LAUNCHES OF THE PROJECT AND WE HAVE LEARNT MUCH FROM EACH LAUNCH. THE FIRST BEING AT BERMAGUI.

IT WAS A SUCCESS IN LAUNCHING THE PROJECT CONCEPT, AND THIS ATTRACTED MUCH MEDIA SUPPORT. SEE AN EXAMPLE IN THE CITY TATTERSALLS ARTICLE BELOW. HOWEVER IT FAILED TO MOTIVATE AN AUSTRALIAN FINANCE COMPANY TO PROVIDE THE FIRST STAGE , SEED FUNDING, NEEDED TO BUILD A VIABLE OPERATIONAL PILOT PROJECT.

AND THIS NOTWITHSTANDING THAT PLANNING AND FINANCE LEGISLATION HAS BEEN ENACTED AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AT ALL LEVELS OFFERED TO SUPPORT PROGRESSING THE PROJECT.  AND THIS ALSO NOTWITHSTANDING THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CASH AND TIME INVESTED BY MYSELF AND MY SUPPORTING COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE THE SOLE OBJECTIVE, TO PROGRESS AUSTRALIA FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS. HOWEVER NEVERTHELESS WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS THE PROJECT !