The issue of tourism in the Maranoa region was featured as a subject of importance at the Candidate meeting on 17th April in Roma, and yet in Mitchell the spa remains closed.
This tourist season at least four busloads of tourists have cancelled
their stay in Mitchell because the Spa is not opened. This affects the whole
town, the businesses, employment, and the morale of the whole community. At a
time when the people of Mitchell are at their lowest ebb, the closure of the
spa only increases the feeling of despair that the community is experiencing.
Council has said that tourism is important for the economic
growth of the region. Council has spent good money on having a consultant visit all
the towns to discuss street enhancement and produce a Placemaking Plan. Plans
are one thing, but to not continue and maintain the existing tourist attractions
that currently work for communities, such as the spa, makes such consultations a
waste of time and money.
Prior to the amalgamation, Mitchell had a steady flow of
tourists, and the tourist dollar moving through the town. Four years on and the
town is struggling to keep travellers in the town or to have them even stop. This
has affected many small businesses in the community of Mitchell. The closure of
the Mitchell Laundromat this coming Friday is yet another example of how this community
will lose on the tourist dollar. Nowhere for travellers to wash clothing makes
a stay overnight not worth the effort.
Tourism information has not been kept up to date for the
region, the Council Tourist book still advertises 2 nights free. Since the council
leased the caravan park this service has not been available to the traveller.
Advertising that it is available leaves bad feelings – not reflected on the council,
but on the community of Mitchell.
Camping available at the showgrounds costs $24 – for little
or no facilities. Enterprise is one thing, but an enterprise that costs the
whole community is another.
A study was undertaken in Mitchell a number of years ago
that indicated that the average traveller, if they spend two days here, will
spend $40 per day per person. With approximately 40,000 people driving through
Mitchell each year that is a conservative loss to the community of $1,000,000.
Can our towns afford this kind of loss?
