Management of Tourism - Bega Valley Shire

March 20, 2008

An independent body will be established in the Bega Valley Shire to manage Sapphire Coast Tourism and the accommodation booking service.

Councillors resolved this week to endorse a proposal from the Bega Valley Shire Business Forum (the combined chambers of commerce) to register a new incorporated organisation to manage the tourism industry in the shire.

This follows a Council decision last year to phase out its involvement in tourism promotion and management.

It entered a number of management agreements for the operation of Sapphire Coast Tourism, the SCT booking service, four visitor information centres and the Cruise Eden program.

A six monthly report was presented to this week’s Council meeting, and council staff recommended that the structure proposed by the Business Forum should commence immediately so that the new organisation would be operational from July 1 this year.

Council will call for expressions of interest from the community for appointment to a seven-member board of directors for the management body.

The board will comprise seven members – a chairperson who is independent of council or industry affiliation; a council representative; three community representatives without industry or council qualification; and two experienced industry representatives.

The Business Forum will be invited to review the expressions of interest and make recommendations to council regarding appointments.

Council staff will help draft a constitution and/or articles of association which will include clear corporate governance guidelines as to how the tourism management body should relate to the various elements of the community.

The new body will take on management of the Merimbula Visitor Information Centre.
Councillors resolved to provide $150,000 in the coming budget for the operations of the new body and to hold a further $50,000 in reserve for use by the body if required.

Council will obtain a valuation for the Sapphire Coast brand and the booking service.
Since July 2000 Council has expended general rate revenue of $3.9 million on tourism marketing and promotions and the booking service.

Expenditure on tourism over the period aggregated to $6.6 million (VICs, booking service and promotions – including capital to purchase the booking service of $180,000).

Income for the same period was $2.7 million (including of $69,000 loans, transfer of payments for terminations $57,000 and amortisation of the booking service $140k);
Expenditure on economic development for the same period has been $570,000;