Tourism body set for Albany

Albany is on the verge of having a self-funded, independent tourism body to promote the region after discussions to use Whale World as the group’s main funding stream.

Local tourism stakeholders have long been pushing for a representative body after the Great Southern Tourism Alliance folded because of a lack of funding sources.

Earlier this year, Australia’s South West chairman Cameron Syme mooted Whale World, the Forts, Anzac Interpretive Centre and the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk as potential sources of revenue to restart or kick off a regional tourism group.

That idea has since progressed, with Jaycees Community Foundation which owns Whale World showing strong interest in the concept.

Jaycees executive chairman Peter Snow said the company was in the process of restructuring its Albany assets and would consider a community-run tourism body taking over Discovery Bay’s Whale World.

“Ultimately we would support the Albany community having an operationally successful tourism asset with a broad base like the Augusta-Margaret River Tourism Association,” he said.

“Over the next several years we want to gradually withdraw from Albany, but only if we were happy that the community has full control.

“We would make sure the committee represented a cross-section of the Albany community and were working for the community.”

Mr Syme said arrangements to take over Whale World were being finalised at present.

“Jaycees Foundation have agreed to provide a gift to the region,” he said.

“We were planning to take it over on July 1 this year, but Jaycees have agreed to push it back to July 2014 so we can have stakeholder discussions.”

Mr Syme said his vision was to have Plantagenet, Denmark and Albany as members of the tourism group, with Discover South West Foundation a proposed name.

However, Mr Syme said other funding streams would still be needed, and the Anzac Interpretive Centre was on the radar.

Independent tourism consultant Graham Harvey said there was strong need for a membership-based tourism organisation in the Great Southern.

“Income is needed to employ quality personnel and for funding to market Albany and the Great Southern,” he said.