ABV was brought in to work alongside the Braidwood Villages Business Chamber to do what we do best: bringing in experts and strengthening the chamber's networks. After regular meetings and consultations, a tourism corridor project was discussed. This project is the brainchild of ABV’s volunteer, Professor Brian Roberts, who has replicated this successful model in several developing countries for the United Nations.
The purpose of the Tourism Corridor is to facilitate the recovery of businesses in disaster-affected areas by boosting tourism. Tourism corridors link groups of tourism assets together such as wineries and biking trails, motivating visitors to explore the area. This drives up trade for local businesses, which is crucial to building back post fires.
Within those networks, ABV has brought in tourism leaders from Canberra, New Zealand, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council and the South Coast. Since August 2023, we've been working on the Braidwood Regional Brand, defining the region's strongest offerings. We recently organised a workshop inviting the wider community to pitch new tourism ideas. Despite the Braidwood Villages Business Chamber being able to select only five pitches, we had over 20 fantastic entrants. This workshop is a testament to the progress the chamber is making towards a stronger economy, becoming stronger against future natural hazards.
Image: Adam Nye and Andrew White presenting their pitch from the Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council.
We express our heartfelt gratitude to the stakeholders who have played a pivotal role in this project's success, including Braidwood Villages Business Chamber, Enterprise Plus, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council Tourism, University of Canberra, Braidwood Community Association, Braidwood Visitor Information Centre, Bulah Delah Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Development West Coast (NZ), our volunteer Professor Brian Roberts, and our facilitator, Natascha Wernick.
Your contributions have been instrumental in our journey towards a stronger tourism corridor.
The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments
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