A group of business operators across the hinterland have come together to form the Byron Hinterland Collective ‘to help support visitor growth in the area in a sustainable way’, says co-ordinator Francesca Esposito-Rose.
‘Even though our group name has the word Byron in it, that’s just for the benefit of visitors so that they know which hinterland we are talking about. Our group has more than 50 members from the Ballina, Tweed, Byron and Lismore LGAs and we are steadily growing in membership each week.’
The group’s formation was sparked by the recent state government RVEF (Regional Visitor Economy Fund) scheme, which aims to extend the stay of existing visitors, but also to create new markets for regional areas.
Ms Esposito-Rose said, ‘We would love all the hinterland businesses to be involved in this exciting cross-district collaboration’.
‘Our growing membership believes that hinterland visitors are very different from the coastal visitor and we want to reach that more adventurous traveller.
‘These are the 42 per cent of Australian travellers who want to take the time to explore new places and people and immerse themselves in all that a region and an alternative culture have to offer.’
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