BUSINESSES are urging the council to support tourism accommodation services that deliver much-needed revenue following a decision to cease taking bookings at the Beerwah Sportsground camp site at the end of the month.
Retailers along Simpson Street especially – the closest point of call for travellers staying at the Sportsground – say the importance of the tourist spend cannot be understated.
Beerwah Hair and Beauty owner, Jini Shah, said if the campground were to stay closed it would have a material impact on her business.
“Beerwah is a small town and we can’t just rely on local customers to survive,” she said. “Getting tourists to come in helps with the revenue, especially for a small business like us. “The closure is going to affect all the small businesses on Simpson Street really bad, and inflation and rates just keep going up, which makes everything more expensive to run our businesses.”
She said since buying the business late last year she had noticed a decrease in business and added “if the campsite does close down we will lose even more”.
Long-term Simpson Street retailer, Steve Moon said his cafe was one of the closest cafes for campers wanting a coffee or cooked breakfast.
“I think it is ludicrous that the council are closing the camp site down, as we get a lot of business from those who stay at the sportsground and we will see our business decrease when they close,” Mr Moon (pictured) said. “We get a lot of tourists who come in, especially big groups, so it will definitely impact our business.” Ms Shah said Beerwah simply needed more accommodation options.
“I think we should have more accommodation here, but closing down places is definitely not ideal because tourists need places to stay and park their cars while they’re here,” she said.
Bookings will not be taken at the Beerwah Sportsgrounds from May 25.
