Coolamon launches new tourism website
Have you ever taken the time to wander around Coolamon, Ardlethan or Ganmain?
While many of you, even the locals, may have answered no, the launch of a new tourism website for the Coolamon Shire aims to change that.
The Coolamon Shire has put itself on the tourism map thanks to the new website – www.coolamonshire.com.au
Encompassing the towns and villages of Ardlethan, Beckom, Coolamon, Ganmain, Marrar and Matong, Coolamon Shire’s heritage sites and cultural experiences will surprise visitors and locals alike.
While driving into these little towns and villages you can see the pride within the community through the tidy streets and neat gardens, the aim of the website and the Shire’s new direction in tourism is to attract these visitors to stop, either for a few hours, a day or a whole weekend.
The idea is then that these visitors will help contribute to the local economy, then tell their friends, or come back for a longer stay next time.
Coolamon Shire’s Tourism and Business Development Manager, Linda Tillman, said while many people drove through these small towns without stopping the website aimed to pique visitors’ interests and point out to them what they were missing if they didn’t stop.
Things like the Up-To-Date Store Cultural Precinct in Coolamon, which is a symbol of the town’s passion for embracing the new while preserving its history, is featured on the website and is one of those quirky and unique facilities you just have to see.
With the Coolamon Shire offering museums, natural attractions, boutique shopping, quaint cafes, heritage streetscapes and beautiful Riverina scenery the website contains tourism and historical information on each of the towns and villages, as well as including attractions, accommodation, dining options and community events in the area.
While we as locals know how culturally rich our Riverina towns and villages are, the new, easy to navigate website, is another tool for the community in promoting this culture and heritage to a wider audience.
As Linda said, “By promoting what the Coolamon Shire has to offer in an easy to follow format and providing a richer heritage tourism experience, we hope that it will help boost visitor numbers to the towns and villages and thus increase overnight stays.”
The website contains everything you could possibly need to know about the Coolamon Shire and offers services like the Tourism Newsletter which highlights upcoming events and local tourism news.
There is also a place for people to promote their own event by registering it on the Shire’s event calendar and to help make the jaunt to the Coolamon Shire stress-free and enjoyable whatever the interest; there are also suggested tours and itineraries on the site.
The suggested itineraries are a great idea and just make the day trip or weekend stay just that little bit easier for visitors because they can easily see what is on offer, where to go and how long it might take them.
For instance the boutique shopping itinerary highlights the antique, giftware, homeware and quirky stores visitors can discover in the region which also helps boost the bottom line for small business; or the nature and bird watching tour highlights the natural attractions the region has to offer while also suggesting where the visitors should stop or where they can have a picnic.
The website boasts a photo gallery so visitors can see what they will experience before they arrive and a business section which aims to encourage local business, lists all local businesses in a directory and has an employment opportunity page, all of which are going that step further and encouraging growth and attracting new residents to the area.
A professional and succinct website it is even handy for the local community to find out what is happening in the area.