Tamworth pleading for visitors as Omicron brings tourism industry to its knees
The postponement of the Tamworth Country Music Festival marks another cruel blow for the region’s tourism operators, who find themselves back at square one.
NSW
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Tourism operators in Tamworth have pleaded for the return of visitors after the Omicron outbreak forced the cancellation of the city’s famed Country Music Festival in January.
The decision to postpone the 50th annual event just one week out from the first show was made late on Friday after restrictions on singing and dancing were reintroduced for indoor venues.
Artist Tori Darke was set to perform at Toyota Park and said it was more bad news after two years of cancelled gigs.
“Tamworth Country Music Festival is such a vibe and such an atmosphere and if the audience couldn’t get up and have a dance or a sing, it wouldn’t feel authentic,” she said.
“But the fact we can postpone for a couple of months and plan for a bigger and better festival with all the artists there is a win at the end of the day.”
The decision to postpone the event has come as another blow to tourism and hospitality operators in the region, who, like others across the country, have spent the past two years battling to stay afloat.
Travel agent Chris Watson said his business experienced its strongest sales since the pandemic began in November and December before the latest outbreak reversed all that.
“We were coming to work with our bounce back, our passion back, as for the first time in almost two years we were booking trips and not just processing refunds,” Mr Watson said.
“Then while we were closed over Christmas and New Year cases surged and I spent the whole time while I was supposed to be with my family just cancelling and refunding all over again.”
Mr Watson has spent more than a decade in travel and said it hurt to see the industry torn apart by Covid.
He said the flow-on effect was heavy for other parts of the community relying on the tourist dollar.
“The impact of Omicron isn’t just over the next few weeks but it’s also the people who were thinking about travelling later in the year and have had their confidence shaken,” he said.
“Within a couple of days it was like we stepped back 15 months in terms of consumer confidence and it’s still one step forward, 10 steps back.
“We’ve almost written off 2022 and are onto planning for 2023.”
Hospitality mogul Jye Segboer has seen the impact of Covid right across his business.
As chief executive of Central Hospitality Group he owns a hotel, restaurant, cafe, bar and function centre within Tamworth.
“There’s still a small segment of the local community that is worried about reopening to visitors but we’re ready and we’ve had two years to prepare for this,” Mr Segboer said.
“Businesses are putting a lot of thought into how visitors can have a really nice experience even with restrictions.
“The last thing we want is for people to be turned away or not enjoy themselves so every business operator is thinking about how to make their service the best they can.”
Regional hospitality venues have not been immune to a critical staff shortage sparked by the pandemic.
Mr Segboer said of 105 roles across his business, 12 were vacant.
“Some of those are in key roles like sous chef or restaurant manager and would traditionally have been filled by international staff on visas, so we’re having a difficult time filling those roles,” he said.
“A lot of people in Australia maybe don’t see hospitality as a career path but rather a stop gap, but people at the end of the day want to feel fulfilled and connected in their work and I believe that we can offer that.”
The same problem was being felt around the corner at craft beer bar The Welder’s Dog.
“A lot of people left because of the lockdowns and the uncertainty and you can’t blame them, but it’s so hard to find staff,” owner Ben Coombes said.
Mr Coombes operates The Welder’s Dog at Tamworth and Armidale, and opened a third location at Inverell late last year.
“We had a booming couple of weeks leading up to Christmas, losing the masks and the sign-ins had us feeling like things were getting back to normal and people were really enjoying it,” Mr Coombes said.
“Now there has been this spike in cases and the worry is back.
“Even the act of putting a mask on for some people is a reminder that we’re still in this.”
Ticket holders for the January festival have been contacted while organisers have begun rebooking shows.
In the meantime locals say there’s plenty for tourists to do in the region.
“Please come,” Mr Watson said. “We’re here, we’re ready and we have so much to offer.”
FESTIVAL POSTPONED AS RESTRICTIONS REINTRODUCED
Tamworth Country Music Festival has been postponed just one week out from the first show on what was to be its 50th anniversary.
The decision was made late on Friday after restrictions on indoor singing and dancing were reintroduced amid surging Covid cases.
Festival manager Barry Harley said the event would instead take place in April.
“The decision to postpone the festival just a week out from the event was a difficult yet necessary decision to make,” Mr Harley said.
“Given the current state of Covid transmission in our communities, and the impact the changed Covid safety measures have on our venues, it is the best decision for the health and safety of everyone involved particularly the Tamworth and country music community.”
The festival features a mix of indoor and outdoor concerts managed by both the Tamworth Regional Council and private venues.
Festival organisers and venue stakeholders met with the city’s mayor and Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson for a lengthy consultation after the restrictions were confirmed.
“We will continue to work diligently with government authorities, festival stakeholders, and the country music industry as we prepare to welcome artists, fans, employees, vendors and sponsorship partners back to Tamworth in April,” Mr Harley said.
Restrictions resulted in the cancellation of the festival in 2021 but the Golden Guitar Awards still went ahead.
This year the awards will be moved to April along with the rest of the event.
Up to 50,000 were expected to visit Tamworth for the 10-day festival, with some campers arriving before the event was postponed.
In a statement festival organisers said all ticket holders would be contacted.
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