A visitor was overheard recently enquiring whether camping was allowed in the Mudgee Showground. Told he could camp at Gulgong Showground, he announced “I’ve just come from there.” With no information available about camping at Mudgee Showground, he headed off to another town with the type of facilities he preferred.
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The incident suggests caravanners and campers told they can’t stay at Mudgee Showground might bypass Mudgee rather than trotting off to tourist parks as Mid-Western Council hopes they will.
Possibly Gulgong and Rylstone will be the winners from council’s decision to restrict camping at Mudgee Showground. The likely loser is the wider regional tourism industry.
Visitors want a variety of accommodation: hotels, motels, tourist parks, beds and breakfast, boutique hotels, and camping grounds in national parks, reserves and showgrounds offer options to suit every taste and budget.
Denying campers use of Mudgee Showground will annoy those who prefer this type of camping. They’ll either camp elsewhere reluctantly, depart in a dudgeon, or stay away.
Restricting showground camping to “overflow” periods also presents problems.
Visitors who book ahead for a major event will be directed to tourist parks, even if they want to go the showground. Later bookers who prefer tourist parks might find no sites available.
So people who wanted to be at the Showground will be in the tourist parks. People who wanted be in the tourist parks are unlikely to be satisfied with higher fees and fewer facilities at the showground.
The result: a lot of unhappy campers, bad reviews for the district from travellers who will literally spread the word over the whole country, and in the long run, fewer visitors to spend their dollars at local businesses. In a district where tourist accommodation is often in short supply, this is a decision that should be reconsidered.
