Blue Mountains tourism languishes in ego politics

In February 2014, the Blue Mountains tourism body lost its chairman, treasurer and secretary all at once.  Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon Tourism with the silly acronym, BMLOT, lost its 6-year serving chairman Randall Walker, treasurer Geoff Luscombe, and secretary Wayne Cooper.  Why?

It was taken over by big council interests.  Councillor and former mayor, Daniel Myles took over, keen to promote council’s new Cultural Centre in Katoomba, and pushing his own equivalent one then under construction in Springwood.

Cash flow became a problem because government delayed payments for extravagant tourism campaign promotions like the bicentennial crossing of the Blue Mountains.

Within months Myles had throw his weight around and council’s $200,000 annual contribution had strings attached, exercising a great deal of influence and control over BMLOT.  A lot of anger amongst the tourist operator members built up over perceptions of “jobs for the boys” and of council hijacking of the body.  Many members resigned.

Cr Myles then resigned himself in January 2015 before the ship sunk and the ship finally sunk five months later in the depths of a failed Yulefest and BMLOT was wound up in the spring.

The acronynm changed from BMLOT to BMATA, Blue Mountains Accommodation and Tourism Association and wealthy members funded the acquisition of BMLOT’s domains and websites before they went feral online.  Lithgow went its own way, as did Oberon.  The fledgling association got financed by key tourist operators in the Blue Mountains and seconded local volunteers as honourary office bearers.

Interestingly a year later, Blue Mountains council published a report proposing a Regional Tourism Organisation in the Blue Mountains. It swapped partnering with Lithgow and Oberon westward to instead look eastward to Penrith and Hawkesbury, so swapping a rural Central West integration with a greater Sydney one.

In the mindset of the NSW Government, ‘Greater Sydney’ annexes the Blue Mountains Region out to Mount Vic, that is except when it comes to government service provision.