Alpine Opinion

Audax cancellations

Posted in Alpine Shire Council, Bright Australia by Ray Dixon on 5 January, 2009

Expensive bicycles, lycra and regional tourism in general may be one of the first 'victims' of the downturn .. memo to Alpine council & ARTB - wake up and do something!

Expensive bicycles, lycra and tourism in general may be one of the first 'victims' of the downturn .. memo to Alpine council & ARTB - wake up and do something!

Is this a ’sign of the times’?

Maybe the cycling ‘craze’ is slowing down as people start cutting backing on luxury purchases - like the $20,000 bicycles we’ve got used to seeing in ever increasing numbers – or maybe people are already cutting back on regional holiday trips because …

… we’ve had 3 cancellations for the Audax Alpine Classic event in the last few days!

This is unheard of, the Alpine Classic in Bright is one of Victoria’s major attractions and the biggest non-competitive cycling event in Australia. I can’t recall anyone ever cancelling their keenly guarded booking in all the years it’s been going and, to make matters worse, there’s been no new enquiry for the Australia Day long weekend event for quite some time.

It’s not a good start to the ‘year of the big bang’ in economic terms and I wonder what our council plans to do about the likely slump? Oh, what a stupid thought.

Anyway, if you’re looking for ‘the best accommodation in Bright’ for the Australia Day long weekend, just click here, or call me 03 5755 1375.

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16 comments

16 Responses

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  1. Andrew Davis said, on 5 January, 2009 at 2:10 pm

    Ray,

    I have riden the Alpine Classic for the past five years, and every year the event seems to get bigger and better.

    Whether or not the cancellations are due to the economic climate, is to be seen. I am unsure as to the registered riders for this years event – however, you can contact the Audax committee direct and find out.

    As to the $20,000 cycles – that’s a bit far fetched. The elite cyclists may have those bikes, but most bikes are probably around the $3,000 to $5,000 range.

    I rode the Bay Classic last year and they too had record entries.

    Cycling is the “New Golf”. More and more people are cycling rather than other activities. Just have a look at the amount of people passing your place over the past few weeks.

  2. Bron said, on 5 January, 2009 at 3:59 pm

    Tempting, tempting, tempting. Will there be a bottle of champagne upon arrival if I come?

  3. Noel Stone said, on 5 January, 2009 at 5:33 pm

    For what it’s worth the Summernats in Canberra had a decline of 20% in spectator numbers. The organisers cited the current doom & gloom.

    There might be an opportunity for Bright to pick the event up if it does not go ahead in Canberra next year, but I question whether you’d want a crowd of bogans yelling out the Summernats slogan (read the attached article to learn more):

    http://www.theage.com.au/travel/poor-crowds-could-mean-end-for-the-summernats-20090105-7a9l.html

  4. Ray Dixon (Bright) said, on 5 January, 2009 at 8:13 pm

    Andrew, I think it will be affected, as it does tend to be an elite event (at least for some competitors) and it’s an indulgence that can easily be cut out to save money. I’m not worried as I think we’ll still fill up with ‘normal’ tourists, which mightn’t be a bad thing. As you’ve probably heard, there are a lot of operators who’d like this event moved away from the long weekend anyway. I tend to agree with them.

    Bron, I’ve got it ‘on ice’ for you already.

    Noel, Oh no, not the Summernats, please! That’s the problem with becoming ‘event focused’ – they are more subject to outside influences and they don’t really breed loyalty among the participants, who’ll just turn up to whichever town has their particular event. Events are necessary but we shouldn’t pin our hopes on them. Btw, I see Wang has sort of ‘pinched’ your Italian Festival idea for Myrtleford. Their’s is going to be in March.

  5. Noel Stone said, on 5 January, 2009 at 9:25 pm

    I’m relaxed about the Wang’s “Viva Italia” Festival as it’s two months before ours but unfortunately just a week after the Myrtleford Festival (it was going to be held on the same weekend as the MF but commonsense prevailed).

    Your above remark about being too event focussed seems to contradict your 18 December post on the Council’s veto of the ARTB’s proposal to engage a special events consultant. You said then “We desperately need to attract new events, as a means of keeping up our tourist appeal in what looks like a very bleak economic period ahead”.

    I’m not seriously suggesting the Summernats, although it might be a good fit for Wandi! I can just see a reconstituted Wandi Nut Festival complete with burn outs in the main street and the bra tossing competition.

  6. Ray Dixon (Bright) said, on 5 January, 2009 at 9:32 pm

    No Noel, I don’t think it’s contradictory to say we need some new events in Bright and then to say we shouldn’t become too ‘events focused’. It’s just a matter of finding the right balance. As it is, we have too few internally-generated events and they are the ones we SHOULD be pursuing, as they build customer loyalty. Whereas externally arranged events like Audax & Hot Rods can be fickle.

    But I think even the Summernats would find Wandi a bit too ‘down market’.

  7. Bron said, on 5 January, 2009 at 11:09 pm

    Thanks Ray. Just ice would do, too.

    And I mean ice cubes. For this heat. Hot down in Bright?

  8. Ray Dixon (Bright) said, on 5 January, 2009 at 11:17 pm

    Stinking hot, about 36. No humidity though and … no mozzies!

  9. Bron said, on 5 January, 2009 at 11:21 pm

    Air-con in the rooms? I need air-conditioning, and I need it RIGHT NOW!!! But if I come down at the end of the month, I can hold off. I think. I hope.

  10. Ray Dixon (Bright) said, on 5 January, 2009 at 11:34 pm

    Yes, we have air-conditioners here, Bron. And the nights are never hot … just beautiful!

  11. Baldrick said, on 6 January, 2009 at 7:53 am

    Vouch for that Bron. We are getting 38 today here in Bright but the evenings are clear and very cool. Absolutely delightful. And for the first time in some years we have a river that is flowing even though there is no room for complacency.

  12. Lesley (Bright) said, on 9 January, 2009 at 8:58 am

    I referred on an enquiry for the Audax weekend to you the other day. Do you still have any vacancies?

  13. Lesley (Bright) said, on 9 January, 2009 at 9:07 am

    Check out the link below from last Saturday’s Australian where Bright came up tops in Victoria for a tree change. This was foillowed up last night on A Current Affair (which I missed because I was out to dinner). Did anyone see it? Nice if it helped real estate sales along.

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,,24867387-25658,00.html

    I am in Brsbane at the moment and the visit reaffirms why I left. The climate is so muggy, it is depressing. I feel claustrophobic without the wide open spaces. I love my tree change to Bright!

  14. Ray Dixon (Bright) said, on 9 January, 2009 at 9:12 am

    I read that story, Lesley, and yes I caught the ACA program. I’m putting up a post about it. Thanks for the referral. We still have a vacancy.

  15. Noel Stone said, on 13 January, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    Here’s another example of a country town finding a niche in the tourism market via an event.

    The NSW town of Parkes has just held its 17th Elvis Festival and raked in $3.5million. It started small with just 200 people – this year, 9,000 attended.

    Here’s the link to the story:
    http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/music/parkes-all-shook-up/2009/01/13/1231608671638.html

  16. Ray Dixon (Bright) said, on 13 January, 2009 at 11:55 pm

    Thanks Noel. I’d heard about it on the radio and thought, good on Parkes for coming up with a reason for people to visit what is not generally regarded as a tourist town.

    Part of the problem in Bright is we tend to believe people don’t need ‘a reason’ to visit,aside from our natural assets. That’s true of course for people who know about the town but new events are needed to (a) attract new visitors and (b) encourage more repeats.

    We don’t need to invent whacky festivals like Parkes did but we do need to come up with some new ideas and carry them through.

    PS: We’ve now filled the Audax vacancies.


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