Rockhampton opens its homes for Beef 2012 Homestay
It’s time for the Rockhampton regional community to open their hearts and their homes to help accommodate the massive influx of visitors expected during Beef Australia 2012.
With many commercial accommodation providers reporting that they are already booked out for the week of May 7-12 2012, Beef Australia 2012 organisers have established a Homestay accommodation program as a solution to address the demand for beds during the week of the event.
“Beef Australia 2009 attracted thousands of visitors from across Australia and the world and we expect Beef Australia 2012 to be even bigger and better,” Beef Australia Chairman Geoff Murphy said.
“We have established a Homestay service to ensure that both our community and our visitors from around Australia can make the most out of the event.”
Beef Australia 2012 is a celebration of all facets of the beef industry in Australia and facilitates new trade and export opportunities by exposing the local supply chain to the international industry leaders.
The national industry exposition is the biggest of its kind in Australia, and is held just once every three years in Rockhampton.
The Beef Australia 2012 Homestay Program will match local residents who are willing to open their homes, with visitors in need of accommodation, at a per person per night fee set by Beef Australia.
Beef Australia will act as facilitation and booking agent, assessing the facilities on offer in local homes and aligning them with the accommodation needs of visitors.
All homes will be inspected to ensure they are up to a suitable standard, and hosts will be required to show proof of their public liability insurance.
As the Beef Australia 2012 Homestay Program is a community service designed to help address an accommodation shortfall during the event, commercial operations and rental properties will not be considered as part of this program.
Should a commercial operator or rental properties be interested in offering accommodation they should
contact the Beef Australia Office to discuss their proposal separate from this initiative.
Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor, Councillor Brad Carter, said the Beef Australia 2012 Homestay Program was the ideal way for the region to welcome visitors into the community and to directly benefit from significant economic impact the event provided the local economy.
“Rockhampton is proud to host Beef Australia 2012 and I urge people in Rockhampton, the Capricorn Coast and our nearby communities to open their homes and welcome visitors to this wonderful event,” Cr Carter said.
“It has been estimated that Beef Australia events provide an $8 million boost to the local economy, and that over the past 12 years Beef Australia events have directly contributed over $38 million dollars in tourism spending into the Central Queensland Region.”
- For further details on the program and to register your interest as either an accommodation host or guest, go to the accommodation page at www.beefaustralia.com.au/page/accommodation
ENDS
Contact:
Michael Thomson
Cox Inall Communications
0408 819 666
