Not all visits happy

THERE have been many, many words in this newspaper, and even this editorial space, lauding the impact of visitors to our region.

This summer alone we wrote of the $100 million in economic benefits that were expected to flow into the region with the influx of 500,000 visitors in January.

Many of our coastal towns rely on this trade to sustain them throughout the year.

Tourists have long been a crucial part of the Geelong and Surf Coast region’s sustainability and are often our biggest advocates around other parts of Australia and even the globe. Many develop a longstanding love of the area over many visits and eventually decide to relocate here permanently.

But this influx of outsiders can also bring its problems.

From overflows of dumped rubbish to underage fighting in our sand dunes, the poor behaviour of some of our visitors has also populated our news pages in recent weeks.

Today, two more ongoing issues are making news.

The perennial issue of international drivers struggling on our roads has made our courts, with Chinese driver Yadong Pan facing Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday over the death of a 52-year-old Batesford man in Birregurra on Boxing Day in 2017.

Meanwhile, Geelong star footballer Patrick Dangerfield found himself in the media spotlight for a different reason when it was reported that he came to the aid of his cousin who had been attacked in a surfrage incident earlier this month.

While surfers are renowned to have a laid-back nature, the increasing numbers of riders on local waves, especially during peak tourist times, have seen a fraying of tempers and a rise in surf-rage incidents on our beaches.

We will always welcome visitors to share this beautiful part of the world we live in. But we must be aware of the pitfalls an influx of people can bring — and be aware that if people no longer feel safe on our roads or our waves, the tourist boom could soon dry up.