Walhalla open for business
Walhalla's Star Hotel is ensuring international travel buyers know it is open for business in post-COVID travel.
Hotel proprietor Michael Leaney last week attended his 21st Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) conference in Sydney to ensure Walhalla remains on the map for international travellers.
The ATE is the premier trade exhibition held by Tourism Australia annually (cancelled in 2020), where international travel buyers meet with hotels, tour and travel agencies to develop their brochures and itineraries for the next year.
Mr leaney said 21 years was a long time for any business to market to the international tourism trade.
"There have been ups and downs however consistency is now the key. Many travel buyers want to ensure they are not dealing with operators who are not prepared for the long haul.
"Developing programs and itineraries for the international travel industry requires commitment and time. This is even more important after the shocks of the pandemic that will take years for international tourism to fully recover from," he said.
Mr Leaney said for more than two decades the Star Hotel had welcomed guests from all over the world.
"We've hosted media and travel agents as well as attended many trade exhibitions like ATE to get the word out. This is the glamorous side of the business. The fun part.
"The flip side is the day to day slog of making sure everything is correct for every guest. Many of the buyers I deal with have become friends and we have stuck together," he said.
At this year's ATE, Walhalla's Star Hotel was the only mainland Gippsland tourism product attending the event in its own right.
Mr Leaney said there was nothing like having the additional benefit of being a direct player in the game and having direct contact with international buyers and other tourism industry partners.