“WE need to think like the tourists and pretend this is the first time we have been here,” the “tower guy” Ben Deering told The Border Watch.
Describing Mount Gambier as the “anti-Dubai”, Mr Deering said the city and region as a whole has plenty to offer tourists.
Collaboration and “fresh eyes” are the keys to tourism growth in Mount Gambier, the newly appointed caretaker of Centenary Tower said.
Trekking up the challenging hill each day, the passionate resident said the only way up is to work together.
Speaking at the recent Tourism Mount Gambier Talking Tourism event, Mr Deering shone a light on the tourism industry and the influx of visitors to the city.
“I can certainly attest to growth, summer in the tower was massive with a range of international and Australian tourists trekking up the hill to see the view,” he said.
Describing Mount Gambier as the “anti-Dubai”, Mr Deering said the city and region as a whole has plenty to offer tourists.
“Dubai was once just a dessert and a beach, with some very well-funded individuals who had a vision, but zero in terms of natural assets,” he said.
“It was created out of nothing.
“We have the opposite, my office is a tower that sits on top of an old volcano and overlooks lakes, sinkholes and caves.
“It’s not normal, but it is pretty spectacular – I am very grateful to have that role.”
Encouraging people to look at the city with “fresh eyes”, Mr Deering said residents should not take what they have for granted.
“I see so many people at the tower who say to me ‘I did not realise there was so much to do here’,” he said.
“My favourite comment is when people visit and come back and say they cancelled a day somewhere else to spend longer here.
“We need to think like the tourists and pretend this is the first time we have been here.”
Predicting next summer to be the biggest, yet smallest at the same time, Mr Deering said business owners must work together.
“If we get it right, summer should be massive and it should be the new low benchmark where it goes from there,” he said.
“We need to collaborate, that is how we get tourists to stay longer.
“We are getting it right but there is a lot more to do.”
Using the tower’s 114th birthday today to encourage tourism, Mr Deering said now is the time for new ideas.
“We wanted to do something a bit fun to celebrate the occasion so we have teamed up with Leah from Just Frank and will give away free cupcakes to the first 50 people there,” he said.
“It will be a very busy morning I expect, but I am really excited to try new things like this.
“We may fail at some things, but we need to try now so when we try in summer we win.
“Tourists really appreciate Mount Gambier and what it offers and we need to as well.”
