Blue Mountains Welcomes Visitors After Major Threat of Bushfires Eases

Photo - ABC

Blue Mountains Lithgow & Oberon Tourism (BMLOT) yesterday announced that following the easing of conditions and risk of a major threat, the area is once again welcoming visitors to the Blue Mountains.

While some fire activity remains in the region, and tourism operators are constantly monitoring updates, BMLOT has reported that the main visitor experiences are open and good visibility overlooking the World Heritage Area.

To check the latest information regarding any areas affected by bushfires visitors should check the NSW Rural Fire Service website, www.rfs.nsw.gov.au and www.livetraffic.com for traffic updates.

Our thoughts are with the communities affected by the bushfires, and our thanks to the NSW Rural Fire Service, Emergency Services and the scores of volunteers who helped to protect and support the impacted areas.

The Great Western Highway and railway line continue to be fully open and it is safe for visitors to experience the many hotels, cafes, restaurants, shops and major attractions such as Scenic World at Katoomba and Jenolan Caves at Oberon.

The high traffic visitor villages of Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba are welcoming visitors. The township of Lithgow is open and Oberon remains unaffected.

BMLOT understands that a few businesses due to their bush location or inability to roster staff may remain temporarily closed.

BMLOT chairman Randall Walker said: "We commend all involved in the enormous effort, thousands of volunteers and professionals. I thank all operators who have directly or indirectly supported firefighting efforts. There have been many great examples of selfless community spirit and contribution. I also thank operators for complying with the responsible advice from the Rural Fire Service".

It is the position of BMLOT that for businesses able to operate normally, at this time:

• There is no longer a reason for a visitor to defer their visit or to cancel and seek a refund
• If a visitor wishes to proceed with a cancellation, standard cancellation fees should apply

BMLOT will work closely with Destination NSW and Tourism Australia to implement recovery campaigns.

Following conversations with operators, Randall Walker, said: "So many people from outside the region have been asking 'What can we do to help?' We can tell them the best way they can help is to spoil themselves with a short break or day trip and support the many local small businesses and employers. “

Destination NSW’s Tourism 2020 Tourism Industry Resilience Kit assists tourism operators’ recovery by providing a step-by-step guide to respond and recover from external events such as the fires. This can be access from tourism2020.gov.au or directly at http://www.ret.gov.au/tourism/Documents/business/Resilience-Kit-for-Tourism-Businesses.pdf

For general tourism-related inquiries, please call BMLOT on 1300 922 492.