Café takes up the tourism challenge

EMERALD has taken its first step towards having its own tourism information centre with a brochure stand at the Suitably Mellow Cafe.
Maps, information on tourist attractions and the latest information on bedandbreakfast accommodation in the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley is available at the cafe.
Suitably Mellow Cafe owner Anica Bowes said she had already contacted some of the nearby businesses to have their brochures displayed at the stand.
Ms Bowes said the idea for a tourism information centre in town was initiated by La Trobe MP Jason Wood in September last year.
Mr Wood said he initially suggested the idea after attending the opening of the Suitably Mellow Cafe.
He said he noticed that the one thing Emerald, Cockatoo and Gembrook didn’t have was a tourism information centre.
“Tourists come up here (Emerald) and can drive around for hours trying to find what they are looking for.
“An information centre will be able to point the tourists in the right direction,” he said.
Mr Wood said a tourism information centre was important to showcase the beauty of the Dandenong Ranges.
Ms Bowes said brochure stand was the first step towards creating the town’s tourism information centre.
She said the stand would be good for Emerald’s tourist trade as well as local businesses.
“If we can attract tourists to Emerald and we can give them all the information they need, we can help promote the town, region and local businesses,” she said.
Ms Bowes said although the brochure stand was the first step, she is working with the Dandenong Ranges Tourism Incorporation and the Shire of Cardinia, towards providing the town with an information centre.
Eventually, Ms Bowes said she would like to see the brochure stand grow to a tourism centre that offered a complete booking and inquiry service.
Tourist can find the brochure stand at the Suitably Mellow Cafe, Main Road, Emerald.