Ecotour company closes its doors

Koolewong ecotourism company Coastal EcoTours has closed its outdoor adventure services due to a decline in local tourism numbers.

Company director Mr Wayne Peters said that a number of factors were causing many of the State's ecotourism businesses to fold.

The factors included:

"ridiculous hikes" in public liability Insurance cover,

the inability of the National Parks and Wildlife Service to cooperatively form valuable partnerships with private enterprise and

dramatic downswings in international visitor numbers to Australia.

"Our ecotourism services and positive local indigenous education activities have been recognised both locally and by overseas authorities, but none of this helps in a region being considered a property developers cash-crop," said Mr Peters.

Described by Central Coast Tourism as being too visionary in 1999, Coastal EcoTours was instead invited onto two adjoining Regional Tourism boards to drive their respective ecotourism market plans.

Mr Peters said it was regrettable after many of the Coast's nature and outdoor tourism operators had been forced to shut down operations over the past five years because of an ever diminishing tourism trade.

October reports indicate international tourism is down 15% on the same time last year and this has been combined with a low spend increase in domestic tourism.

Mr Peters said his company had always promoted sustainability of the Coast's natural resources and provided quality, outdoor, education respectful of the true, traditional owners of the Central Coast, the Guringai Aboriginal clans.

Mr Peters said the companies indigenous educational services had been ratified and approved of by the Guringai Tribal Link ALC and Guringai legend Bungaree's direct ancestor, Mr Warren Whitfield.

Mr Peters said he would now focus on the promotion of his new children's illustrated story book series, which highlights many of the unique Australian native animals living on the Central Coast.

The books attempt to entertain and educate children with insights into the lifestyles of Australia's native animals and cheeky, furry or feathered friends.

"The first two children's books were released overseas earlier this month by Trafford Publishing and are based on actual native animals visiting my back yard at Koolewong," said Mr Peters, who is also the illustrator for the new books.

Mr Peters said that by February next year, all his books will feature on the American book website, Amazon.com and its European equivalent.

Ten books are planned for the animal series and can be ordered directly from the author.

Press release, November 22 Wayne Peters