Tourism Policy

Aspirations:

A thriving tourism industry in the Kiama LGA that provides a wide range of year-round attractions to visitors while sensitive to and promoting the local attractions, ecology, and heritage, and having a positive impact on the lives and culture of the local community.

Tourism will add to understanding of and conservation of the area’s natural and social environment. It will provide opportunities to learn about the area.

Tourists come to this area, experiencing how we live and why we live here, not to change the way we live.

Profit and income from tourism activities will not be at the expense of the amenity of locals.

Kiama Greens recognise:

The important contribution that tourism makes to the local economy;
The different demands and opportunities of the local winter and summer economies;
The broad range of accommodation types required in coastal tourism;
The accessibility of Kiama Municipality;
The popularity of backpacker and regional touring activities;
The potential for tourism based activities to impact on the amenity locals enjoy; and
That the quality of tourism Kiama generates is as important as the quantity.

Kiama Greens will work to:

Encourage low impact, low scale tourism developments based around the coastal and agricultural lifestyles and natural features of the area.
Promote council policies encouraging Heritage and Cultural tourism in winter, by creating and marketing a series of low key events through the quiet months, which create local employment and celebrate the municipality’s distinctive character. This moves Kiama away from an economic reliance on beaches and overflowing accommodation in summer, to regular low-key events promoted to weekenders and day trippers from Sydney.
Ensure that tourism activities respect and protect the natural and social capital of the area and work to link tourism development and programs with social needs and employment gaps in the area.
Support tourism activities which increase understanding of the natural qualities of the area and contribute to their conservation.
Support tourism activities which enhance cultural opportunities for locals as well as visitors.
Support tourism activities which provide training programs attracting federal and state grants.
Ensure that approved farm stay developments genuinely provide visitors with farming experiences and are not simply an excuse to build cabins on non productive farm land.
Encourage tourism businesses to develop environmentally sustainable practices through their operations.
Identify areas where infrastructure to support the impact of tourism is inadequate so that development contributions from new projects with a tourism focus can fund the impacts of those developments.
Oppose artificial “themed” type tourism developments particularly where they do not relate to local character.
Ensure that tourist facilities, including those owned and/or managed by Kiama Council do not reduce the opportunities for locals to access the coastal strip.
Continue to support the nationally significant “Coastal Walking Track” along the length of the Municipality.
Work in conjunction with local First Nations people to develop culturally appropriate tourism signage.
Promote lifestyle tourism that emphasises health and fitness development.
Promote cultural tourism through support of art and heritage trails, public art, and programs of creative activities.
Promote tourism facilities that are ecologically sensitive and promote sustainable living styles.