We all look for good food and hospitality in a country town or tourist destination – sometimes we find it, and sometimes we don’t. This week’s guest Deborah Culhane is a lawyer working in the large rural town of Albury-Wodonga and she closely watches the success of local restaurants, cafes and wineries. Why do some succeed and others fade away?

Ken Burgin talked with Deborah about the reasons for rural businesses success, and the value of Chamber of Commerce membership for networking and discovery. We also discussed how small operators can compete with the large chains, take advantage of tourism promotions, and the value of ‘anchoring’ a business to a tourist activity.

Businesses mentioned in the podcast include The Black Sheep in Coryong, Boynton’s Feathertop Winery and Riverdeck at Albury. Also check the videos from Tourism Australia’s australia-industry-case-studies.html"> Restaurant Australia campaigns.