Published on : Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Long-standing Destination Port Stephens (DPS) board member, well-known tourism identity and former Port Stephens mayor, Bob Westbury, retired from the board this week after an association with the organisation spanning more than 19 years.
Bob, 77, of Nelson Bay, formally retired from the DPS Board at the body’s annual general meeting on October 27.
Bob first joined the board of what was then the Tourism Organisation of Port Stephens (TOPS) and later Port Stephens Tourism in 1995 and left in 2005 after serving as chairman for nine years.
From 2005 to 2012, Bob served as a councillor with Port Stephens Council and was mayor from 2010 to 2012, after which he rejoined the board of Destination Port Stephens until this month.
Bob was also the chairman of Mid North Coast Tourism from 2000 to 2005.
Current Destination Port Stephens Chairman, Michael Aylmer, this week described Mr Westbury as one of the most powerful drivers and supporters of tourism in Port Stephens in the region’s history.
“Over the past 19 years, Bob has invested an incredible amount of time and effort in our organisation, the local tourism industry and in our community and we thank him sincerely for his contribution and ceaseless passion for Port Stephens,” Mr Aylmer said. “Bob was instrumental in growing our tourism market and reaching out to new international markets.
We have him to thank for the robust industry that today underpins our economy in Port Stephens.”
Mr Westbury said he was proud of his achievements and was confident the region’s tourism industry would continue to grow and develop.
“My time on the tourism board was an exciting time of change and growth,” he said. “We managed to open up new markets in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and later China and Indonesia which have all been fruitful for our local tourism industry.”
Far from retiring from public life, Mr Westbury, a keen golfer, said he was still on the board of the Horizons Golf Resort, Salamander Recycling Centre, which saved 1.5 million tonnes of rubbish from landfill each year, and the Real Futures Foundation, which helped 280 teenagers a year in job placement and career development.
Bob will also continuing to assist in the staging of the annual Sail Port Stephens event.
Tags: Global Travel News, Travel Destination News
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