After almost a decade at the helm of one of Warrnambool’s iconic landmarks, manager Jon Watson is saying farewell to the Lady Bay Resort.
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The hospitality stalwart will work his final shift at the 4 star-rated accommodation and entertainment hub at the end of next month.
Mr Watson said he would then focus on another culinary project with wife Mary-Ellen.
“Warrnambool has changed a lot over the 10 years,” he said. “The Lady Bay of 10 years ago was a domestic holiday destination.
“Mums and dads from Geelong or Melbourne or South Australia came here for the beach, the whales and a long weekend.
“It certainly has a much more international flavour about it now.”
Mr Watson said exploring new tourism markets was a priority during his time at the resort.
“It’s been my focus for the last five years to grow the international side of the business," he said. "The first thing we did was refocus attentions on the corporate market and then move on to internationals.
“We now have over 3000 corporate guests who stay with us regularly and we’ve tapped into the international market successfully.”
Melbourne ex-pat Mr Watson offered his successors a final word of advice.
“You’ve got to get out there and actively get your product ready for the international market and target them yourself.
“You can’t wait for tourism groups to hand it to you.”
