Bright and District Chamber of Commerce is continuing to work with Alpine Shire Council, Tourism North East and state government agencies to build a more resilient year-round economy.

Chamber president Marcus Warner said businesses across the area are broadly facing the same pressures currently felt across regional Victoria.

"In towns like Bright, where many businesses are closely tied to visitor trade, pressures such as rising operating costs, staffing challenges, insurance, freight, utilities and softer consumer spending outside peak tourism periods, can be amplified by seasonality and weather," Mr Warner said.

"At the same time, Bright remains a resilient and high-performing regional destination, with many strong operators continuing to invest and adapt.

"The challenge for a lot of small businesses is even when the town feels busy, margins can still be extremely tight behind the scenes."

Mr Warner said to strengthen small business in the region, the chamber's focus was to drive more customers through the door and make it easier to run a business in the area.

He said the chamber was was continuing to push for targeted tourism and events funding which drives visitation, business support programs which are practical and easy to access, and faster and more consistent planning and permit processes.

Mr Warner said in the recovery process from the Porepunkah incident in August last year some local businesses had received grants and other supports, but there had been some delays and gaps.

"We’ve been clear with government that speed and simplicity are just as important as the funding itself," he said.

"Businesses need confidence to invest and plan, funding and approvals must move at business pace and long-term planning for sustained investment in attracting visitors is also required, not just reacting to downturns.

"This is a key priority we are tasking the Alpine Shire Council to be accountable for.

"With a visitor economy worth over $500 million annually, [our region] deserves a level of strategic focus which matches its importance."

The chamber has worked collaboratively with state government and regional partners to secure support under emergency response funding for ‘Fork in the Road’; an exploration of Bright's culinary identity, as four of the town's most respected venues - Koji Bird, Basil's, Tomahawks and Sir Loins - are set to host a progressive dining experience on Friday, 29 May.

"This came about as a direct response to the need to drive immediate economic activity following the Porepunkah incident," Mr Warner said.

"The Porepunkah Emergency Response grant funding was critical as it recognised the impact of the incident went well beyond Porepunkah and affected the broader Bright economy.

"The grant has allowed us to support immediate recovery activity, fund events and initiatives which drive visitation and maintain confidence across the business community.

"The event itself is designed to bring people to the region and allow locals and residents to be a tourist in their own town, showcase our hospitality sector highlighted through carefully curated menus and create a strong reason to visit now, not later and for it to become an annual event.

"We’ve already sold over 175 tickets and the local response has been strong.

"It’s shaping up as a high-quality, high-impact night for the region showcasing the region’s best chefs, distillers and wine makers."

Mr Warner said now the key is to ensure funding continues to be deployed quickly and effectively, with a clear focus on measurable economic outcomes for the region.

For more information about Fork in the Road, visit: https://www.forkintheroad.au/