LET'S concentrate on getting to the other side.
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That's what Abercrombie House owner Chris Morgan says of the cash flow crisis facing the tourism and events sector in Bathurst after bookings disappeared due to the tighter coronavirus restrictions.
"A meltdown occurred over 72 hours and, for a lot of us, all of our forward bookings in our diaries evaporated in three days," he said.
"It places very great strain on small businesses - it's all about cash flow in the short term."
But Mr Morgan says he is hopeful - and says others should be as well.
"There are four reasons why I have great hope for our industry if we can weather this present perfect storm," he said.
"Firstly, government and the banks are making a real effort now to try to find solutions and certainly some ways of helping the cash flow in the small business sector, particularly in the visitor economy sector.
"Secondly, within our industry itself, there is a lot of discussion going on now about how we can create variations on our products that have very specific appeal to the community of Bathurst.
"And in doing that, we have to focus on inviting our community to come and be part of our activities in small family groups, in little clusters, in a manageable way, so we can deliver all of the safety and all of the requirements of social distancing, and at the same time give people something to do that is interesting, enjoyable and of value here in Bathurst over the next few months."
Mr Morgan was speaking to the Advocate before the news on Sunday that NSW would be moving into shutdowns of non-essential services this week.
It is not clear how long the shutdowns will remain.
Abercrombie House, Mr Morgan said, will be opening more, not less, when the restrictions allow, and won't be discouraging people from visiting, but will be encouraging them to do so.
"There's open space and air to breathe in places like ours - but come in small groups that can self-manage in this crisis," he said.
"And by doing so, as locals, generate income for the renewal of cash flow into businesses."
Mr Morgan's third reason for optimism is that what is offered in Bathurst - from accommodation to museums to entertainment to the arts - is so strong that there will be a revival after the crisis.
"If we can just hold on and keep it together, our sector and probably all of Bathurst's businesses will rebound and flourish once this is all overcome," he said.
And the fourth reason?
"Because we are all trying to work together and because we have a strong community in Bathurst anyway, there is resilience in knowing that no one is walking alone into some abyss here, and although it's a crisis, there are ways of sharing enough to be able to survive it."
It's more important to try to find solutions than to despair given what the industry is facing, he said.
"But all of us in this industry are very aware that our primary function is to protect the welfare of our citizens by applying all of the measures that have been suggested to us about social distancing and hygiene," he said.
"And that is why small groups is really where all of the opportunity lies for the next six months."