A Riverina man has been in the pubs and hotels businesses all his life and said a regional town's watering hole is often the heart of the community.
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Danny Milne has owned the New Coolamon Hotel for the past nine years.
"My father bought the Grong Grong Hotel 30 years years ago, and I have been in them ever since," he said.
"There are plenty of challenges owning one, particularly in a small town but the big one is patronage."
Mr Milne said getting people through the door is tough, but it has been made even harder by the drought.
"Being out here in regional Australia means we are a farming community," he said.
"They're struggling.
"If the farmers are struggling then the whole town is."
While business is tough, Mr Milne said there are plenty of positives to keep him going.
"We're the heart of the community," he said.
"That is what country pubs are all about, and they are there for the community.
"Even when the going gets tough, you can come in, have a sit and a drink and have a yarn with others who might just get what you are going through."
Mr Milne said he has plenty of regulars, who's orders he knows off by heart, who will always come in and be up for a chat.
"People should always try to support their local businesses where they can, especially in a smaller community," he said.
Mr Milne welcomed the news that Airbnb will award five pubs across Australia a grant of up to $50,000 each to help them revive and boost business via the online booking platform.
Airbnb spokesperson Brent Thomas commented on how the country is scattered with towns that make up its heartland, and often these towns are anchored by their local country pub.
"Pubs are important places of reconnection for locals and travellers alike," he said.
"They offer more than just a meal and a bed. As is the case in many rural towns, these pubs are a central meeting place, post office, corner store, town hall and much more."
On August 5, Airbnb will reveal the five pubs that will receive a grant. Each pub will be paired with a project manager to oversee the on-sight rejuvenation process and an experienced Airbnb Host to guide the publican on registering on the platform.
Also, Airbnb will support the town in creating a unique experience to attract guests from near and far to their establishment, launching a campaign to help put the pub and its village back on the map.
"Pubs will be selected based on the strength of their application, but specifically we're looking for establishments in interesting towns with compelling stories and great publicans," Mr Thomas said.
"Our efforts are geared towards helping publicans list on Airbnb to drive renewed enthusiasm and interest in exploring the great Australian Outback."
From now through to July 12, anyone can nominate their favourite watering hole for The Country Pub Project by visiting Airbnb.com/countrypubproject, describing what makes their local pub so special, and why an Airbnb grant would help revitalise and restore this place in their local community.
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