Australia's Blue Mountains tourism continues to struggle after bushfires

Australia's Blue Mountains tourism industry has lost almost 30 million AU dollars (28 million U.S. dollars) as visitors canceled their trips to the area due to the recent bushfires, local media reported Thursday.

The October bushfires destroyed more than 200 homes in the Blue Mountains.

Randall Walker, chairman of Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon Tourism, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the local tourism industry continues to struggle with low hotel occupancy rates.

"We do know that current occupancy rates have been as much as 80 percent down," Walker said.

"Some small bed and breakfast operators have had zero customers and zero revenue, larger operators are slowly recovering."

Tourism operators in the Blue Mountain are concerned about how to keep their staff and stop them from leaving the mountains to look for jobs elsewhere.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill has urged tourists to visit the area.

"The natural attractions are there, the built attractions are there, the accommodation houses are there, and we're just sitting here waiting for people to turn up basically," he said.