A man from Kariong, NSW, is the winner of the Passport to Parkes campaign, coordinated by Parkes Shire Tourism.
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Paul Cogswell won a host of prizes as a result of simply stopping over in the Parkes Shire.
The 'Passport to Parkes' marketing campaign ran from September to encourage visitors to travel to Parkes Shire and explore what the region has to offer.
Parkes Shire Tourism Manager, Kelly Hendry said Passport to Parkes was centred around a printed passport that visitors obtained to enable discounts at local attractions and eateries in the Parkes Shire.
“Visitors then made purchases to qualify for the offers and to ultimately enter the draw once three deals had been achieved at the various participating businesses,” Kelly explained.
“All correctly completed passports entered the draw to win a NAVMAN GPS and 'The Dish' DVD".
Businesses that took part in the 'Passport to Parkes' campaign and provided value offers included the Henry Parkes Centre, the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope, the Peak Hill Big Fish Fossil Hut, the Dish Café, McDonald's Parkes, Smeaton's Bakery, Cedar Café and the Pink Orchid Cafe De Flowers.
“A big thank you is extended to those businesses that took part and extended special value offers to passport holders,” Kelly said.
“The campaign included television commercials, a prominent Newell Highway billboard and promotion through social media networks, to ultimately increase visitation and the profile of Parkes Shire as a major tourist destination".
Timing of the campaign was designed to spark interest in feeder markets just prior to the October school holidays, to target families and the Wanderer or Grey Nomad market.
“This was the first time that Parkes Shire Tourism has run such a campaign, so we were really pleased with this initial support from local businesses, and also the take up rate from visitors,” Kelly said.
“We will now formally analyse the overall success of the campaign and see what can be learned for future marketing activities.”
The campaign was supported by Parkes Shire Council, the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope and the NSW Government through Destination NSW and its Regional Tourism Partnership Funding Program.
This program is designed to provide financial assistance to the tourism industry and provide support for marketing initiatives that are designed to promote and grow visitation to regional NSW.
