As Parkes Shire Council prepares to welcome more than 200 delegates to town for the 2018 Local Government NSW Tourism Conference next week, the shire is already experiencing the economic benefits of hosting the event.
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Parkes is preparing for the influx which has seen around 200 motel rooms booked to accommodate delegates made up of tourism managers, mayors, councillors, industry professionals and sponsors from right around NSW for the three-day conference, from March 12-14.
“Business events, such as the LGNSW Tourism Conference, contribute close to $30 billion a year in direct expenditure nationally, according the most recent Business Events Council of Australia,” Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM said.
“Conference delegates stay in our hotels and motels, they go out to dinner, and spend money at our local establishments – a huge boost to the local economy.
“These delegates are particularly important as they are tourism specialists and will become advocates for the whole Parkes experience.
“Parkes is in a fantastic position to host these conferences – seizing the opportunity to tap into the benefits these events bring to host locations.”
The program has been released, with leaders in the tourism, business and event industries among the presenters.
The three-day conference will include workshops, case studies, panel discussions and site visits to Trundle, Peak Hill, the Henry Parkes Centre and The Parkes Radio Telescope.
“Council is delighted to have a number of staff presenting at the conference and facilitating the site visits - showcasing our vibrant shire to a broad audience from the tourism industry and sharing our visitor economy success stories,” Cr Keith said.
Parkes Shire Destination Development Manager Kelly Hendry is looking forward to hosting the event.
“The conference reinforces the value of tourism to local economies with the return on investment shown to be higher than that of mining and manufacturing with every $1 spent by visitors, generating a further 92 cents in other parts of the economy,” she said.
NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Adam Marshall will officially open the conference at the welcome reception at IKON.
The core conference sessions will be held at Parkes Leagues Club.
The theme of the 2018 conference is ‘Tourism: It all adds up!' and it is presented in conjunction with Destination NSW.