More than 200 tourism professionals descended on the Elvis capital of Australia and home of the much-loved Dish this week to attend the 2018 Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Annual Tourism Conference.
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Parkes Shire Council’s Destination Development Manager, Kelly Hendry, said council was privileged to co-host the event, which was officially opened by Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall on Monday evening Hotel Gracelands.
“200 delegates from throughout NSW converged on Parkes to listen to and learn from industry leaders on a range of topics relevant to developing, sustaining, and marketing the regional visitor economy,” Ms Hendry said.
“The conference also heard from a range of Parkes speakers, updating our local government colleagues on our latest innovations and successes in this field.”
Visitors had the opportunity to engage in a range of local experiences, with site visits on Tuesday showcasing the latest improvements to the Peak Hill Gold Mine, the reinvigoration of Trundle and how the Henry Parkes Centre ties together a number of tourism icons.
The two-day conference program, from Tuesday to Wednesday, included discussions on short-term holiday lettings, as well as sessions on successful destination campaigns; the growth of the camping, glamping and caravanning sector; the benefits of a night-time economy; and security and safety for crowded places and mass gatherings.
“Organisers, delegates, VIPs, observers and even locals have all been extremely glowing in their remarks on how well the conference ran and the level of detail that Parkes Shire Council put in to ensuring that it was such a success and that our shire assets were suitably showcased,” Ms Hendry said.
“Together, we all ensured that Parkes lived up to its esteemed reputation as an event leader and a progressive council.”
Ms Hendry said the highlight of the conference was the night with the stars dinner at the iconic Parkes Radio Telescope, complete with observations by the Central West Astronomical Society and a performance by local songstresses Amitie.
“We were fortunate to showcase the work of a number of experienced local suppliers in delivering this event, including Parkes Leagues Club, Parkes Radio Telescope, the Dish Cafe Catering Company, stylist Karen Creith, Western Road Liners and IKON at Hotel Gracelands,” she said.
LGNSW president Linda Scott said the conference was an opportunity for delegates to look at how best to leverage the economic benefits of tourism for local economies in both metropolitan and regional areas.
“In 2017 NSW attracted 31 million overnight visitors from around Australia who spent a record $18.1 billion during their stay,” Cr Scott said.
“That’s a 10.5 per cent increase on the previous year.
“Tourism in NSW generates 261,000 jobs; as an industry it is responsible for one in every 14 jobs that exist in our state.
“There are also more than 96,000 businesses involved in tourism in NSW - and more than one-third of these businesses are located in regional NSW.
“These figures alone show that an investment in tourism really adds up.”
And that was what this year’s theme in Parkes was called – ‘Tourism: It all adds up!'
“Delegates also [discussed] innovative ways to attract business visitors and conferences to their region – and of course we [got] to hear and see firsthand how Parkes is working to grow its iconic Elvis Festival, held every January,” Cr Scott said.
She said the local government sector played a significant role in NSW tourism, by managing tourism businesses, driving local economic development, delivering public infrastructure and services, and managing impacts on the environment and community.
“Getting the mix right is vital in achieving visitor appeal,” she said.
“The latest Domesticate study found that in 2017, NSW could claim the title for both the most visited, and the most popular of regional destinations for Australians planning to take a break.
“Australians look for luxury overseas, but the study reports that domestic holidays are more about the value of the experience.
“It also found Australians swing back and forth about whether to try the sharing economy via offerings such as Airbnb, or stick with the tried and true traditional providers.”
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