focustourism.
Port Macquarie Tourism Association
Potentially 12,000 competitors, administrators, parents and supporters will head to Port next February for the event. .
Tour m janettehyde. t is hard to believe that I am sitting down writing the March column already – the months just seem to fly along. Despite a few huge downpours, it has been good to see a lot of sun in recent weeks, as our peak tourism season winds down for another year. In this column we have regularly discussed the importance of attracting more than holiday visitors to town, as while they are hugely important to our economy, it is a fact that they are extremely seasonal and most tourism businesses struggle in the off season. By widening the scope to target additional visitors via hosting sporting and cultural events as well as conferences, it helps even out what would otherwise be huge peaks and troughs for these businesses across the year. To this end, I would congratulate the passion, tenacity and vision of the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Tourism Marketing Team. They are doing a fabulous job with yet another great event coming to Port Macquarie, with the recent announcement that the 2013 - 2015 Junior State Cup will be played at Port Macquarie after being hosted in Wollongong for the past 12 years. Potentially 12,000 competitors, administrators, parents and supporters will head to Port next February for the event. The team currently also have bids in for the Surf Lifesaving Championships 2013 - 2014 and the National Touch League 2013 - 2014, along with some conference opportunities. The same team from Council should also take kudos with Wotif.com figures based on more than 250,000 bookings per month in 2011, that show Port Macquarie as again ranked third in the New South Wales list behind only Sydney and Newcastle, and 16th most booked region nationally. To achieve this result and hold onto it for a second year running is remarkable, given the competitive nature of tourism, as well as the marketing efforts that have been put in by various regions. It is disappointing to still hear occasional comments from locals who bemoan the
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tourist season and the influx of visitors to the region. Apart from the humorous fact that the majority of these people probably discovered Port Macquarie by being visitors themselves at some point, economically, without our visitors we would be a shadow of what we are now. It is estimated that every $1 spent in town by a tourist equates to approximately $5 in actual spending, as the money flows through our economy. The Greater Port Macquarie Tourism Association hosted their member night during February at the recently (and wonderfully) renovated Waters Edge Boutique Hotel (Country Comfort). Members were treated to wine tastings from both Rose’s Vineyards and Bago Vineyards, while Rachael and Craig from XS foods sampled some of their great finger foods. Linda Hall from Council updated us all on what is happening marketing wise, while Neil Black from Sunrise Rotary spoke about the planned restoration of one of our iconic landmarks, The Tacking Point Lighthouse. Two of our members gave quick updates on what they have happening, with Bago Vineyards about to open their Hedge Maze and Billabong Zoo talking about all the exciting changes they have coming up. These nights are a great way for all our members to find out what is happening, and we would encourage as many as possible to get along to the remaining 4 member nights across the year. Finally, I would like to wish the best of luck to both Macquarie Waters Boutique Apartment Hotel (Deluxe Accommodation) and Greater Port Macquarie Visitor Information Centre (Visitor Information and Service), who will be waving our flag at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards hosted at the Cairns Convention Centre on March 2. The awards acknowledge and celebrate Australia’s tourism operators who have demonstrated excellence and outstanding achievement. Just to make the finals of these awards, you have to win both your regional and state awards, and for Greater Port Macquarie to have two finalists is a fantastic effort. greater port macquarie focus 95