The NSW Government’s tourism strategy for the Hawkesbury is set to move up a gear, with the establishment of the Hawkesbury Visitor Economy Advisory Committee incorporating Destination NSW and Hawkesbury businesses and stakeholders to identify opportunities to grow the visitor economy.
The initiative is part of a $3 million NSW Government investment to boost the visitor economy in the Hawkesbury region, announced by Member for Hawkesbury Dominic Perrottet in the lead up to the 2015 election.
Mr Perrottet said the Government had already scored some big wins in promoting the Hawkesbury since the election, with the new working group set to find new ways to put Hawkesbury’s pristine environmental wonders and rich colonial and indigenous history and heritage on the map.
“So far the Government’s efforts have already seen Hawkesbury feature on a number of occasions on Sydney Weekender, while also securing the upcoming World Polo Championships, and locking in another year for the True Grit event, which is great news for the businesses in the region,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Now it’s time to take things to the next level with a grassroots and community driven approach, to find even more opportunities to promote Hawkesbury,” he said.
The objectives of the Advisory Committee include:
- Reviewing the current local tourism landscape, visitor demographics, and infrastructure.
- Developing options to attract visitors, identifying any gaps in tourism products and/or the marketing of the region.
- Identifying all feasible opportunities to further develop the local visitor economy.
- Recommending a plan, which may include identifying appropriate product development or marketing plan/s to be considered for funding.
To enable to the Advisory Committee to gain as much local insight as possible, a questionnaire will be sent to additional local tourism businesses and stakeholders in September seeking feedback on tourism opportunities in Hawkesbury.
“I encourage all participants who receive the questionnaire over the next month to submit a response so the Advisory Committee is able to best target Hawkesbury’s local tourism needs,” Mr Perrottet said.
The inaugural Hawkesbury Visitor Economy Advisory Committee meeting will take place in November this year.