Fresh new look for Wagga Wagga + Surrounds tourism

The 2018/19 Wagga Wagga + Surrounds Visitor Guide was officially released overnight.

The new-look A5 guide showcases the best attractions, places to eat and drink and accommodation options in Wagga Wagga + Surrounds, and is made possible through the partners in the Wagga Tourism Partner Program.

More than 1.3M people visit Wagga Wagga each year, with the guide being a key and popular tourism tool to attract people to our city and region. The release of the guide also coincides with a peak tourism period for the city and surrounds.

“The guide highlights a great mix of popular Wagga Wagga + Surrounds attractions, services and events, as well as some of our hidden treasures,” Wagga Wagga City Council’s Director Community Janice Summerhayes said.

“The narrative of the guide ensures we capture our regular visitors, but also works to attract new visitors to our region, by showing different or even unexpected experiences that you can have right here in Wagga Wagga + Surrounds.”

As well as business listings from the 139 partners in the 2018/19 Wagga Tourism Partner Program, the guide also features local profiles which gives visitors local insight into the best places to discover and explore.

There’s also handy maps and features on our surrounding shires and communities for day trips, or for visitors to think about staying longer in the region. Plus, events to save the date for, nature to explore on our Wagga Wagga doorstep as well as across the region, family fun days out, our pet friendly city and a 24-hour in Wagga Wagga itinerary, featuring cultural experiences, dining and the great outdoors.

“Tourism is a vital part of Wagga Wagga’s economy, with visitors spending about $370M in local businesses each year. Products such as the Visitor Guide and other key tourism campaigns and major events throughout the year help us reach, and even grow, this contribution,” Mrs Summerhayes said.

“Spring is one of the busiest times for tourism in the region, with the guide’s release coinciding with the October long weekend, which sees a huge influx of visitors to our city especially through the ever-growing Gears and Beers festival.

“Wagga Wagga City Council is also about to launch its spring tourism campaign, Devour, which showcases the best local produce and eat + drink operators and runs for the month of October.

“Council’s new children’s festival Spring Jam will take over the Botanic Gardens on Saturday 6 October, and of course, the always entertaining multicultural street festival Fusion18 will see thousands of people fill the civic centre forecourt and Victory Memorial Gardens on Saturday 20 October.”

In addition, Wagga Wagga can also look forward to tourism drivers in the future thanks to a number of recently announced events and projects, including a National Rugby League match in May next year and the $8M cycling upgrade at Pomingalarna Reserve.

“Tourism is going from strength to strength in Wagga Wagga + Surrounds with some very exciting times ahead,” Mrs Summerhayes said.

Copies of the 2018/19 Wagga Wagga + Surrounds Visitor Guide are available at the Wagga Wagga Visitor Information Centre on Tarcutta Street and online at visitwagga.com

Copies of the guide are also distributed to information centres across the country, including Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. In the past, requests to stock Wagga Wagga + Surrounds visitor guides have also come as far as South Australia and Queensland. Having copies available across the country helps promote Wagga Wagga + Surrounds to potential visitors and allows them to make itineraries before arriving.

Wagga Wagga Visitor Economy Snapshot

• More than 1.3M people visit Wagga Wagga each year
• 222,000 annual passengers
• More than 140 regular weekly passenger transport flights (Sydney and Melbourne)
• In 2017, overnight visitors increased by 36 percent to 1.476M visitor nights
• Overnight visitors to Wagga Wagga spend about $355 per day and stay an average of three nights
• On average more than 860,000 day visitors come to Wagga Wagga spending about $168 per day trip
• Wagga Wagga hosts more than 650 sporting, cultural, business and music events each year