Have your say on the future of tourism in Wagga Wagga

Published: 03 Nov 2023 10:00am

Wagga Wagga City Council is calling on the community and tourism businesses to share their bold and brilliant ideas to help build tourism in Wagga Wagga.

Council is developing a draft Destination Management Plan (DMP) for the local government area, the first of its kind for the city, and is seeking community and industry feedback to help shape this strategy.

Through this shared vision, the DMP will provide a unique roadmap for Wagga Wagga to develop and grow its tourism potential for the next 10 years.

Already Wagga Wagga is fast gaining recognition as a leading tourism destination, attracting 1.3M visitors annually, contributing more than $385M into the local economy - the highest portion of visitor spending of all locations in the Riverina.

Council's Destination and Events Coordinator Kimberly Parker said it will be a unique opportunity for community and industry to share their ideas to influence the role the future visitor economy of Wagga Wagga plays in the region, the State and the country.

“As a destination, Wagga Wagga has its own story to share,” Ms Parker said.

“Some of that story is already being shared in meaningful ways, through our nature-based attractions and experiences, our prospering food and wine scene, and our vibrant calendar of events.

“What we are keen to reveal through this inclusive, consultative process is what the economic and tourism potential of our city looks like.

"We want to capture community and industry ideas, these could range from bold, large-scale projects such as expansive lookouts, holiday resorts and airport upgrades to allow for more visitors, to innovative small business ideas such as new hire companies, tour experiences, or, even how we could be integrating modern technologies such as artificial intelligence for enhanced visitor experiences.

"We want to explore all opportunities for growth and reveal any new opportunities to develop tourism, events and supporting industries."

The final strategy will strengthen Wagga Wagga’s tourism profile with the aim of increasing the number of visitors, their length of stay, as well as their dispersal through the region for the economic and social benefit of our community.

Council has engaged external consultants Urban Enterprise to prepare the Wagga Wagga Destination Management Plan.

For cross-industry support, the Wagga Wagga DMP will have strategic alignments with NSW’s Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 and Destination Riverina Murray Destination Management Plan 2030, as well linkages to relevant endorsed local government plans and strategies.