ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19

1 DESTINATION MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Destination Riverina Murray acknowledges the many Aboriginal Nations and Aboriginal People of the Riverina Murray region as the traditional carers and custodians of the land that we all now live and work on.

We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging. Destination Riverina Murray values the diversity of this region and works in partnership with local Aboriginal communities to respectfully celebrate and share Aboriginal culture with visitors to the region and with the locals who live here.

CONTENTS

Foreword from the Chair 03 About Destination Riverina Murray 04 The Value of Tourism 06 The Team 08 General Manager’s Report 09 The Year in Review 10 Looking Forward 20

Front cover: Lake , Mulwala. Credit: Destination NSW.

Image: , Mungo. Credit: Destination Riverina Murray. 2 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 FOREWORD FROM THE CHAIR

Destination Riverina Murray has had another very successful year, supporting and growing the visitor economy across the region.

The results of the National Visitor Survey have been pleasing and we look forward to enjoying even greater insight into visitor behaviour across the region as a result of the new Destination NSW Westpac Tourism Expenditure Monitor. Access to more detailed and accurate data will improve our ability to develop and deliver even stronger outcomes for the tourism sector in the future.

The NSW Visitor Economy Industry Action Plan 2030 (VEIAP 2030), published earlier this year, outlines a strong framework to continue to build on the success of the tourism sector across the State and in our region. This includes the ambitious target of tripling overnight visitor expenditure in NSW by 2030 and a dedicated target to grow the visitor economy in rural and regional NSW to make sure we can all benefit from this $40 billion industry.

Our Destination Management Plan, along with NSW-wide strategies and plans developed by Destination NSW, detail the initiatives which will continue to drive and grow the tourism sector across the Riverina Murray region.

I’d like to thank our funding body Destination NSW, and our industry partners Thrive and Murray Regional Tourism for their continued support, expertise and collaborative activity throughout the year. We also value working with the 22 local government organisations across the region and we wouldn’t have a tourism sector without the hard working industry operators that provide the appealing experiences, high quality food and wine, fantastic events, unique accommodation offerings and great country hospitality.

I would like to thank the staff at Destination Riverina Murray and Destination NSW for their passion, their expertise and their commitment to enhancing the success of the tourism sector across the Riverina Murray region.

We look forward to delivering more successful outcomes for the tourism sector across the Riverina Murray region as we continue to work towards the targets set by the NSW Visitor Economy Industry Action Plan 2030.

Genevieve Fleming Chairperson

3 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 ABOUT DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY

Destination Riverina Murray is one of six Destination Networks established in 2017 to increase visitation and contribute towards achieving the NSW Government’s overnight visitor expenditure goals. The operations of the Destination Networks are funded by the NSW Government through Destination NSW, the government’s lead agency for tourism and major events.

The primary responsibility of Destination Riverina Murray is to facilitate visitor economy growth through effective representation and coordination of the region’s tourism industry.

Key responsibilities:

The Kidman Way • Develop and implement the region’s Destination Management Plan. willandra • Represent the region’s interests to national park Destination NSW and the NSW Government. HILLSTON

• Work with Destination NSW on a range of wentworth mungo Newell Highway initiatives including marketing and industry national development. park Sturt Highway bland

• Collaborate with tourism organisations, WEST wentworth WYALONG committees and local government tourism cocoparRa MILDURA national park teams. GRIFFITH jindalee lachlan valley national • Help to strengthen applications for funding park national park HAY kemendok national park TEMORA of events or tourism projects. LEETON • Deliver education and training initiatives. balranald oolambeyan national park MURRUMBIDGEE murrumbidgee COOLAMON • Undertake tourism research and market valley N.P analysis to inform product development WAGGA and investment attraction. murray RIVER WAGGA

the rock • Advocate for the region’s tourism industry. MURRAY DOWNS livingstone LOCKHART nature SWAN HILL national reserve • Assist with acquiring new business events park SNOWY VALLEYS and conferences. FEDERATION BARHAM GREATER HUME KOONDROOK murray valley HOLBROOK BERRIGAN national park national park mulwala Newell Highway yarrawonga wahgunyah kosciuszko ECHUCA WODONGA Snowy Mountains national Way Hume Highway park

mt kosciuszko

VISION Destination Riverina Murray’s vision is • The development of more appealing that more people will enjoy visiting the tourism experiences. Riverina Murray region due to: • The effective positioning and promotion of the destination to domestic and international visitor markets.

4 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 RIVERINA MURRAY REGION

The Riverina Murray region encompasses 149,000 square kilometres, 22 local government areas and is home to over 275,000 people. The region is known as the nation’s food bowl and is one of the most diverse destinations in NSW, featuring mountains, waterfalls and lakes in the Snowy Valleys region, some of ’s most important waterways in the Murray, Darling, Murrumbidgee and Edward rivers, and the World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park, a place of international significance. Key visitor markets for the region are holiday makers and people travelling to visit friends and relatives.

The Kidman Way

HILLSTON wentworth mungo Newell Highway national park BALRANALD Sturt Highway bland

WEST wentworth WYALONG murray river cocoparRa MILDURA national park GRIFFITH jindalee CARRATHOOL lachlan valley national park national park HAY kemendok national park TEMORA yanga national park LEETON DARLINGTON POINT balranald COOTAMUNDRA oolambeyan murrumbidgee river national park MURRUMBIDGEE murrumbidgee COOLAMON valley N.P

NARRANDERA JUNEE Hume Highway EDWARD RIVER WAGGA GUNDAGAI murray RIVER WAGGA

the rock MURRAY DOWNS CONARGO livingstone LOCKHART nature SWAN HILL national TUMUT URANA reserve JERILDERIE park wakool SNOWY VALLEYS DENILIQUIN FEDERATION BARHAM GREATER HUME KOONDROOK murray valley HOLBROOK woomargama BERRIGAN national park national park TUMBARUMBA mathoura barooga mulwala corowa MOAMA cobram Newell Highway yarrawonga ALBURY wahgunyah kosciuszko ECHUCA WODONGA Snowy Mountains national Way Hume Highway park

mt kosciuszko

VALUES Destination Riverina Murray makes an impact by MISSION doing things differently and collaborating to achieve Destination Riverina Murray’s mission successful outcomes. We are: is to strengthen the region’s visitor • Innovative and entrepreneurial. economy by collaborating effectively with industry, local government and • Collaborative and outcome-focussed. tourism organisations to increase visitation, expenditure and dispersal • Ethical and honest. within the Riverina Murray. • Responsible and impactful.

• Transparent and fair. 5 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 THE VALUE OF TOURISM

Every minute of every day, tourism delivers over $3,000 of visitor spend into the Riverina Murray economy – that equates to almost $4.6 million per day! This value has grown by more than 30% in the last year alone and is forecast to continue as the region’s tourism sector matures and attracts more visitors.

Note: All data is at year ended 2018. Image: Kimo Estate, Gundagai. Credit: Destination NSW.

K B per growth $3 minute 30 $1.68 Visitor spend in the Riverina Murray In visitor spend on last year. Total visitor expenditure 2018. = $4.6 million per day.

6 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 M K K 5.9 visitors 11 + 3 + to the Riverina Murray in 2018. People directly or indirectly Tourism related businesses. employed in the tourism industry.

7 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 THE DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY TEAM

Destination Riverina Murray is led by a board of skills-based Directors who have been appointed for a three- year term.

Genevieve Fleming Judy Charlton Alex Smit Neil Druce Chairperson Director Director Director

Belinda King Kate Shilling Cassandra Smeeth Director Director Board observer

The team responsible for the day-to-day running of Destination Riverina Murray.

Richie Robinson Sarah Hope Katie O’Neill General Manager Business Executive Assistant Development Manager

BOARD MEETINGS July 2018 Nimbo Fork Lodge, Tumut September 2018 Royal Hotel, West Wyalong December 2018 Civic Theatre, February 2019 Corowa Whisky Factory, Corowa April 2019 Council, Balranald June 2019 Quest Griffith, Griffith

8 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT

At the beginning of the 2018/19 financial year, the Destination Riverina Murray board and staff set ambitious goals and objectives designed to energise and inspire the region’s tourism industry. The objectives set were a strategic mix of product development and marketing initiatives that I’m pleased to say have been delivered in close collaboration with Destination NSW and our partners Thrive Riverina, Murray Regional Tourism and the 22 local government areas in the Riverina Murray region.

Recognising that confidence and belief is one of the key ingredients to building a successful destination, we dedicated a lot of time and energy to establish this sentiment among our stakeholders. We committed to provide industry development programs that would educate and equip operators for growth and, in partnership with Destination NSW, there was a range of workshops and events hosted at locations right across the region.

One of the key objectives during the year was to lead a step- change in the level of financial investment the region committed to marketing activities. I’m pleased to say that this was achieved, with the most significant campaigns (by dollar value and reach) delivered for the Riverina in early 2019 and the Murray region in late 2019. These initiatives are big steps forward for this destination and will ultimately increase visitation, however it is critical that the momentum gained in the past 12 months is maintained and we capitalise on the good work that has been done.

The Riverina Murray region has immense potential to establish itself as the preferred inland destination for people living in NSW and . More needs to be done at a local level to share this message loudly and proudly with people living in the major population centres of , and Canberra.

One of the most pleasing outcomes from the past 12 months has been the establishment of our organisation as the lead agency responsible for the development and growth of the region’s tourism industry, and we now look forward to the coming 12 months and beyond with optimism and excitement about what can be achieved.

Richie Robinson General Manager

9 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 THE YEAR IN REVIEW

For Destination Riverina Murray, 2018/19 was another successful year of supporting and growing the visitor economy across the region.

Through a variety of industry development programs, workshops and events, we were able to educate and equip tourism operators for growth. We also delivered the two most significant marketing campaigns (by dollar value and reach) designed to raise awareness and increase visitation.

Beyond the statistics of dollars spent, nights stayed, or events attended, there is encouraging anecdotal evidence of the positive impact Destination Riverina Murray has had throughout the region in 2018/19.

Individuals and businesses are reporting a sense of optimism for what’s to come. We’re hearing that people seem more aware of what’s on offer across our region and are showing more interest. Feedback also tells us that visitors enjoy their experiences, talk about them in a positive light and share them with others - and that’s music to our ears!

2018-2019 OBJECTIVES

The objectives set by Destination Riverina for the 2018/19 financial year were to increase visitation, length of stay and expenditure in the region. We sought to achieve this through the following strategic initiatives:

• Support the development of more appealing visitor experiences.

• Grow the profile of the Riverina Murray region in the capital city markets of Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide.

• Focus on opportunities in international markets.

• Raise awareness of the region’s offering amongst locals who host the visiting friends and family market.

• Progress projects and initiatives identified in the Riverina Murray Destination Management Plan.

• Increase the number of large-scale events with a focus on attracting visitors.

10 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 2018-2019 AT A GLANCE

100 K + The number of people we reached at major events in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.

go with the Flow Nine The businesses that took part in The The new cooperative marketing Riverina Murray Tourism Business campaign for The Riverina. Accelerator Program delivered in partnership with Regional Development M Australia Riverina. $1.8 K The combined value of six new projects 54 supported through the Regional Tourism The people reached by the My Riverina Product Development Fund. Murray Instagram competition. $290 K + $4.9 M The funding for Incubator and Flagship The advertising value of media exposure events secured through the Destination gained for the region on programs like NSW Regional Flagship Events Program. Postcards, Sydney Weekender, Better Homes and Gardens, Qantas Magazine, Australian Traveller and many more.

Image: , Woomargama. Credit: Destination NSW. 11 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

CASE STUDY: Funding Expansion WHO: Kevin and Ririn Yaxley, CIRCA Hotels WHAT: $150,000 funding from the Regional Tourism Product Development Fund BENEFIT: Expansion of business into Albury market with new five-star, two suite boutique hotel and day spa. Since opening in July 2019, Circa 1928 has had a growing occupancy rate. HOW WE “Richie (Robinson, General Manager) was the one who told us the grants were available and HELPED: encouraged us to apply. The very, very helpful people in Richie’s office ensured that we had advice and guidance to put our best case forward. Their assistance was absolutely invaluable.… none of it would have been possible without Destination Riverina Murray.” KEVIN “We would not have tackled the Albury project without the Regional Tourism Fund. The matched SAYS: dollar for dollar program helped underwrite the project. Without such financial assistance, projects like ours would be less likely to get off the ground.”

12 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT cont.

CASE STUDY: Accelerating Business Growth WHO: Wayne Bond, Leeton Heritage Hotel WHAT: Tourism Business Accelerator Program delivered by DRM, RDA Riverina and RDA Murray – a year-long business accelerator combining online tools, mentoring, workshops and pitch event. BENEFIT: “I found the program very beneficial. I’m running a motel. I work hundred-hour weeks. That’s pretty much head down, go-go-go non-stop. So, this program gave me a chance to step outside of the box, look at my figures and explore how we can best grow the business. We had already grown the business quite substantially since we took over, but this program helped ensure we will continue to blossom.” WAYNE “My business mentor has experience in my industry, so he was very switched on as far as hotels SAYS: and motels go. He could see that we were already doing a lot of things quite well, but he really helped me refine the numbers and create realistic growth projections. During the program, we developed four key areas that we could hit to grow our business, including creating a product called Leeton Safari package deals in partnership with Altina Wildlife Park at Darlington Point and Pages on Pine, a French restaurant in Leeton.”

2018-2019 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

Accommodation Market Assessment Report

This report was published to encourage new investment in accommodation properties across the region, increasing capacity during peak periods of visitation and supporting growth in the visitor economy. It looked at the level of supply and demand in the region, with a focus on the Wagga Wagga, Albury, Griffith and Snowy Valleys local government areas. This audit formed the initial phase of the project, with a series of investment prospectus documents to follow. Regional Tourism Fund Product Development Program

The Destination NSW Regional Tourism Fund contributed more than $780,000 in grant funding towards six new projects across the region, with a total investment value of $1.8million:

• Kimo Estate Eco-huts, Gundagai, $130,025

• Belisi Farmstay, Wagga Wagga, $150,000

• Circa 1928, Albury, $150,000

• Highfield Ecohut, Mt Adrah, $101,394

• Coonara Farmstay, , $103,300

• Brolga Hotel, , $145,738 Support for Game Changing Projects

A number of tier 1 and 2 projects identified in the Destination Management Plan were assisted to gain government funding, including the Murray River Regional Experiences Project and the Wagga Wagga Riverside Stage 2 Upgrades.

Image opposite: Circa 1928, Albury. Credit: Circa Hotels.

13 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT cont.

Riverina Murray Tourism Business Accelerator Program

In partnership with RDA Riverina, the program was delivered to nine businesses in the region. Commencing November 2018, the program included three face-to-face engagement sessions/workshops, online learning, mentoring and a showcase/pitch event in Wagga Wagga. Participating businesses included:

• The River Deck, Albury

• Temora Aviation Museum, Temora

• Hotel, Ariah Park

• Leeton Heritage Hotel, Leeton

• Orange Grove Gardens,

• Pioneer Museum, Jindera

• Charles Sturt Suites and Apartments, Wagga Wagga

• Brewing Co., Tumut

• Great Aussie Holiday Park, Albury Development of test itineraries for international markets

Working in consultation with the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, Canberra International Airport and Visit Canberra, we partnered with a local tour operator to develop a test itinerary designed to leverage international flights from Singapore to the Canberra Airport.

Image: The River Deck, Albury. Credit: Destination NSW. 14 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 MARKETING

CASE STUDY: Griffith goes with the flow WHO: Mirella Guidolin, Tourism Manager, Griffith City Council WHAT: ‘Go With the Flow’ marketing campaign developed by Destination NSW in partnership with Destination Riverina Murray, Thrive Riverina and 10 regional councils to raise awareness of the region among couples aged 45-65. Griffith City Council was one of the first to get on board. BENEFIT: “The returns we have seen from the media famils alone has been fantastic. As a result of the campaign, the region was featured on Better Homes and Gardens, Postcards and Sydney Weekender and in magazines like Australian Traveller and NRMA Open Road magazine.” MIRELLA “This is about playing the long game – promoting the Riverina region, getting it on the map SAYS: and then it’s up to us to sell ourselves. We know that we may not see this spend converted into business straight away, but we also know that people visit off the back of something they’ve seen about us on TV 12 months after the fact, and we trust that Destination Riverina Murray and Destination NSW can now see what works and what doesn’t and refine the campaign from here. I’m sure it’s only going to get better.”

2018-2019 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Cooperative marketing campaigns

With funding from NSW Government’s Regional Tourism Fund we partnered with Destination NSW to deliver marketing campaigns for the Riverina ($125,000 from NSW Government and combined investment of $450,000) and Murray ($85,000 from NSW Government and combined investment of $290,000). These marketing campaigns were each the most significant delivered to date to promote visitation to the respective regions.

The Riverina - Go With The Flow campaign

In February 2019, Destination NSW launched the campaign in partnership with Destination Riverina Murray, Thrive Riverina and the Riverina local government areas. The aim was to increase awareness of the Riverina and its appeal as a holiday destination to couples aged 45-65 living in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and surrounding areas. Running February to May 2019, it included digital advertising, Facebook advertising, Instagram campaign and a suite of PR initiatives. The Murray - Best Shared campaign

Launching in August 2019, the campaign is a collaborative effort between Destination NSW, Destination Riverina Murray and Murray Regional Tourism, with support from regional councils. It focuses on three key themes: Food and Wine, Nature and Outdoors, and Golf. The campaign will run for 11 weeks across digital advertising, Facebook and Instagram and is complemented by PR activity. Visiting media

We worked with Destination NSW to secure significant media exposure for the region through the cooperative marketing campaigns, including features on Postcards, Sydney Weekender, Better Homes and Gardens, Qantas Magazine, Australian Traveller and many more. The estimated advertising value of this combined exposure for the region is $4.9 million. My Riverina Murray competition

An Instagram user-generated content hashtag competition ran for approximately 6 weeks, December to January. Leading up to the Riverina Go with the Flow campaign, it encouraged both residents and visitors to showcase what they love seeing and doing in the region. The competition was designed to inspire both travel by locals and visitation from people outside of the region and reached more than 54,000 people. A second phase of the competition was scheduled for spring in the lead up to the Murray - Best Shared marketing campaign.

15 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 MARKETING cont.

Discover Balranald and Surrounds campaign

In partnership with Balranald Shire Council and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, we delivered a micro-campaign with We Are Explorers in early 2019. The campaign showcased Mungo National Park, Yanga National Park and Balranald as a base from which to explore. Influencers

We engaged social media influencers Trip In A Van (TIAV) to visit the region, taking Destination NSW Road Trips – the Riverina to Snowy Valleys Way and the Mighty Murray River Drive. In November and December 2018, Justin, Bec and the kids followed the itineraries featured on the Visit NSW road trip planner and shared their experiences with their 34,000 followers on Instagram and 89,000 followers on Facebook. It’s On in the Riverina campaign

In partnership with Destination NSW (Co-op Marketing Program), the campaign promoted visitation to the region at seven local events, in September-November 2018

• Clydesdales, September 29-30

• Griffith Spring Fest, 12-20 October

• Spirit of the Land Festival, Lockhart, 13-14 October

• Tumbarumba Tastebuds, 28-29 October

• Town Band Spectacular, Leeton, 9-11 November

• Remembrance Day Showcase, Temora Aviation Museum, 11 November

• Snake Gully Cup, Gundagai, 16-17 November.

$15,000 seed funding, $2000 investment each from event owners/LGAs, and $29,000 matched funding by Destination NSW provided a $58,000 campaign budget to cover paid social media, native social, video and printed promotions. Take the Region to the People exhibitions

In line with a key objective to grow the profile of the region in capital city markets, we partnered with the region’s tourism industry and hosted destination exhibitions at major events in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. We took the Riverina and Murray regions to more than 100,000 people in key target markets at:

• Handmade Markets, Canberra – 23-24 March (Riverina Food and Drink Alley in partnership with Thrive Riverina).

• NSW Caravan, Camping, RV & Holiday Show, Sydney – 30 April-5 May (promotion of road trips).

• Good Food & Wine Show, Melbourne - 31 May-2 June (promotion of food and drink in Murray region, in partnership with Murray Regional Tourism).

16 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 EVENTS

CASE STUDY: Cross-border possibilities recognised WHO: Tony Tranter, Business Development Manager, Cobram Barooga Golf Club WHAT: Successfully pitched for and hosted SEGRA 2019 (Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia) Conference BENEFIT: The SEGRA Conference brought more than 200 people to the region, promoted the region and what it has to offer and created important networks among the presenters and delegates. The conference also helped to reframe thinking around cross-border possibilities.

“There was immediately lots of good feeling from the conference but we expect the flow-on effects to include a growing reputation as a region and venue with the capability to host this standard of event, growth in conferencing and return visitation from delegates.” HOW WE DRM and the Destination NSW Regional Conferencing Team assisted Tony with pitching for the HELPED: event, securing funding to contribute to hosting fees, promotion and delegate recruitment. TONY “DRM was super helpful and very keen to help. We secured funding quickly and easily thanks to SAYS: their facilitation. It was a breath of fresh air to work with these guys.”

2018-2019 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Industry events

In an effort to engage tourism businesses and stakeholders, more than 20 industry development events were held across the region in 2018-2019, hosted or co-hosted by Destination Riverina Murray. Events included:

• The Tourism Muster, Deniliquin - July 2018

• NSW First Workshop, Griffith - August 2018

• Social Media Workshop, Tumut - November 2018

• Tourism Accelerator Program Workshops, Griffith, Wagga Wagga and Albury - November 2018

• Riverina campaign information sessions, Wagga Wagga, Tumut and Griffith - February 2019

• Industry networking event, Balranald - April 2019

• NSW First Workshop, Albury - May 2019

• Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Workshop, Wagga Wagga - May 2019 Funding Support for Regional Events

Destination NSW’s Regional Events Fund identifies and supports events in regional NSW that have the potential to act as a flagship tourism event for their area by attracting overnight visitation and delivering long- term benefits to the region. In 2018-19, a total funding injection of more than $290,000 supported 13 events across the region:

• Gears and Beers, Wagga Wagga - September 2018

• Write Around the Murray, Albury - September 2018

• Warbirds Downunder, Temora - November 2018

• Batlow Ciderfest, Batlow - May 2019

• Riverdaze, Barham - March 2019

• Perricoota Pop and Pour, Moama - November 2018 EVENTS cont.

• Formula 1 Gliding Grand Prix, Leeton - December 2018

• Great Australian Beer Festival, Albury - December 2018

• Rewind in the Vines, Griffith - March 2019

• Snowy Valleys Cycle Challenge, Tumut - March 2019

• A Day in the Orchard, Griffith - May 2019

• Lost Lanes, Wagga Wagga - June 2019

• Riverboats Music Festival, Moama - February 2019

A support package of up to $4,000 per event was also secured to engage professional photographers and videographers at each event to capture quality photo and video content for future promotions by each event organiser, Destination NSW and local councils.

In addition to events supported through the Regional Events Fund, the NRL hosted premiership games in regional NSW with support from Destination NSW. The Canberra Raiders hosted a home game in Wagga Wagga against the Penrith Panthers, making a significant contribution to the region’s visitor economy with many of the 10,000 attendees travelling to watch the game. Business Events and Conferences

Business events and conferences hosted in the region benefited from over $129,000 of NSW Government funding support through Destination NSW Regional Conferencing Program to host business events and conferences at various locations throughout the region including Albury, Barooga, Wagga Wagga and Wentworth. AIME 2019

Partnering with Visit Albury Wodonga and Visit Wagga Wagga, we hosted destination stands within the Destination NSW Regional NSW exhibition at AIME 2019 in Melbourne. AIME is the leading exhibition for the meetings, incentives and events industry and is the largest international event of its kind in Australia, bringing together more than 4000 suppliers and meeting and event planners each year. This was the first time Wagga Wagga City Council had attended AIME. Regional Tourism Awards

The 2019 Regional Tourism Awards were hosted in Dubbo through a partnership with Destination Country and Outback. Two days of events included the Tourism Safari Forum, a networking event, a special sunrise tour of the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, and the awards gala on Saturday night, where more than 160 industry representatives gathered to see winners in 19 categories and three Hall of Fame inductees announced.

Gold:

• Bundyi Cultural Tours, Wagga Wagga – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism

• Cactus Country, Strathmerton – Tourist Attractions

• Cadell on the Murray Motel Resort, Moama – Standard Accommodation

• DC on the Lake Pty Ltd, Mulwala – Caravan and Holiday Parks

• Deni Ute Muster, Deniliquin – Festivals and Events

• Food I Am, Wagga Wagga – Excellence in Food Tourism

• Murray Offroad Adventures, Mildura – Tour and/or Transport Operators

• Mantra Hotel Albury – Deluxe Accommodation

• The River Deck, Albury – Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services

18 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 EVENTS cont.

Silver:

• All Seasons Houseboats, Mildura – Unique Accommodation

• Belisi Farmstay, Wagga Wagga – New Tourism Business

• Corowa Distilling Co, Corowa – Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries

• Great Aussie Holiday Park, – Caravan and Holiday Parks

• Rich Glen Olive Estate, Yarrawonga – Excellence in Food Tourism

Special mentions also went to the Albury Visitor Information Centre, Altina Wildlife Park, Courabyra Wines, Crown Hotel Wentworth, Cameo Inn Motel and Fossey’s Gin who were all finalists in their categories. Altina Wildlife Park was a first-time entry and received an Encouragement Award for their efforts.

Image: Gears and Beers, Wagga Wagga. Credit: Gears and Beers. 19 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 LOOKING FORWARD

The momentum gained over the past 12 months has built a strong foundation for growth and we have set an ambitious list of projects and initiatives to deliver as the region continues to mature as a destination.

The key objective for the organisation in the 2019/20 year is to support the development of more appealing visitor experiences, because for all of the time, money and effort being expended on promoting this part of NSW, we must deliver on our promise and ensure visitors leave feeling positive about their experience and importantly compelled to tell their friends about it.

Our key focus over the coming 12 months is industry development, and we look forward to sharing some exciting new programs and initiatives designed to inspire and motivate both new and existing tourism businesses in the region. The program will be underpinned by a series of events hosted across the region and we encourage all tourism businesses and those people with an interest in the growth of the industry to participate.

It’s an exciting time for the tourism sector in and Destination Riverina Murray is keen to ensure this region continues to grow and develop as the destination of choice for inland NSW.

Image: Glendale Citrus and Hazelnut Orchard, Narrandera. Credit: Destination NSW. 20 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 183 Street Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

[email protected] riverinamurray.com.au

LinkedIn: Destination Riverina Murray Instagram: @riverinamurray

Back cover: Ulupna Island, Murray River. Credit: Destination NSW. 21 DESTINATION RIVERINA MURRAY – ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19