Wagga Wagga City Council is encouraging the community to give their feedback on a draft Destination Management Plan, which will be a roadmap for Wagga Wagga to develop and grow its tourism potential over the next ten years.
At its Ordinary Meeting on Monday 25 November, Council endorsed placing the draft plan on public exhibition from today (Friday 29 November 2024) to Sunday 16 February 2025.
Submissions can be made during this period online through Council's Have Your Say Wagga Wagga website.
Council will also host a range of pop-up activities for residents to come and speak with staff and offer targeted face-to-face industry sessions for local tourism businesses to provide their feedback.
Deputy Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Georgie Davies is urging people across the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area (LGA) to give their input.
"This is a first of a kind for our city and surrounding villages and it reflects Council's commitment to the visitor economy and the significant economic and social benefits it delivers to our local and regional communities," Cr Davies said.
"Wagga Wagga is already recognised as a leading tourism destination in our region, with the highest portion of visitor spending out of all locations in the Riverina.
"We want to get your input on this important draft document, which aims to identify opportunities, establish a shared vision, and outlines investments in priority projects that will elevate Wagga Wagga as a visitor destination into the future."
The LGA currently attracts approximately 1.2 million visitors annually, contributing $374 million in direct expenditure to the local economy.
Visitation projections forecast that it will see an additional 326,774 visitors over the next 10 years, with visitation expected to reach 1.55 million by 2035.
The draft plan aims to provide a strategic direction for the development of Wagga Wagga's visitor economy through to 2034/35 with a focus on building stronger awareness of our city.
The goal is to increase the number of visitors and their length of stay, as well as their dispersal through the region for the economic and social benefit of our community.
Council's Destination and Events Coordinator Kimberly Parker said the draft plan has been developed through consultation with the community, industry and other key stakeholders.
"Over the past 12 months, we have been engaging with community and industry, capturing their ideas about our city's economic and tourism potential, listening to what they want to see Council prioritise over the next 10 years," Ms Parker said.
"We've drawn together all this feedback and conducted extensive research and data analysis, to shape the draft plan for our city.
"We have identified four overarching destination themes driving growth in this sector, including First Nations; agritourism and culinary; water and nature; and creativity, culture, and place.
"These themes are reflected across the key strategic focus areas and initiatives, including supporting and developing local tourism businesses, investing in new tourism infrastructure, positioning Wagga Wagga as a leading regional events destination, and enhancing our destination identity and marketing.
"We want to know if we're on the right track, which is why it's important for everyone to get involved in this consultation process and have their say on the draft plan."
You can also view a copy of the draft plan at our Customer Service desk at the Civic Centre.
Following the public exhibition period, Council will receive a further report addressing submissions concerning the draft Wagga Wagga Destination Management Plan.
