Council's initiatives to position Leeton Shire as an attractive tourist destination and the nation's regional art deco capital were applauded by attendees at the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Destination & Visitor Economy Conference held in Orange last week.
Council's Manager Visitor Services and Local Activation Mr Brent Lawrence presented on Council's behalf at the conference, which was attended by 250 Council delegates from across NSW.
Mr Lawrence spoke about the successful relaunch of the Australian Art Deco Festival Leeton and the work Council has been doing to build a unique marketing brand for Leeton Shire.
"The creation of new cultural facilities (including the Leeton Museum and Art Gallery in the beautiful WCIC building), and public art and events that offer diverse experiences while celebrating our rich history has seen a positive boost in visitor numbers and community participation," he said.
Mr Lawrence also spoke about Council's successful Leeton CBD façade painting project, which has seen 40 building facades within Leeton's central business district undergo major painting makeovers.
"First impressions of a place are crucial," said Mr Lawrence.
"The CBD project - a close collaboration between Council, business owners and the community - has received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
"The refreshed and modern art deco facades have beautified the town and instilled a great sense of community pride in our art deco heritage," he said.
Cr Krystal Maytom, who also attended the conference, said Leeton has a clear plan to position and present the Shire as the art deco regional capital of Australia, of which she is incredibly proud.
"Many attendees commented that it's wonderful to see Council's management, Councillors and the community all working together and being aligned to achieve the Shire's tourism and event initiatives.
"From the Destination NSW Update, it was revealed that consideration to travel to NSW over the past six months has been higher than all states across Australia.
"This provides even further opportunities for Leeton's tourism growth,"
said Cr Maytom.
Council will also be launching the "Art Deco Way" touring route later in 2022, drawing traffic off the Sturt and Newell Highways to experience the loop to Leeton that runs between Narrandera and Darlington Point.
Other themes that emerged from the conference included digitization of visitor information, availability of wellness initiatives and electric vehicle (EV) tourism.
