Canberra's premier tourist event Floriade is set to return in 2019 – attracting thousands of tourists to the nation's capital.
World in Bloom is the theme of this year's event which runs from Saturday 14 September to Sunday 13 October. Visitors will see the theme reflected in flowerbeds and programming.
Floriade NightFest returns for four nights to take in the Labour Day long weekend from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 October with spectacular new lighting displays and live entertainment to be announced in coming months.
Visitors to Commonwealth Park will see the park transform over the next four and a half months, remaining open until mid-August when it closes for final preparations.
The hallmark event on the Australian events calendar continues to perform strongly. Last year's event attracted 480,540 people, an increase of more than 45,000 from 2017. Major events in Canberra not only bring vibrancy to the city, they also contribute significantly to the visitor economy and the value of tourism in the ACT. Floriade 2018 had an economic impact of $38.6 million, with 48.1% of visitors attending the event from interstate or overseas.
Significantly, the premier event contributed to record domestic overnight visitor numbers of 2.75 million to the year ending December 2018, according to Tourism Research Australia's latest data. The ACT is on track to reach its $2.5 billion Tourism 2020 target two years early.
Each year Floriade provides the perfect opportunity for Canberra's first spring outing and I look forward to seeing what the 2019 program has to offer.
