Federation Council has thanked Murray Regional Tourism (MRT) and Destination Riverina Murray (DRM) for bringing the successful Destination Inspiration Event Series to the North of the Murray with the inaugural event for the 2025/2026 program held at Club Corowa on Tuesday, September 24, 2025.
The full-day program, which is funded by the NSW Government, provided valuable support to tourism operators from both the Murray and Riverina regions, offering practical tools, inspiring stories, and expert guidance aimed at business growth.
Federation Council Mayor, Cr Cheryl Cook, praised the collaboration and the quality of the event.
"Destination Inspiration Corowa 2025 was a wonderful opportunity for our local and regional tourism operators to gain insights and practical skills to enhance their businesses," Mayor Cook said.
"We are grateful to Murray Regional Tourism and Destination Riverina Murray for choosing North of the Murray as the location for this important event and for their ongoing commitment to building capacity in regional tourism."
The event featured a diverse range of successful business leaders who shared their journeys, products, challenges, and learnings. Attendees gained fresh ideas and practical tools to apply directly to their own operations.
A highlight of the speaker lineup was the inclusion of Corowa's own Dean Druce, of Corowa Whisky and Chocolate who provided a valuable local perspective on product development and business growth. Other speakers shared their experiences, paving the way for operators to take the first step towards the next stage of the program.
Mayor Cook said feedback from the event was positive.
"Attentees spoke fondly of the guest speakers, particularly our own Dean Druce, who were truly inspiring," Mayor Cook said.
"Their stories of success and resilience are exactly what our operators needed to hear to diversify their offers, explore new revenue streams, and build confidence."
The Corowa event was the starting point for Round 1 of the program, which will be followed by an exclusive mentoring program open to attendees via an Expression of Interest (EOI) process. Up to ten participants will receive one-on-one tailored mentoring from expert Karen Oliver to accelerate product development and progress new or enhanced experiences for visitors.
