A Wagga Wagga City Council initiative is harnessing the combined potential of 140 businesses and organisations to capitalise on the 1.3M people who visit our region each year.
Registrations for the 2019/20 Wagga Tourism Partner Program are now open and with visitors injecting more than $353M into the local economy each year, there's never been a better time to get involved.
The program is open to join year-round, but partners must be registered by 19 June 2019 to be included in the annual Visitor Guide. The guide is released in spring each year, with 20,000 copies distributed across NSW, Victoria, ACT, South Australia and Queensland.
"The Wagga Tourism Partner Program offers a broad range of benefits to both local businesses and neighbouring councils," Council's Visitor Economy and Events Coordinator Fiona Hamilton said.
"Partners are included in marketing activities and promotional campaigns, as well as business development opportunities such as networking, workshops and masterclasses with industry experts.
"Industry development and support is a vital part of the program so local businesses are able to learn and grow.
"In addition to the visitor guide, there are extensive print and digital promotional opportunities for partners throughout the year, including social media campaigns, events, media promotions and more."
Participation in the Wagga Tourism Partner Program has doubled since the initiative began in 2016.
For Bidgee Strawberries and Cream operators Michael and Kylie Cashen, joining the program proved to be the perfect way to put their new business on the map.
"Becoming Wagga Tourism Partners opened our minds to a number of unforeseen opportunities, including the advice and support from the professional team," the Cashens said.
"We would have no hesitation in recommending the partner program to others involved with tourism in the region as we collectively strive to offer more to our visitors, so they stay longer and return more often."
