The idea behind the week is to promote the value and potential of tourism in the city.

Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh and life member Stuart Barnes said it is a chance to show how tourism in Wollongong touches everyone whether they are visitors, residents, businesses or employees. 

“Tourism is the fifth largest employer in the region. Every day it supports 6,823 jobs or 7.4 per cent of our workforce.

And is a major employer of school leavers and young people and an incubator for entrepreneurs.

“Of Wollongong's estimated total economic output of $25.751 billion, it is estimated that $813.109 million is generated from tourism”.

Mr Sleigh said each Tourism Week event will be used to distribute relevant messages to the community.

They are designed to create awareness of the value of tourism and the part that the community, including residents, local organisations and decision makers, can make in further developing tourism and the visitor economy, in this region.

Mr Barnes said the theme is ‘Tourism – Everyone’s Business.

“There is no business in Wollongong that doesn’t genuinely benefit from a rise in visitor numbers. Visitors buy papers in local newsagents, petrol at local petrol stations and coffee in local cafes”.

The first official event is the Hawks and Adelaide 36ers game on Sunday afternoon at WIN Entertainment Centre.

Mr Barnes said with so many South Australian visitors in town for the game on the weekend it was a great chance for people living in Wollongong to be active ambassadors proudly showing off their city and region.

Tuesday will start with a Women in Tourism Breakfast at Headlands Hotel.

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