Destination Wollongong is spending the next week celebrating the positive impact tourism plays in the city.
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Starting with a new brand unveiling on Friday the second annual Wollongong Tourism Week will coincide with events such as the Australian Supercross Championship, MS Sydney to Gong Ride and Wellness Run, The Australian Motorcycle Festival and Viva La Gong.
It will look at everything from what tourism contributes to the economy and how the city is becoming more popular with people visiting for leisure, business, events, conferences and sport. In turn that is generating employment as visitors spend on accommodation, transport, attractions, entertainment, food, beverages, shopping and tours.
Tourism is now the fifth largest employer in the region, supporting 6,823 jobs or 7.4 per cent of the workforce. In the year ending March the city received over 953,000 domestic overnight visitors (up 17.6 per cent) who spent nearly 2,148,000 nights in the region (up 15.8 per cent). The Wollongong Visitor Economy is worth $710 million (up 13.4 per cent).
Destination Wollongong project manager Stuart Barnes said along with many major events occurring during the 10 days there were specific Wollongong Tourism Week activities. "We are very proud of the indigenous tourism workshop we are running on the Wednesday".
"We are going to be discussing how to develop indigenous tourism in this region. We are also going to be launching our Reconciliation Action Plan which is a statement by Destination Wollongong about how we will relate to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community".
"Another highlight will be breakfast where John O'Sullivan is talking. He was the managing director of Tourism Australia for four years.
"There are also steam train rides and activities around the Botanic Gardens".
The theme for the second annual week long celebration is "Tourism is everyone's business.
2019 Wollongong Tourism Week Program
November 1
- Brand unveiling, new website and visitor guide launched
November 3
- MS Sydney to the Gong Ride - Ambassador support
November 4 to 9
- Ambassadors in Mall
November 4
- Industry Brand Workshop at Wollongong Golf Club
November 6
- Indigenous Tourism Workshop and Launch of Destination Wollongong Reconciliation Action Plan
November 7
- Skydive Australia;s 21st Anniversary Event with special guest jumpers into Stuart Park
November 8
- Special Event Belmore Basin
- Symposium Breakfast with John O'Sullivan
November 9
- Supercross at WIN Stadium and Lang Park
- Viva La Gong at McCabe Park
November 9 and 10
- Sydney Rail Heritage Steam Train Ride Wollongong to Kiama and Scarborough
November 7, 8 and 9
- Evening tours of steelworks
Read more:
- The launch of Tourism Week on the weekend is first for Wollongong and a chance to celebrate one of the city's rapidly growing industries
- Destination Wollongong to hold the city's first Tourism Week in November
- Volunteers continue to shine during Tourism Week
- Wollongong Tourism Week kicked off on the weekend with visitors from Adelaide and Sydney attending the Hawks home game against the Adelaide 36ers
- Tourism Week breakfast supports a new initiative to help women who live with trauma as a result of past abuse
- Women in tourism celebrated in Wollongong
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
