With 10,000 tickets selling out in minutes for a Corona Sunsets style event at North Beach on April 4 the global coronavirus pandemic is yet to impact major events in the Illawarra.
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Big crowds are also expected at the NRL season opener for the Dragons at WIN Stadium and the Red Hot Summer Tour music event in Kiama this weekend.
Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh said apart from a handful of operators significantly impacted by coronavirus fears it is business as usual for most.
"I think visitor numbers across the board are holding firm. There were issues over the Christmas period with the bushfires but the numbers coming through at the moment are still strong. And I think there is a tremendous opportunity for the short break market out of Sydney to come and holiday here".
Mr Sleigh thinks people who have decided not to travel overseas or cruise will be looking domestically for a break. And the Illawarra/South Coast is a safe choice.
Mr Sleigh said no-one knows what was going to happen with coronavirus in the weeks and months ahead. And event organisers are conscious of that.
Fear of the unknown means it is hard to predict if people are going to continue to come out and keep buying tickets.
But there are no event cancellations at this time and Destination Wollongong will keep promoting the city as an ideal location.
"How things look moving forward is beyond our control," he said.
"So for the time-being it is business as usual".
If the Federal Government and health authorities advise people to stay home everything is likely to dramatically change.
In the meantime organisers are being encouraged to hold major events in the city which has a growing reputation.
Which is why the organisers of the Corona Sunsets style Fisher Beach Party chose Wollongong.
It coincides with former pro-surfer turned viral DJ sensation, Fisher, headlining his first ever Australian tour.
And Wollongong was chosen as the preferred venue to Sydney in NSW.
Fisher will be joined by other international artists such as PNAU and Maya Jane Coles and a percentage of ticket sales are being donated to bushfire relief charities..
For Illawarra tourist industry operators the response to the one-day festival is an example of how the region's natural assets can be used for major events.
Organisers say the one day music festival will be less disruptive than Corona Sunsets was in 2018.
Destination Wollongong major events and special projects manager Jeremy Wilshire said the North Beach event is one of only four outdoor gigs in Australia and showcases one of Wollongong's most spectacular precincts on a global stage.
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.
