NEW FUNDING FOR TOURISM IN TAMWORTH

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 10:00

Media Releases - Kevin Anderson Media Release

Tuesday 17 January 2012

NEW FUNDING FOR TOURISM IN TAMWORTH

Member for Tamworth, Mr Kevin Anderson today announced $50,000 funding for a local tourism project, as part of a wider package of $750,000 in funding to develop tourism across Inland NSW.

Mr Anderson announced the funding for Inland NSW, on behalf of Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris. Many tourism projects across the region have been granted funding from the NSW Government’s $5 million Regional Tourism Product Development Funding Program.

“I am delighted to announce that funding of $50,000 will be used to catalogue, preserve and present the gemstone and mineral collection donated by the late Gilmore Thomas Bennet in 2008. This project will bring many benefits and will help to attract more visitors to Tamworth,” Mr Anderson said.

Minister George Souris said the $750,000 funding for Inland NSW combines funding for previous New England North West, Outback and Capital Country tourism organisations. He said the projects approved for funding are designed to attract more visitors to places like Tamworth.

“Maintaining interesting and fun local attractions is as important for the local community as it is for tourists. The aim of the $5 million Regional Product Development Program is to expand the number and diversity of visitor attractions and experiences available across NSW - to grow regional tourism and boost the State’s economy.”

Mr Souris said the value of tourism in regional NSW is more than $8.7 billion in overnight visitor expenditure, based on 17.5 million overnight visitors.

"NSW has a natural diversity of landscapes from the Snowy Mountains to the interior’s countryside and the stunning Pacific Coast. The State has a rich heritage and an abundance of festivals and events which makes NSW a top destination for visitors. Regional NSW is at the heart of our goal of doubling overnight tourism expenditure in NSW by 2020,” Mr Souris said.

Executive Officer of Inland NSW, Graham Perry said: “We look forward to working with our partners on these projects to further develop tourism in our region, and provide more opportunities for visitors to come to Inland NSW. This is a fantastic initiative by the NSW Government, and we are committed to making it a success.”

For more information on the approved projects, contact Executive Officer of Inland NSW RTO; Graham Perry, Tel: 0418 777 373, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

For more information on the Regional Tourism Product Development Fund, contact Destination NSW: Shivanee Brigham, Corporate Communications, 02 9931 1564, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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