A new Sapphire Coast tourism program will deliver an unprecedented level of support to the tourism industry in the Bega Valley from March 2022 until June 2023. The initiative, Sapphire Coast Tourism Future, is the result of $600,000 in grant funding secured by Bega Valley Shire Council from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund.
Sapphire Coast Tourism Future will launch on Tuesday 29th March 2022, with an accompanying Cultural Tourism workshop and launch event for the whole tourism industry. The event will feature a presentation by guest speaker Dr Lindy Hume, Four Winds Festival Creative Director and one of Australia’s leading creative thinkers, with Anthony Osborne noting cultural tourism was a great backdrop for the program launch.
“Developing our Cultural Tourism sector is an important part of our tourism future. Our launch will be preceded by a workshop with Cultural Tourism stakeholders with content developed in partnership with South East Arts. And we are honoured to have Dr Lindy Hume as our special guest for the official opening. This program is about our whole industry, and all sectors, so we encourage all industry operators to join us for the launch event on March 29,” Anthony Osborne said.
The launch evening will also include cultural performances and industry presentations, providing an opportunity for the broader industry to meet, collaborate and partner with colleagues whilst hearing more about the significance of the Tourism Future program for the Bega Valley Shire.
Sapphire Coast Tourism Future, which includes the largest single investment in marketing for the region in recent years, will kick off with an intensive industry development program designed to increase the skills and professionalism of the industry, and consequently the region’s competitiveness as a destination. Accessible tourism is another key opportunity for the industry according to Anthony Osborne, with accessible tourism workshops available for industry participation on March 15.
‘’We have had strong demand to assist industry with accessible tourism. It is a big opportunity and growing fast as our population ages. We will support industry through these workshops and with specialist one-on-one mentoring over the next 18 months. The Sapphire Coast has come through a few tough years and after seeing a great summer it is the perfect time to launch this program and embark on such an enormous level of support, including not only the tailored training and masterclasses but also the biggest marketing campaign we’ve seen in my time in the industry,” Anthony Osborne said.
The Sapphire Coast Tourism Future program is proudly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW State Government. For more information and to get involved visit to scdm.net.au/tourism-future
