National tourism conference headlines local events boom

Newcastle will become the destination of choice for Australia's regional tourism industry today, with more than 230 representatives from across the country travelling to the city for their annual conference.

City of Newcastle vied against 30 other destinations to secure the highly-coveted 2023 Australian Regional Tourism convention, which will be held at City Hall from 10-12 October.

It is one of 11 large-scale business events being hosted in Newcastle this month, which will see more than 2800 delegates inject over $3.5 million into the local economy.

With an additional $9 million windfall expected as a result of the upcoming visit by global music icon Paul McCartney, October is shaping up to deliver a major economic boom thanks to City of Newcastle's strategic partnerships.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle's evolution into a destination of choice for the business and major events markets was reaping rewards for the local economy.

“Major events and business tourism are key elements of City of Newcastle's Destination Management Plan, as primary drivers of the local visitor economy," Cr Nelmes said.

"Newcastle offers broad appeal as a host destination for large-scale business events, with world-class conferencing and meeting facilities as well as a range of quality accommodation options including luxury hotels.

"In addition, major events deliver immediate and ongoing benefits for the community and economy, with greater visitation, investment and liveability outcomes."

The packed Australian Regional Tourism convention program will discuss everything from the latest trends in tourism and travel data to the opportunities in tourism driven by accessibility, sustainability, wellness, business and artificial intelligence.

City of Newcastle will also share its expertise with presentations on developing your destination proposition, while local tourism operators CoastXP, Newy Rides and Earp Distilling Co will share their success stories in a panel facilitated by Newcastle Tourism Industry Group Chair Michael Stamboulidis.

City of Newcastle Destination & Economy Manager Georgia Lazzari said the national conference provided an opportunity for local councils, regional tourism organisations, tourism professionals, business and government personnel to share, collaborate and learn.

"The conference is a wonderful chance to learn from the experiences of our colleagues in this sector, expand our networks and showcase just what our city has to offer including our incredible local tourism operators and business events venues," Ms Lazzari said.

Australian Regional Tourism chair Coralie Bell said the convention presents an exciting opportunity to highlight Newcastle's development as a tourism destination of choice.

“We are thrilled to be working with the City of Newcastle to deliver the 2023 Australian Regional Tourism Convention,” Ms Bell said.

"Newcastle is renowned for its innovative and creative community and vibrant cultural history, whilst its evolution as an events city has stepped up a notch recently with various major events being secured. This is all integral to the shaping of a thriving visitor economy."