The Ballina Tourism Team are ecstatic that for the first time ever, Ballina has welcomed over one million visitors. The news that 1,028 000 people visited the Ballina Shire in the 17/18 fiscal year was confirmed by Tourism Research Australia.
This breaking news revealed that visitors spent $311 million over this period in the Ballina Shire. “Overnight visitors injected $253 million into the local economy and this was boosted by a further $58 million from domestic day visitors,” said Visitor Services Coordinator Alicia Wallace.
“This contribution towards our local economy helps to improve the liveability of the area. It enables Ballina Shire residents to have greater options for recreational pursuits in their leisure time due infrastructure supported financially by the visiting public,” said Ms Wallace.
The Tourism Team acknowledge the efforts of strategic planning and the collaboration between Ballina Shire Council, private industry and other levels of government, to sustainability grow the sector. After extensive consultation with the broader industry, the Ballina Shire Destination Management Plan was adopted in 2014. This has paved the direction for attracting higher yielding visitors who respectfully enjoy our destination and leave a significant financial contribution to the local community.
A key objective of 2014 - 2020 Ballina Shire Destination Management Plan is to reach $300 million in overnight visitor expenditure by the end of the 2020 fiscal year, thus in effect doubling the overnight 2013 visitor expenditure figure of $149 million. “We are well on track to reaching the $300 million goal but we can’t do it alone. It’s important the Ballina Tourism team work together with local businesses and collaborating on marketing initiatives to continue to attract the ideal type of visitor to our destination,” advised Ms Wallace.
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Businesses that offer places to eat, drink, shop, stay and play are all part of the visitor economy and form part of the visitor experience. The Ballina Tourism Team can offer great assistance and marketing opportunities to these businesses. If you would like to find how your business can benefit, contact the Ballina Tourism Team on 1800 777 666.