Western Down Region endorses new tourism & destination events strategy

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

In order to pave the way for new and exciting prospects in the region, the Western Downs Regional Council in Queensland, Australia has established a new five-year economic growth strategy, with targeted tourism and economic development initiatives.

After considerable community participation over the previous months, Council recently supported the two new strategies: Tourism & Destination Events Strategy and Economic Development Strategy.

The plans, according to Western Downs Regional Council Mayor Paul McVeigh, will create a clear vision for economic growth and tourism prospects, advancing the region’s image as a location to conduct business and a destination of choice for travellers.

“We have a strong, resilient, and diverse economy here on the Western Downs, and these strategies clearly identify where we need to be focusing our efforts over the next five years to achieve our intended outcomes,” McVeigh said.

He added that ‘extensive stakeholder and community feedback was sought and incorporated into the strategy, with over 140 people completing surveys and more than 100 people taking part in engagement sessions during the first phase alone.’

“With help from the community, we have identified the existing opportunities we can further-leverage, as well as the challenges that we need to address to ensure our region continues to grow and prosper,” the Mayor stated.

The strategies identify housing supply, lack of services such as childcare and specialised health care, and limited provision for tertiary education in the region as the key challenges facing the region’s economy.

Speaking on tourism and destination events, he said that there is need to explore opportunities to establish our region as an ‘end destination of choice’ for repeat visitors, and add-on opportunities for drive-through visitation.

“We have a fabulous region with ample opportunity to grow local businesses, industry, and tourism opportunities, and we’ll continue partnering with stakeholders and the broader community to implement real action under these strategies,” the Mayor said.

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