Many thousands of holidaymakers and day trippers flocked to the Central Coast over the Summer months, reinforcing its standing as a tourist hotspot.
Picture-perfect weather since December has seen hordes of people enjoy the region’s beaches, national parks, walking trails, sporting, events, trips to the theatre or art gallery and tourist attractions.
Central Coast Council says more than $1B was injected in the year to June 2022, with millions more expected as a direct result of the Christmas/New Year period.
With more than 5000 people directly employed by the region’s tourism industry and many more in supporting local businesses the increased visitation was a welcome boost to many parts of the local economy.
Council’s Director of Community and Recreation Services Melanie Smith said almost 40,000 people attended Council events over Christmas including New Year’s Eve at The Entrance, Australia Day Community Day in Gosford, and a social spaces event across town centres.
“Council also supported events that were funded externally, 41 businesses got into the spirit of Christmas signing up for the window display competition, while our temporary visitor centre at The Entrance was kept exceptionally busy over Christmas and New Year with more than 100 people a day utilising the service,” she said.
Council Administrator Rik Hart said that the healthy visitation numbers haven’t compromised the focus on eco-tourism and is anticipating that Council’s events program for 2023 will encourage visitors to continue to enjoy the Central Coast.
“There has been a shift in attitude in recent years with people making conscious decisions to travel to more sustainable destinations, and I think this trend is also reflected here on the Central Coast with visitors enjoying our many eco-certified experiences and natural assets,” he said.
“Pleasingly this year, we’ve also started to see the return of international visitors which will benefit local businesses and our economy.
“With events such as the Harvest Festival, Central Coast Music Festival and the Lakes Festival holding a special place in the hearts of the community and visitors who have a passion for those interests, 2023 is shaping up to be an exceptional year for local tourism.”
Source:
Media release, Feb 13
Central Coast Council