The Hodgman Liberal Government is a strong supporter of major events that help to celebrate our regional communities and attract visitors to experience our unique events and festivals.
Today, I was pleased to represent the Premier at the program launch for the 2016 Huon Valley Mid-Winter Fest.
The Government is backing the festival organisers and their aspirations, with $175,000 in Major Events Partnership funding over three years.
We want to ensure that regional Tasmania is sharing the benefits of the state’s tourism boom, and the target is to grow the Mid-Winter Fest to 12,000 attendees in three years time.
Every year events draw 70,000 visitors to our state, where they stay seven nights and spend around $200 a day, injecting $100 million of new expenditure into the Tasmanian economy.
In 2015, 157,214 travellers visited Huonville, an increase of over eight per cent compared to the previous year.
This event showcases that the Huon Valley is open for business during winter, and expects to attract more than 4000 interstate visitors over the next three years.
In only its third year, the event will again light up the winter nights this July with an exciting program of bonfires, folk music, dancing and storytelling, coupled with the finest food and beverages Southern Tasmania has to offer.
Ticketed attendance at last year’s event doubled from the year before to reach an impressive 8500, including more than 500 people from interstate.
The Huon Valley Mid-Winter Fest will be held from Friday 15 July to Sunday 17 July at The Apple Shed, Grove.
Further information is available at www.huonvalleymidwinterfest.com.au