Member for Parkes Mark Coulton says the Coalition Government’s new campaign to highlight lesser known tourist destinations is timely, with dry times prevailing across his electorate.
The UnDiscover Australia campaign was launched by Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham recently, and aims to lure more visitors to visit some of the unexpected destinations on offer across Australia.
“There are a huge number of hidden gems across the Parkes electorate for visitors seeking unrivalled travel experiences,” Mr Coulton said.
“As Member for the Parkes electorate, and Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, I believe there is definitely further opportunity to expand our regional tourism potential.
“Whether it’s the traditional Aboriginal fish traps at Brewarrina, the historic towns of Broken Hill and Silverton, the iconic Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Warialda’s Cranky Rock legend or the energising Moree Plains Artesian Pools, there is plenty on offer for travellers in the Parkes electorate.”
Mr Coulton said planning a trip to a rural or regional town is timely, given the current longstanding drought.
“The local economy in rural and regional areas across my electorate is under significant pressure at the moment, and farming communities are feeling the devastating effects of the drought,” Mr Coulton said.
“My advice for those who would like to support our rural and regional towns is to take a trip that’s out of the ordinary.
“I’d like to see travellers visit one of the smaller towns that we know are feeling the pressures of the drought and spend their money in the local shops.
“You can buy a magazine at the local newsagency, have a coffee at the coffee shop, take a look at some of the fantastic tourist hot spots on offer and really give back to the economy in those areas.
“A forward-thinking tourism industry here in Australia is one that taps into new markets and in turn helps boost the economy and create more jobs for Australians.”
Mr Coulton believes Australia has a strong reputation as a beautiful destination with friendly people, and that the Parkes electorate is a classic example.
“We do want to maximise the more frequented tourist locations, but this is also about showing prospective travellers that there is a huge amount on offer west of the Blue Mountains.”
The UnDiscover campaign will run across South and South East Asian markets including India, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. It will be the single largest, targeted campaign that Tourism Australia has run in all of its South and South East Asian markets.
For more information visit: https://www.australia.com/en.
Media Contact: Anna Tickle – 0400 050 729
