EASTERN cousins Bathurst and Orange have been named in a list of Australia's 30 best value destinations, which we might be a bit more joyous about if Dubbo had made said list.
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Travel website Trivago collected travellers' reviews and rated destinations according to the price and reputation of their accommodation.
Seven regional NSW towns made the top 10, which was not surprisingly dominated by seaside locations. Not everyone is a beach person, but there's no entry fee, so the price is certainly right.
The sole Victorian destination to make the top 10 was Halls Gap, and Queensland's offerings came in at numbers 9 and 10 in the form of Mission Beach and Hervey Bay, respectively.
Poor old WA, SA, NT and ACT did not get a mention in the top 10. No doubt, parochial residents of those states would take issue with that.
Whether Dubbo is or is not a good value travel destination is not the issue. Value is a relative term, and remembering that flights from Sydney to Singapore are frequently cheaper than those to Dubbo, the latter might not appear too appealing to some big city folk.
Given its population, Dubbo likely punches above its weight by boasting attractions such as an internationally-recognised zoo and a direct air service to Sydney (although Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane options would be welcomed).
It just so happened those who posted on the travel website either did not think Dubbo was as good value as other options, or they had not visited in order to have an opinion.
Problem is, when it comes to attracting tourists to a city or town, perception is pretty much everything.
