The 2017 DREAM Festival will be promoted far and wide following funding from the NSW government.
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The festival has been allocated $20,000 through the government’s 2017 Flagship Event Fund. The DREAM Festival is also set to receive $40,000 from Dubbo Regional Council in the 2017/18 budget.
Member for Dubbo Troy Grant said local events had positive flow-on effects for the region, helping drive overnight visitation to the area and boosting the local economy.
“Events such as the DREAM Festival play a fundamental role in attracting new and returning visitors to our region, bringing with them additional business to restaurants and cafes, local tourism operators, attractions and accommodation providers,” Mr Grant said.
The festival injected about $368,000 into the Dubbo economy last year, according to the committee.
About 12,000 people took part in the event, including 9,000 who attended the lantern parade and twilight markets. There were also 600 people who took part in the parade.
DREAM Festival chair Anne Field said she was delighted to be given the funding.
“The funding from the NSW government will assist us in promoting the DREAM Festival even further to visitors from far and wide, and boost interstate visitation to the region,” she said.
“The DREAM Festival provides an exciting suite of events each October. It celebrates the talents of our community through music, arts and culture, and I encourage everyone to start planning a holiday to Dubbo to experience this fantastic regional event.”
Council has given financial support to council every year since it began in 2011. Council contributed $20,000 in 2011 and $40,000 in each subsequent year.
The 2017 Flagship Event Fund is managed by Destination NSW.
NSW Tourism Minister Adam Marshall said the fund represented regional NSW at its best, with local communities coming together to show character, culture and the attributes of their region.
It showed the government’s commitment to boosting tourism, he said.