The royal visit proved a boon for Dubbo accommodation venues with guests staying about three times longer than the average stay of 1.5 nights.
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While the royals only toured Dubbo for about six hours, visitors stayed for up to five nights to try and catch a glimpse.
Dubbo Chamber of Commerce vice president Kerrieanne Nichols said the impact on accommodation services was “absolutely massive”.
“It did bring up to four to five night stays for people in Dubbo, which is quite big for accommodation.
“Having those extra days as opposed to having people stay for just one night actually boosts the economy quite a lot.
“To get guests to stay for four to five nights is absolutely massive, the accommodation in Dubbo is normally 1.5 nights, to get people in for four to five is really big.”
Ms Nichols said the flow-on effects were just as significant, with mainstream media “still playing the story” of Luke Vincent, “the little boy who hugged the Prince”.
The boost in the economy complimented the lifting of the region’s profile.
The director of Regional Development for Orana’s Regional Development Australia (RDA) believed the visit was brilliant for the region and reiterated its relationship with royals.
“It’s fantastic that this region is on their radar,” Megan Dixon said.
“We have been working hard to change people’s perceptions of the region and what it has to offer, I think the visit really helped that.
“We have to be the envy of every regional centre in the country because of that publicity. You can’t pay for that publicity, it’s priceless.”
- READ ALSO: All your Dubbo royal news
Dubbo Regional Council economic development and marketing manager Josie Howard said day-trippers and overnight visitors saw about 12,000 attend the Picnic in the Park to see Prince Harry and Meghan.
Ms Howard said the royal visit brought a “significant direct economic boost” to the region.
“Our city and greater Western Plains region was beamed across the world,” Ms Howard said.
She said the global exposure of Dubbo and flow-on effects could “be worth millions to local economies across the region.”
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