Dubbo has been recognised for its unique contribution to Australian tourism in a recent travel award.
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The city came ninth in online travel site Wotif’s 2019 Wotif Aussie Town of the Year awards.
Now in its second year, the Wotif Aussie Town of the Year awards are based on Wotif pricing and demand data, and for the first time, traveller reviews, unearthing 2019’s up-and-coming destinations.
Wotif travel expert Chris Mulligan said Dubbo’s year-on-year demand has grown by more than 10 per cent.
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Dubbo’s average accommodation rate was $143 per night which made it a really affordable destination for families, Mr Mulligan said.
He said Dubbo had an excellent traveler review score – over four out of five - on Wotif.com.
Being so close to metropolitan areas such as Sydney and Canberra, will only help the tourism of Dubbo grow Mr Mulligan said.
“It’s a great opportunity to start talking about why people in the city should come out and experience regional Australia and see these regional towns…,” he said.
Mr Mulligan said the big tourist attraction in Dubbo, including Taronga Western Plains Zoo has helped make a great name for the town.
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“But it wasn’t just the tourist attractions that helped it rank (in the top 10). It really was the affordability and demand we’ve seen going into Dubbo,” he said.
The Dubbo region welcomed 2.8 million domestic tourists and 40,900 international travellers, for the year ending September 2018, according to the National and International Visitor Surveys, which was released by Tourism Research Australia.
Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Ben Shields was pleased with the results and said the city is doing well despite the drought.
“I think it shows Dubbo is starting to be put on the map.. not only as a regional city but for its unique character…,” he said.
Cr Shields said Dubbo is a vibrant place to be and what helps set the town a part from other areas is that we’re prepared to have a laugh at ourselves, which makes it stand out.
“City’s make the mistake that they’ve got to take themselves seriously, but at the end of the day you need character,” he said.
Tourism developments and business prospects has helped the city prosper, Cr Shields said.