THE 'no vacancy' sign mightn't have gone up at every hotel in town, but overall the sporting event is a boost for Dubbo, the business chamber says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The four-day Women's NSW Open, which kicked off on Thursday, has attracted 156 golfers from 35 countries.
Dubbo Chamber of Commerce president Matt Wright said in the short term the event was a benefit to accommodation and hospitality providers.
"They're out there and they're spending and they're eating," he said of the golfers.
"That's certainly helping us on the back of the drought, the bushfires and now the coronavirus.
"We're all fighting for those dollars."
They're [the players] here and they're Instagramming and Tweeting to their friends and maybe it's the long game and the people who might come back.
- Dubbo Chamber of Commerce president Matt Wright
Mr Wright said the real benefit of the event may, however, be in "the long game".
"They're [the players] here and they're Instagramming and Tweeting to their friends and maybe it's the long game and the people who might come back," he said.
"We're hitting markets we might not usually be reaching."
Abel Tasman Motor Inn is one of Dubbo's hoteliers that's put up the 'no vacancy' sign this week thanks to the golfers.
Manager Tracey Conroy said the hotel had a very quiet January and most of this month has been at 50 per cent capacity.
"We knew it was going to be a busy week and events like this are always helpful," she said of the golf competition.
"We always get booked out for all the sporting events, it's really great."
Quality Inn Dubbo International's Simone MacKenzie said while they were busy earlier in the week, they are not booked out for the weekend.
"We've had quite a few golfers and we had someone from Norway," she said.
All Season Motor Lodge manager Maxine Kelleher said while they have been busy with other bookings, no golfers had booked in this week.
Meanwhile, tourism leaders recently told the Daily Liberal that sporting competitions, festivals, events and concerts had a big impact on visitation and regional economies.
GALLERY: Action from the Women's NSW Open
Love local news?
Why not subscribe, the first 30 days of full website access is free.