More than a third of visitors to regional areas, such as Cabonne, come primarily to visit friends or relatives, however little is known about how much these visitors inject into the local economy.
Now, a survey has been created to capture information on the value friends and relatives offer to regional economies in the Central West of NSW.
The survey is part of the WRI Tourism Monitor project being coordinated by the Western Research Institute in collaboration with 10 Central West councils, the Central NSW Joint Organisation of Councils and Destination Network Country and Outback NSW.
“The many visitors to the Central West who stay in the homes of friends or relatives provide a major contribution to the visitor economy that we haven’t been able to count previously,” Cabonne Mayor Kevin Beatty said.
“When our friends and family come to visit, we spend more in our weekly grocery shopping, or we take them out for a meal, visit an attraction or attend an event. This extra spending quickly adds up to a significant contribution into our regional economies.”
Cr Beatty said the information gathered through the survey will help to develop a complete picture of the impact those visit- ing friends and relatives have in Cabonne.
“If you live locally and have out of town friends or relatives who come and stay with you, I urge you to complete the survey.”
The online survey is available at www.wri.org.au/surveys and anyone who has hosted visiting friends or relatives in 2019 is encouraged to participate.