Tourism, events and culture.

Firstly, who doesn’t love a good concert, art exhibition, foodie experience or footy game - intimate and engaging experiences leave lasting impressions on our memories with family and friends, and make living where we do, so much more worth it. We’ve proven time and time again that being a regional city can be as experientially fulfilling as living in a capital.

Furthermore, events are the best way to establish personal connections with new people and are an effective way for businesses -or in our case our city - to build trust, form an emotional connection, and stand out from our competitors. Hosting events prove to potential investors and tree-changers that Bathurst is the place to be.

Our destination marketing should focus on:

• Large events

• Festivals

• Family-friendly attractions

• Sporting tournaments

Creating a creative city through art and culture is best done through the private sector; privatising our tourism communications arm into an agile, tactile agency should be a priority.

Artists are an important part of any city; performing and visual arts, literature, film, new media, architecture, as well as festival and community events all play a key part in knitting the fabric of a diverse; creative community.

The concept of the ‘creative city’ takes a whole of city approach to creativity; evidence shows that creative and innovative industries and service sectors are attracted to locate in cities with a more vibrant cultural life - but it’s not all about murals on walls.

It also includes creative thinking about the city and how policy makers, bureaucrats and influencers apply creative solutions to the problems they face. The creative city is not just about Council having creative ideas and executing them, it’s about Council creating an environment that encourages people to be creative.

Bathurst needs a new strategy to plan for a diverse creative city.