Congratulations to the organisers of the Dungog Festival and to everyone who worked so incredibly hard to bring this year’s festival to life.
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Dungog Festival and special events continue to play an important role in the Shire’s destination development.
The exposure that the Dungog Shire gets from events such as this cannot be measured.
Events, particularly events that draw tourists, have the ability to attract outside investment and financial resources into local communities.
Dungog Arts Foundation managing director Tracy Norman said that during the festival organisers were trying to find locals to take part in surveys.
This proved somewhat of a challenge as around four out of every five people were visitors to the Shire.
By definition, festivals attract visitors and visitors spend money, which boosts the local economy.
Beneficiaries include accomodation providers, restaurants, the local supermarket, petrol stations and more.
Many of Dungog businesses came on board as sponsors for this year’s event, some large and some small.
The return for the investment they made, while supporting such a great local event, must have proved very beneficial.
Festivals also provide free marketing and advertising for local businesses as visitors talk about their fun experiences when they go back home.
This can lead to return visitation throughout the year and referral visitation from friends and family.
The social benefits that festivals bring are less visible, but they are equally as important.
Festivals foster community pride, teach people new things, and strengthen relationships.
All of this could not be achieved without the dedication of the festival team and enthusiastic volunteers who make it all happen.
They do this not only over the wonderful weekend, but also in the weeks and months leading up to the event.
It will definitely be exciting to see what is on the festival agenda for next year and further years to come.
