The Southern Highlands will benefit from $140,000 in funding for projects to boost tourism after the bushfires and the COVID-19 lockdown.
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Four projects in the region will share in funding announced under the $10 million federal government regional tourism bushfire recovery grants program.
This includes Pie Time, Savour the Unexpected Festival, Wander the Wingecarribee and Southern Highlands business events.
Destination Southern Highlands group manager Steve Rosa said the grants would play an important role in the creation of events and provide an opportunity to promote Pie Time nationally.
"The grants will provide our region with a huge opportunity to create some exciting leisure and business tourism events for 2021 in an effort to sustain the viability of our important visitor economy," Mr Rosa said.
"One of the strategies of council's new draft 10-year Southern Highlands Destination Plan 2020-2030 is the positioning of the region as NSW's premier boutique mid-week conference destination.
"The funding for business events will go a long way in supporting the actions of the soon to be released Southern Highlands business events strategy."
"We are also excited that several collaborations have occurred recently which have resulted in the creation of proposed new events for the region to which these have now been awarded government marketing funding."
The 'Savour the Unexpected' is a new, fully-curated festival concept that embraces dynamic arts and cultural experiences and fuses them with high quality food and wine experiences to create an integrated immersive experience that stimulates all of the senses.
Several events are planned for August 2021 by the organisers from the Southern Highlands Food and Wine Association, Moss Vale and Rural Chamber of Commerce, Destination Southern Highlands, Wingecarribee Shire Council and the SHKSG Arts and Culture Strategic Working Group.
The 'Wander the Wingecarribee' event will serve as a pilot event for a proposed Southern Highlands Autumn Heritage Festival in early April 2021.
The festival will showcase a heritage food, wine and art trail through Berrima Village.
The event will highlight current local produce and offer a journey through the timeline of the village.
A collaboration by event company Wildfest, the Berrima Residents Association and local Berrima businesses will deliver on this unique event in conjunction with council's Tourism and Economic Development unit, Destination Southern Highlands.
The successful projects and events include:
Pie Time 2021 - $40,000
Savour the Unexpected Festival - $50,000
Southern Highlands business events - $20,000
Wander the Wingecarribee 2021 - $30,000
This funding announcement by federal government is the third stage of funding announcements under the $10 million regional tourism bushfire recovery grants program.
