Wagga Wagga's Draft Destination Management Plan is here! Submissions are now open.

Overview

Wagga Wagga is fast gaining recognition as a leading tourism destination, attracting 1.2M visitors annually and the highest portion of visitor spending of all the Local Government Areas (LGA) in the Riverina.

Visitors can already experience a vibrant calendar of festivals and events, a prospering food and wine scene and an array of nature-based attractions and activities.

With significant opportunity for growth and development, strategic direction is required to ensure projects and initiatives are moving towards a unified, long-term objective which will deliver significant benefit to the city, community and region.

The Wagga Wagga Draft Destination Management Plan 2025-2034 has been prepared to provide a strategic approach to foster the growth of a robust visitor economy in the region over the next 10 years.

Developed through collaboration with stakeholders, extensive data analysis, and through research, this plan aims to identify opportunities, establish a shared vision, and outline priority projects that will elevate Wagga Wagga as a destination into the future.


Our vision

Destination themes

Strategic focus areas

Four strategic focus areas are defined with accompanying actions. The strategic focus areas will enable the region to achieve the Plans vision and objectives, ultimately guiding the future of the Wagga Wagga visitor economy.

Create accessible opportunities for tourism operators to develop and improve skills, collaborate and network. There are 12 actions in this strategic focus area.

Some priority projects include:

  • Tourism industry development program
  • Tourism and events annual grant
  • Youth in tourism (skills and employment pathways)
  • New agritourism destination event

Support the improvement, development and provision of visitor economy infrastructure. Enabling increase in visitation and encouraging higher yield visitors to conveniently access the city. There are 8 actions in this Strategic Focus Area.

Some priority projects include:

  • Visitor servicing expansion
  • Accommodation investment attraction
  • City gateway and precinct signage
  • Attract national collections and conservation infrastructure
  • First Nations Cultural Centre
  • Iconic infrastructure plan

Position Wagga Wagga as a leading regional events destination that offers a diverse, vibrant and inclusive calendar of events that generate positive economic, cultural, social and environmental outcomes for the city. There are 8 actions in this Strategic Focus Area.

Some priority projects include:

  • Major Convention/Entertainment Centre
  • Sporting Infrastructure improvements
  • Events Strategy and Action Plan
  • Seasonal riverside activations
  • Civic Theatre expansion

Establish a destination identity that tells Wagga Wagga’s unique story that inspires visitation. Deliver a consistent message across all platforms with the aim of positioning Wagga Wagga as the capital of the Riverina region.

There are 4 actions in this Strategic Focus Area these include:

  • Visitor trend research
  • Develop the destination brand
  • Marketing Plan
  • Destination marketing

Community feedback

The Wagga Wagga Draft Destination Management Plan is here and we want to know—are we on the right track?

Wagga Wagga City Council will place the Draft Destination Management Plan on public exhibition from 29 November 2024 to 16 February 2025.

Review the Draft Plan, make a submission below or meet with the engagement team at one of many pop up sessions across the city and rural villages.

Submissions are now open.