Bluesfest, Festival Of The Sun Win Regional Tourism Awards

Byron Bay's Bluesfestand Port Macquarie's Festival Of The Sun have picked up a regional tourism award for their contribution to New South Wales' north coast's tourism industry.

Bluesfest have picked up Best Major Event in the Country Link North Coast Tourismfor the second year running, with Festival Of The Sun winning in the Festival & Events category.

Bluesfest's Director Peter Noble said, "We are full of pride to be bringing this Award home to Byron Bay once again... With any Award, you not only need to have the product that can win, it all also requires a submission of the highest degree. Our incredible team at Bluesfest has put a lot of hard work into writing the submission and I would like to express my special thanks to Helen Whitley from the Bluesfest office, who has spent endless hours in perfecting the entry."

He added that the Laurence Consulting report on the Economic Impact of Bluesfest on the Northern Rivers for the 2011 event claimed that the event created spending of $83.5 million and sustained the equivelent of 428 full time jobs.

Next year Bluesfest will celebrate its 24th year when it is held over Easter while Festival Of The Sun is in its eighth year in 2012 and will be headlined by Kimbra, Dead Letter Chorus and Hermitude.

Independent Lyne MP Rob Oakeshott said that the festival makes “a significant contribution to the mid-north coast's cultural calendar. But it also makes a significant economic contribution to our community; creating employment and providing an experience that brings people back to our town year after year.”

The festival claims that during their existence they've pumped $20 million into the local economy with over 192,000 meals served and 56,000 beds used.

The festival will return this year to Port Macquarie's Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park and will take place Friday 14 and Saturday 15 December.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday 5 September from 10 am for $160 plus booking fee. Tickets include camping.

Other winners of the Mid-North Coast Tourism Award include Port Macquarie Panthers, The Corner Restaurant Café and Shoal Bay Resort And Spa.

Check out our Festival Of The Sun mini-site here.
Check out our Bluesfest mini-site here.

Editor's note: Article altered to merge both festivals' achievements in the one story.