These numbers fly in the face of Maitland’s economic history, which has been driven by agriculture and manufacturing and more recently, mining and construction.

Today that has all changed with Maitland Council about to develop a Destination Management Plan for Maitland – a blueprint for our city’s future.

But for this to continue to grow as an industry the city needs more accommodation, at present only able to accommodate 1300 people. 

“Accommodation and the mix of accommodation types need to be addressed as the city grows and attracts increased visitation,” council’s visitor economy team leader Georgia Lazzari said. “The lack of suitable accommodation for larger events and sporting carnivals means the range of activities that the city can host is limited pushing visitors to other parts of the Hunter resulting in a loss of income for the city.”

The opening of the Visitor Information Centre in 1997 was a catalyst for change with council focusing  on tourism as an economic driver. Ms Lazzari said it was around that time council appointed a full time tourism and marketing manager.

Ms Lazzari said tourism has become more of a driver for Maitland with events increasingly acting as a catalyst to generate visitation.

“A large portion of the market is visiting friends and relatives so with the growth in population there has been, and will continue to be, great opportunities to increase visitation and ultimately jobs.

“Maitland is a unique destination as its history, culture and rural landscape are infused in its product offering, ensuring that experiences remain authentic and not overly commercialised. A cultural shift is taking place in Maitland informing a broader change in perception and strengthening Maitland’s identity as a tourism destination.”

While Morpeth has always been a key asset to the tourism sector, the growth of tourism experiences in Maitland is underpinned by attractions such as Maitland Gaol, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, flagship events and more recently The Levee.

Independent research commissioned in 2017 at five of council’s flagship events (Taste, Aroma, Riverlights, Steamfest and Bitter and Twisted) showed the likelihood of attendees to highly recommend the event was well above industry average and in some cases close to double.

Ms Lazzari said events such as Groovin’ the Moo, Tocal Field Days, Maitland Garden Ramble, Chapel Jazz and the Maitland River Run along with the NRL trial match and regional and state sporting carnivals and tournaments have all helped build Maitland’s reputation for hosting vibrant, high quality events.

“In a city that doesn’t have features that are immediately identifiable to the tourism market such as beaches, a lake, vineyards or a wilderness area, events were identified as a simple way to drive visitation to the city,” Ms Lazzari said.

Council is about to embark on the development of a Destination Management Plan. 

Ms Lazzari said the plan will provide a blueprint for the visitor economy over the next three to five years.