Australia’s longest running food festival has posted record visitor numbers and a 5 per cent increase in expenditure for this year’s event.
TASTING Australia, the nation’s longest running food and wine festival, has posted record attendances for the 2019 event.
More than 6200 interstate and 5000 international visitors came to South Australia for the 10-day April festival, which organisers said resulted in more than 22,000 room nights, an increase of 42 per cent on the 2018 figure of 8000 visitors.
The hub in Victoria Square, which featured stalls and bars, attracted 64,000 people, up from last year’s attendance of 54,000.
Organisers said Tasting Australia generated gross expenditure of more than $5.4 million for the state, an increase of 5 per cent on last year’s figure and the highest ever recorded for the event.
Tourism minister David Ridgway said the event generates great benefits for South Australia.
“Tasting Australia is a driver of both tourism and trade for the state, generating significant economic growth and business opportunities for the local industry” said Minister Ridgway.
Tasting Australia has been running since 1997. It returns in 2020 a little earlier, beginning on March 27, until April 5.