As the Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) heralding the season of Spring, kicks off in Cowra, Minister for Tourism, Matt Brown announced $10,000 in funding for next year’s festival.
“Events such as this showcase local culture and help local communities and economies by attracting visitors to the region,” Mr Brown said.
Tourism NSW has promoted the Cherry Blossom Festival over a number of years, including in its Heart of Country NSW Holiday Planner and through its consumer web site www.visitnsw.com.au
“Under its Regional Flagship Events program, the Iemma Government provides funding to support marketing and advertising of events that represent their region and have the capacity to encourage more people to visit,” Mr Brown said.
“Events are a great way to get out and visit parts of regional NSW that you may have not experienced before.”
The Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates traditional Japanese cultural activities and is being held from Wednesday 26 September to Sunday 30 September.
It features sumo wrestling tournaments, karate and sword demonstrations, tea ceremonies, origami, calligraphy, Ikebana, kite making / flying and bonsai demonstrations.
The festival concludes with a Reconciliation Service and wreath-laying ceremony at the Australian and Japanese War Cemeteries on Sunday.
“Since 1996, the NSW Government through the Regional Flagship Events program has provided more than $3.6 million to support more than 170 events in regional NSW,” Mr Brown said.
It is estimated that last year there were 4.1 million visitors to Central NSW, who spent $915 million in the region.
Report by The Mole
