Mayor ties the knot with tourism body to help boost local wedding industry

Hinterland Tourism Sunshine Coast President Kerry Brown & Mayor Rosanna Natoli.

Newly-elected Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli has committed to working closely with Hinterland Tourism Sunshine Coast (HTSC) to develop the region's successful and growing wedding industry.

The pledge was made during a recent networking event at Goodwater Ridge, marking a promising collaboration between local government and tourism stakeholders.

HTSC President Kerry Brown expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership pledge. "Mayor Natoli committed to working with Hinterland Tourism to develop the wedding industry across the region. Two council officers also attended and took the time to meet our members and learn about Hinterland Tourism, on a Friday night too!”

The primary focus of this new partnership is to gather comprehensive data on the economic impact of weddings and events in the Hinterland. "The first step is to gather facts and figures in relation to weddings and events in the Hinterland,” said Ms Brown. “This has never been done before, so we are working with the Council to determine the industry’s real economic value in our region."

Ms Brown said HTSC members were hoping the collaboration would bring significant benefits to the local economy. The initiative aims to highlight the importance of the wedding industry and its contributions to the Sunshine Coast's overall economic health.

Meanwhile, HTSC is gearing up for the annual Queensland Garden Expo next month and is seeking volunteers to help promote the Hinterland to visitors. Volunteers who contribute a few hours of their time will receive free entry to the expo, providing an excellent opportunity to learn more about the region and support local tourism.

HTSC has also celebrated the success of its new online wedding magazine, "I Do Sunshine Coast," which has been well-received since its launch.

“The first edition of our new online wedding magazine called 'I Do Sunshine Coast' has been a massive success," said Ms Brown.

In addition to the wedding magazine, HTSC is preparing to launch a general tourism online magazine, "Head On Up," funded partly by the Sub-Regional funding program managed by Visit Sunshine Coast. This new initiative will be launched at the end of July and aims to provide more promotional opportunities for local businesses.