The Parkes Elvis Festival was declared the winner in the Festivals and Events category at the 2016 Regional Tourism Awards held in Euchuca Moama last Saturday. Parkes Shire Council also picked up silver in the Destination Marketing category for the development and implementation of the ‘Parkes it all adds up’ brand and associated campaigns.
Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith said “This is a fantastic achievement for the Parkes Elvis Festival and is a credit to all of the hard work that Council staff and volunteers put into the Festival”. “The Elvis Festival has grown to be an internationally recognised event, which injects $11 million into the local economy.
However, the festival would not be possible without the support of the local community and the assistance of over 100 volunteers,” Cr Keith said. The Regional Tourism Awards are held annually to acknowledge excellence in tourism in the four regional tourism areas of Central, Inland, Murray and Riverina.
“The 13th annual Regional Tourism Awards showcased some of the best tourism attractions, products and operators in NSW and Victoria”, said Jane Barnes, Chair of the Awards. “This year, all entrants were of a high calibre. In some categories the marks between finalists were so close that a silver and bronze award was given.” Parkes Shire Council is now looking forward to the state tourism awards, with the finalists to be announced on 30th September.