Minister Barr: Floriade’s 30th anniversary brought big numbers to the ACT
- Written by ACT Government
Released 30/11/2017
Celebrating the theme of ‘rejuvenation’ in its thirtieth year, Floriade welcomed 433,959 visitors through the gates across the 30 day event for a 10-percent increase on 2016 figures.
Contributing around $40 million annually to the ACT economy, Floriade adds significantly to the vibrancy and diversity of Canberra’s tourism and major events calendar. We made a number of small changes to mark Floriade’s milestone event, which were well received by both local, national and international visitors. New opening hours, more garden beds, an enhanced site design, a sculpture garden and extended NightFest program all contributed to more visitors to Canberra.
NightFest, Floriade’s after-dark experience, was extended across two weekends attracting 29,743 visitors across the six evening sessions.
Insights from this year’s Floriade and NightFest show that 28 per cent of visitors at Floriade were first timers, which proves the event continues to have a high appeal to our repeat visitors.
In comparison, 61 per cent of NightFest ticket holders were first time visitors, which tells us we are also successfully attracting new audiences.
Consistent across all age groups, more than 58 per cent of visitors spent between 2 – 4 hours at Floriade on the day that they attended. The event itself received an overall visitor satisfaction rating of 3.9 out of 5.
Results also showed positive sentiment relating to tourism legacy impacts generated by Floriade and NightFest. More than 77 per cent of the non-local visitors indicated that their experience made them want to come back and see more of Canberra. The experience led to an improved perception of Canberra amongst 37 per cent of non-local visitors.
As one of Canberra’s leading flagship events, Floriade supports the vision of the 2025 Major Events Strategy for the ACT to have Canberra recognised as a world-class events destination, one whose events reflect the city’s essence and personality.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
