A new report has shown that Bluesfest is not only a great celebration of music but also a pleasant boost for the economy for Northern Rivers and Byron Bay shires, and the state of NSW. Lawrence Consulting calculated that Bluesfest accounts for 2.1% the Byron Shire’s Gross Regional Product.
The festival’s attendance is comprised of 19% locals, 5% international tourists and 51% interstate travellers (we can only guess the remaining 25% were passed out and unable to be surveyed).
The flood of visitors is a major moneymaker for the region’s Gross Indirect Tourism Expenditure. Bluesfest brings in $21.4 million for the Byron Shire, $28.5 million for the Northern Rivers, and a not-too-shabby $47.3 million for NSW.
Lawrence Consulting’s report also found that Bluesfest is a major job creator.
TheMusic.com.au has kindly listed the reports most striking economic Bluesfest findings:
ECONOMIC OUTPUT: A total output of $64.1 million in Byron Shire, $84.2 million in the Northern Rivers and $150.6 million in New South Wales 2012/13.
INCOME: The event was responsible for $10.8 million in Byron Shire, $15.0 million in the Northern Rivers and $32.8 million in New South Wales in wages and salaries in 2012/13.
JOB CREATION: Approximately 379.3 full time equivalent employment positions in Byron Shire, 515.9 FTE’s in the Northern Rivers and 831.4 FTE’s in New South Wales.
CONTRIBUTION: The estimated contribution to the Gross Regional Product (GRP) of the Byron Shire was $28.4 million, with $37.3 million going to the Northern Rivers and $65.8 million to New South Wales in 2012/13.
CHARITY: $120,000+ was raised by Bluesfest charity stalls including $50,000+ raised by the Cystic Fibrosis team bringing the total raised at Bluesfest by CF $315,000 to date.
(via TheMusic.com.au)
