WHILE food and wine will continue to draw visitors to Orange the next five years could see the city capitalise on the emerging ‘eco-tourist’ market.

Eco tourism would essentially involve luring people from outside the region to experience some of Orange’s most famous natural attractions.

An ecotourism precinct would focus on the Mount Canobolas, Lake Canobolas and Earth Sanctuary precinct to the west of Orange, all of which will have been given a dramatic spruce-up by 2014.

A motion passed by Orange City Council last week pledged to investigate how to improve facilities at the peak of Mount Canobolas, an extinct volcano, possibly involving the construction of a new car park, toilet facilities, lookout platforms and even a restaurant.

Playground equipment at Lake Canobolas may also be given a makeover while the Earth Sanctuary could become home to a breeding program for Tasmanian Devils under a partnership between Taronga Western Plains Zoo and Orange City Council.

“We have to broaden the experience for visitors. Food and wine has proven to be extremely important in attracting one group of people but there are other groups who are very interested in natural and constructed history that I hope come to Orange in their droves by that time,” said the mayor of Orange and environment buff, Cr Reg Kidd.

Despite the significant potential to attract eco-tourists, the fortunes of the city’s tourism industry will still rest heavily on the shoulders of the food and wine sector and the city’s ability to hold events and festivals.

The four distinct food and wine orientated festivals - Slow Summer, FOOD Week, Frost Fest and Wine Week - will be all be as crucial to the financial stability of the city’s accommodation sector as the Australian National Field Days once was.

“You only have to look back five years at what Wine Week once was. There were just 16 events and this year’s program has 108,” said Brand Orange Ltd chief executive officer Kim Currie.