If there was one positive thing to come of the lockdowns, border closures and international travel bans of the past two years, it was the boost to Orange's tourism economy.
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The people of NSW started to explore their own backyard, and they found Orange.
The Orange region welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors in the months following lockdowns, with September 2020 quarter visitor numbers up by 111 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.
But now, with the lure of international and interstate travel back, it's a whole new ball game.
"We did really well over the last two years," said Caddie Marshall, head of Orange tourism organisation, Orange 360.
"We've continued to outperform other regional areas around NSW and specifically the Central West.
"However, we are now up against it."
Ms Marshall says forward bookings for winter and leading into Spring are "relatively soft," with the opening if international borders having the biggest impact.
"People are going to Fiji, they're going to Thailand, doing that European summer.
"This July school holidays they'll be hitting the snowfields or they will going overseas, which they haven't been able to do."
"It's a huge challenge," she said.
Future opportunities
Tourism generates just shy of half a billion dollars per annum for the Orange region.
"Forty-one cents in every dollar spent in the region is spent by someone who doesn't live here," Ms Marshall said.
"So we have to work really hard to make sure they continue to look West."
"We need to say to them: "Come out and enjoy Orange like you have been over the last couple of years. We're still here, come back."
Sydneysiders are an obvious target market, but Ms Marshall says they're also looking closer to home.
"The regions feed the regions.
"So first and foremost we need to remind locals of what's in our backyard. So when people come to visit, we know where to take them."
To reach those further "out bush" like Dubbo or Narromine, she says Orange is positioning itself as the "big bright city lights."
Marketing to those audiences will emphasise cultural offerings like Orange Regional Gallery and Civic Theatre, as well as boutique shopping experiences, like The White Place and Jumbled that have cult followings, according to Ms Marshall, and attract women from as far away as Griffith or Wagga to shop there.
Food and wine remain central to the Orange experience, as do nature and the great outdoors, with cycling tourism presenting a "huge opportunity" going forward.
One of the biggest recent success stories has been the Orange Villages Bicycle Trail, also known as The 360.
Launched in December, it's a 360-kilometre multi-day lap of Mount Canobolas, starting and ending in Orange, which travels through many of the region's smaller villages, including Molong, Carcoar, Neville, Cowra and Barry.
Kevin Radburn, owner of Neville Siding, a unique accommodation offering in the village of Neville, says he is "very pleased" with the number of people that are staying at the Siding as a result of the Bicycle Trail,
"We are hearing nothing but positive feedback from all the riders. I am amazed at the age range of the riders, we've had younger people in their 20's up to couples in their 80's."
Village life
The villages surrounding Orange are also imperative to Orange's tourism strategy going forward, Ms Marshall said.
Close to half of Orange's visitors go to either Blayney or Cabonne, with history and heritage a big drawcard.
Ms Marshall says the focus for the future isn't about increasing raw visitor numbers, it's about getting them to stay longer.
"When we've only got so many beds, it's about them knowing about everything there is to explore and enjoy."
She says since pre-COVID, the overnight stay in the Orange region had extended from 2.8 nights to 3.5 nights.
"That means people are coming for longer than a weekend.
"So now we've got them at 3.5 nights it's about filling those days with enjoying and spending and investing in out region and growing our visitor economy that way."
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