COUNTRY music is in Tamworth's DNA, but it's certainly not all the city has to offer.
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The region has just been named a finalist in the NSW Top Tourism Towns Award in the 5000 plus population category, alongside huge regional centres like Dubbo, Bathurst, Mudgee, Newcastle and Orange.
A win would be a fantastic opportunity to promote experiences the city has to offer outside January's country music festival, Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) economic and destination development coordinator Kate Baker said.
"We aren't trying to move away from country music, it's in our DNA and we celebrate that but COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to promote to the domestic market the other experiences that we have," she said.
"We know how great they are locally but to be able to promote those to NSW and the rest of Australia has been a really great opportunity.
"It's great recognition, it gives us a real opportunity to get that message out and acknowledgement; to be one of the best tourism towns in Australia would be pretty amazing."
Tourism injects $31.8 billion into the state's economy and the awards are designed to showcase the experiences that make a town unique.
There are 42 finalists in the awards, including Willow Tree on the New England Highway in the under 5000 category.
The nod to the small country town was welcomed by Liverpool Plains Shire Council mayor Doug Hawkins, who said he was ecstatic.
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"My congratulations go out to the whole Willow Tree community, particularly the local business establishments who grasped the true value of tourism and the visitor economy to their town and collaborated to build Willow Tree into a location that is now well known to travellers as a great place to take a break and enjoy the region's delicious produce and internationally awarded steak," he said.
"It is not only the Willow Tree Inn, Plains Pantry, the Gateway Café and the other eateries in Willow Tree that have led to this success but also community minded businesses like BJD Custom Joinery and Design, Pacific National and Bailey and Jones that support the initiatives," he said.
It's up to communities to vote for their town to win the awards, which will be announced on May 27.
To vote in the awards, visit businessnsw.com.
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