Regional mayor expects tourism boom after cultural trip to South Korea

The mayor and general manager Gary Murphy visited the South Korean city of Suseong-gu during April, as part of a cultural exchange.

The trip he said was "a success".

Cr Hawkins said Korean officials were most interested in grain trade and tourism.

"They really liked the Liverpool Plains as a destination for holidays and I think it will get a tremendous boost in tourism," he said.

"They knew all about the area and we showed video of the region, and they saw the opportunities for the region.

"We will also see a fair boost to the grain once they come out and look around."

"They see the opportunities," Cr Hawkins told the Leader.

The two mayors met through their mutual sister city, Blacktown City Council, at a 2023 event in Sydney.

Blacktown and LPSC have been sister cities for 30 years, and Blacktown will celebrate 13 years with Suseong-gu in 2024.

Cr Hawkins said, in the future, they are eager to see an increase in visitors coming to the plains and the flow effects into the local economy.

"If we get more accommodation and farm stays, I think we will see a huge boost in the number of people travelling to the region," he said.

Cr Hawkins said some of the trip highlights included a visit to a 2100-year-old monastery, tasting Korean cuisine, chatting with locals, and laying a wreath at the Australian War Memorial in Busan.

And he's looking forward to seeing the relationship between the two cities thrive.

The mayor of Suseong-gu Kim Daw-kwon has accepted an invitation to visit the Liverpool Plains in August.