THE term "visitor economy" sounds like a made-up marketing expression. It sounds like the sort of corporate phrase routinely mocked by those who never use them - until we find everyone using them.
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And it sounds like the sort of phrase that might be used instead of the word "tourism" by people who would prefer to use two words where one would do quite nicely.
Whatever doubts we might have about the phrase, though, it's certainly proved a success for Bathurst Regional Council.
Few had ever heard the phrase "visitor economy" until a couple of years ago and now it has become the council mantra.
But rather than simply being a hollow set of buzzwords, council's focus on the visitor economy continues to deliver new events - and new tourist dollars - to the region.
The latest win has been Bathurst's selection to host the under 15s national hockey championships in April next year.
The championships will bring hundreds of boys and girls - and many of their families - from all Australian states and territories to Bathurst for almost a week, filling hotels and restaurants and giving other local shops a boost, as well.
It's exciting stuff, but these sort of announcements have almost become commonplace in a city that is staking a real claim for the title of the sporting powerhouse of regional NSW.
Along with the usual major events including the Bathurst 1000 [and other Mount Panorama events], the Gold Crown carnival and annual NRL match, Bathurst will next year become the first Australian city to host a round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, bringing the top riders from around the globe to our $1.5 million BMX track.
And in 2021 Bathurst will become just the second Australian city - after Sydney - to host an International Association of Athletics Federations world event when the cross country world titles come here.
Bathurst continues to set an example that other cities - regional cities, in particular - will strive to follow, but we have the jump on them all in terms of infrastructure, accommodation and pure know-how.
And the more we host these major national and international events, the better we get at it - and the better we get the more events we will attract.
It's a spiral of success and council needs to be congratulated for making it happen. And if that means all of us embracing "visitor economy", then bring it on.
