![Alden Christley-Balcomb from Turner with a Floriade Reimagined installation in front of the Carillon. Picture: Matt Loxton Alden Christley-Balcomb from Turner with a Floriade Reimagined installation in front of the Carillon. Picture: Matt Loxton](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc7cnfffehsed5ijmokv1.jpg/r0_80_3000_1773_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Floriade: Reimagined could become a permanent event if Labor is re-elected in the upcoming ACT election.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The event saw tulips planted across Canberra, it replaced the annual spring Commonwealth Park flower show that was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr made the pitch as he unveiled Labor's tourism strategy, which has a goal to grow tourism contributions to territory economy to $3.5 billion in the next 10 years.
Mr Barr said Labor would develop a $3 million flight fund to get more domestic and international flights to Canberra. As well, $1.5 million would be spent on establishing a "COVID-safe" tourism fund. There would also be $6 million spent on a fund to attract major events to the ACT over the four years that are "COVID-safe".
"In large part that is going to mean smaller scale events that can be conducted safely over a longer period of time," he said.
"Rather than a focus on seeking to bring tens of thousands of people for one day or two days you want to bring that number over a longer timeframe."
![Floriade: Reimagined installation in-front of the Carillon. Picture: Matt Loxton, Floriade: Reimagined installation in-front of the Carillon. Picture: Matt Loxton,](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc7cnfffqjmrojz15jkux.jpg/r0_153_3000_1846_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
As part of that Mr Barr said Floriade: Reimagined would continue in coming years in conjunction with a Commonwealth Park festival. He said while he hoped Floriade would be able to return to normal, he remained cautious in the short-term.
"The feedback on Floriade: Reimagined has been overwhelmingly positive and we will put in a larger bulb order for future Floriades that will enable us to continue to plant the tulips and the annuals all over the city," he said.
Floriade: Reimagined is set to finish this weekend.
READ MORE:
Mr Barr said over the next 12 to 18 months a Labor government would work with the industry on a 2030 tourism plan.
There would be $2 million spent on a tourism destination marketing campaign, with the campaign to start in domestic markets such as NSW and Queensland.
"As previously announced, we will launch the biggest destination marketing campaign in the Territory's history when travel to the ACT is safe through an additional $2 million over the next term of government," Mr Barr said.
The Labor government has prided itself on tourism in Canberra but has been dealt a blow during the coronavirus pandemic which has wiped out more than $800 million in overnight visitor expenditure.
As well, more recently Singapore Airlines has ended direct flights between Singapore and Canberra.