Businesses across the region are uniting with a bold plan to transform the Central West into a premium boutique tourist destination not unlike the Hunter Valley.
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Dubbed 'Project Elevate', a number of businesses will collaborate to help re-shape Bathurst, Orange and Mudgee as a destination in NSW.
Nick Jones, of the Bathurst Grange Distillery, who is one of a number of people involved in the collaboration said the city has massive potential.
"As a group, we can come together with the power of numbers and start to think of the cohesive messaging that will really attract people and rethink Bathurst as destination, that Bathurst is an agritourism, premium destination," he said.
We're thinking bigger, as a region.
- Nick Jones
"It'll attract a range of audiences that have not thought of Bathurst as a destination.
"A lot of people know Bathurst. It's amazing so many times I'm out, everyone has a story or an affiliation with Bathurst.
"What we're trying to do is re-think what Bathurst, as a destination, could be."
Other members of 'Project Elevate' include Matt Moran (Rockley Pub), Linda Gregoriou (Tremain's Mill), Jarrod Moore and Grace Fowler (Reckless Brewing) and Hamish and Mez Keith (Wilga Station and the Wool Store).
Mr Jones said he wants 'Project Elevate' to work with both Orange and Mudgee, to help transform the Central West into the Hunter Valley.
"We're thinking bigger, as a region," he said.
"We talk about Orange leading the way with food and culinary experiences. They have a proven concept of what is possible.
"Mudgee is an award-winning destination too.
"We can be seen as the new Hunter Valley and it's not just about wine, it's a whole destination. We can see the success somewhere like Hobart has had or Margaret River too."
For now, 'Project Elevate' will involved the aforementioned parties but Mr Jones said he's hoping more businesses will come on board.
"There's a lot of new investment and new stakeholders planting their flags in Bathurst," he said.
"You can see this new wave of investment. What it looks like now and what it looks live in five years is going to be completely different.
We have luxury accommodation, you've got amazing chefs, producers of craft, art and spirits. We've got Reckless and Cosmo and some terrific wineries.
"It's bigger than Bathurst. As a region, we can attract all variety of people."
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