Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen joined Hunter Valley Resort general manager Philip Hele and Hunter Wine and Tourism Association chairman George Souris for the announcement on Monday.

Mr Johnsen said the funding will go towards Hunter Valley Adventure Centre Project, which will build destination appeal and bring more visitors to the region.

“This is fantastic news for wine country region as we continue to work tirelessly to ensure this beautiful region is showcased to thousands of visitors each year,” he said.

The project will consist of an upgrade of existing soft adventure activities, mainly horse riding and Segway experiences which currently operate from two shipping containers.  

They have no toilet facilities, electricity, or running water, which severely limit the capacity to deliver a professional visitor experience. 

The funding will bring facilities into the 21st century by providing new high-standard infrastructure which will not only vastly improve the visitor experience, it will also allow for significant capacity expansion.

“A huge thank you must go to Destination NSW for their commitment to assist us with the funding of our Adventure Centre project,” Mr Hele said.

“We can now build our new centre, which means even more quality experiences for visitors to the Hunter Valley Wine Country.

“Tourism is a vital input to our regional visitor economy and this NSW Government funding demonstrates a commitment to the tourism businesses in our region to ensure our community benefits from projects such as this.”

Mr Souris said the continuing development of tourism facilities in Hunter Wine Country was an important message for tourists from the Sydney region.

“This funding from Destination NSW will drive overnight visitation, local jobs and will reinforce the Hunter's reputation as NSW’s leading regional tourism area.”

The Regional Visitor Economy Fund is managed and administered by the state’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, which provides investment into the regional visitor economy on a matched dollar-for-dollar basis.