THE  25^th National Multicultural Festival generated a total economic benefit of $20.8 million to the ACT, says Multicultural Minister Tara Cheyne.

She says post-event research indicates that the February festival, after the two-year covid break, had an estimated record total attendance of 380,563, comprising 273,965 individuals, with many people making return visits over the three days.

According to the IER Pty Ltd research report, more than 30,500 interstate or international visitors are estimated to have attended the festival, with just under 18,000 of these travelling to the ACT specifically for the event. The festival created more than 40,000 visitor nights and a total economic benefit of $20.8 million, an increase from the 2020 figures of 22,000 and $12.2 million respectively.