Australian bureaucrats spend AU$27,000 on 'research trip' to Burning Man

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  • The tourism executives said they visited the US festival to learn more about putting on large-scale events.
  • Australian bureaucrats spend AU$27,000 on 'research trip' to Burning Man image
  • Two Australian tourism executives spent more than AU$27,000 (£14,715) of taxpayer funds attending Burning Man 2018. John Drummond and Rebecca Mantle, both senior tourism staffers at Tourism And Events Queensland, said they visited the annual US event "to gain insights into current trends, ideas, themes and logistics of a large-scale festival." As ABC reports, during their time at the nine-day festival, they "met with key international event partners" in order to help plan a similar event in outback Queensland. News of the trip angered opposition politicians, with Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander stating, "I don't know about Burning Man, but it's definitely burning taxpayers' money." Founded in 1986, Burning Man is one of the world's best-known festivals. With space for around 70,000 attendees, it encourages self-reliance and artistic expression. Larry Harvey, one of the festival's three founders, died in April this year.
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