SYDNEY, April 8 -- Australia's regional festivals should aim at attracting more Chinese tourists in a bid to boost local economies, a peak industry body said on Wednesday.

These festivals outside major cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne, focus on food and wine, or music, and showcase a unique part of Australian culture that many visiting Chinese do not experience.

Regional Australia Institute deputy chief executive Jack Archer said the new regional festivals were not as successful as they once were, and organizers needed to look outside the domestic market.

"Something new is needed and, like in many areas of the Australian economy, engaging with Asia may be an answer," he wrote in a column in The Australian.