No Images? Click here WINNERS OF #ILOVENSW COMPETITION ANNOUNCEDTens of thousands of Australians have responded to the call to showcase NSW’s unique regions and experiences by snapping, shooting and sharing on social media to show what they love about the State. Over 16,000 photos and 630 videos were posted across social media over an eight-week period, with content shared from every corner of the State. The most captured experiences and activities included remote beaches and surfing hotspots, treasured historic buildings, regional inland locations and a plethora of events and festivals. As part of the #ILoveNSW activity, the top video and photo submissions that showcased the unique regions and experiences of NSW, are to be heroed in a series of curated short films. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said, “I am delighted that so many people contributed to this popular campaign, shining a light on the scenery, experiences and attractions on offer in rural and regional NSW. No doubt these incredible images and videos will encourage travellers to look beyond the fringes of Sydney when they’re planning their next short break or holiday.” “The inspiration behind #ILoveNSW is to showcase the best of NSW through the eyes of everyday Australians, both locals and visitors alike. We hope that travellers are left wide-eyed and inspired to visit these unique parts of the State, and to continue sharing their tips, videos and photos on social media with the world. Go to Visitnsw.com to see the winning entries and view the short films curated by Destination NSW. OPERA ON SYDNEY HARBOUR RETURNING WITH LA BOHÈMEOne of Sydney’s most celebrated cultural events, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, has been secured for a further three years from 2018 to 2020 by the NSW Government through Destination NSW. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said, “Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is one of the State’s great major event success stories, attracting new audiences to opera and visitors to NSW each year.” “The event has become revered as one of the world’s greatest outdoor operas, with more than 57,000 domestic and international overnight visitors travelling to Sydney to enjoy this spectacular event since 2012.” Presented by Opera Australia, the event will return in 2018 with a spectacular new production of Puccini’s La Bohème. Click here for more information and to buy tickets. NSW BUDGET BOOSTS TOURISM & EVENTSThe NSW 2017-18 Budget will deliver a boost for tourism and major events with $193 million committed to attract visitors, support jobs and boost local economies. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the funding would keep Sydney and rural and regional NSW at the forefront of attracting visitors from around Australia and the world, especially from priority markets such as China. “More than $95 million will be invested to secure and support major entertainment, lifestyle, sporting, arts and business events across NSW,” Mr Marshall said. “$61 million will be invested to support tourism operators, develop visitor services and promote NSW to domestic and international markets.” Click here for more information. Image: Blowhole Point, Kiama. Credit: Dee Kramer Photography WAGGA WAGGA HOSTS ABORIGINAL TOURISM WORKSHOPMore than 50 representatives from the State’s Aboriginal tourism industry were in Wiradjuri country this week for the seventh NSW Aboriginal Tourism Workshop. Held in Wagga Wagga, NSW Indigenous tourism operators came together with regional tourism stakeholders and Government representatives to build networks, share ideas and promote awareness of the State’s Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences. Coordinated by Destination NSW, the workshop program supports the ongoing development and continued growth of the State’s Aboriginal tourism sector. In the year ending March 2017, there were 437,100 international and domestic overnight visitors who participated in an Aboriginal cultural tourism experience in NSW – up 29 per cent on the previous year. These visitors contributed $1.4 billion in visitor expenditure to the State, up 41.5 per cent on the year ending March 2016. CHINESE REALITY STARS HIT THE ROAD IN SYDNEYImages of Sydney’s popular tourist attractions and experiences will be seen by around 220 million Chinese television viewers when the latest season of the popular Chinese reality TV show Divas Hit the Road goes to air. The top-rating program on Hunan TV features Chinese celebrities travelling overseas, taking part in incredible experiences, on limited budgets, without the help of assistants or agents. The episode which features the celebrities in Sydney, will showcase the stars arriving at Sydney Airport, travelling to Circular Quay via public transport, catching a water taxi to Darling Point, and taking part in a sailing lesson at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia at Rushcutters Bay. The filming, which took place in March, was supported by Destination NSW. Divas Hit the Road is now in its third season and airs in a prime time slot on Sunday nights in China, with the Sydney episode to air on 25 June. Click here for more information. THOUSANDS EXPECTED FOR L’ETAPE AUSTRALIAWith the Tour de France kicking off soon, results from last year’s L’Etape Australia by Le Tour de France confirm the event delivered significant visitation to the Snowy Mountains, with the 2017 event expected to once again attract thousands of visitors to the area. The inaugural L’Étape Australia in 2016 saw more than 5,000 international and interstate visitors travel to the region, boosting the local visitor economy by more than $1.7 million. Chris Froome, who will attempt to add a fourth yellow jersey to his collection when the Tour de France begins in Dusseldorf on 1 July, will return to the Snowy Mountains in December for the second straight year, riding alongside thousands of amateur cyclists on the 157km course. L’Étape Australia is part of a growing calendar of major events in the Snowy Mountains, with Peak Festival Perisher (9 – 12 June), Snowtunes Music Festival (1-2 September) and race five of the TreX Cross Triathlon Series (24 - 25 February, 2018) also driving visitors to the region. L’Etape Australia 2017 will be held on 2 December and early bird registrations are now open at www.letapeaustralia.com, with riders able to enter as individuals, teams of nine or larger groups. PIE TIME FESTIVAL IN THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDSThe Southern Highlands’ inaugural Pie Time Festival is on this weekend at the Corbett Gardens in Bowral. The two-day event will feature pie tasting, local food, wine, beer and cider stands, cooking demonstrations, pie eating competitions, and loads of family friendly entertainment. The festival will be showcasing the winner of the title ‘Best Pie in the Southern Highlands’ and visitors will be able to cast their votes for the ‘People’s Choice’. In addition to the best pie award, visitors will also have the opportunity of being crowned the 'Fastest Pie Eater' by entering the pie eating competition on Saturday and Sunday at 1pm. The festival is the culmination of Pie Time, a month long celebration of the great Aussie icon in the Southern Highlands. Visit the Destination Southern Highlands website for further information. VIDEO JUNKEE ANNOUNCES SPEAKER LINE-UPVideo Junkee 2017, a festival for creators and lovers of video, has announced an amazing line-up of speakers for this year’s inaugural event. Taking over Carriageworks from 28 to 29 July, the program will feature the creators and stars of the hit Foxtel series Wentworth, and Raphael Bob-Waksberg from the Netflix Original series BoJack. The festival is a two-day celebration of creativity and innovation in video, partnering with leading platforms Foxtel, YouTube, Netflix, BuzzFeed and ABC iview to present a series of talks, screenings, masterclasses and awards that bring together world leading and emerging content creators to discuss the golden age of video. Video Junkee 2017 is presented with the support of Strategic Sponsor Destination NSW. Visit the Video Junkee 2017 website for more information and to buy tickets. HELPMANN AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCEDNominations for the 17th Annual Helpmann Awards have been announced with two Australian premiere productions secured by Destination NSW among the front runners in this year’s awards. My Fair Lady is in the lead with nine nominations, including for Best Musical, and Disney’s Aladdin, has attracted seven nominations. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the Helpmann Awards Ceremony is hosted in Sydney thanks to the support of Destination NSW. “It’s been another remarkable year for live performance in Australia and this year’s Nominees reflect the strength and vibrancy of this sector. I congratulate all of the 2017 Helpmann Awards Nominees and wish them the best of luck,” Mr Marshall said. The Awards include categories for musicals, cabaret, comedy, dance & physical theatre, opera & classical music and more. Winners will be announced on 24 July at the Capitol Theatre – on the set of Kinky Boots, which is currently showing in Sydney. Tickets are available now from Ticketmaster. ABORIGINAL TOURISM WEBCAST NSW tourism businesses can join a free, live webcast on Aboriginal tourism next Thursday. The session is being offered as part of the NSW First program and will feature a panel of Indigenous tour providers and Destination NSW’s Aboriginal Tourism Sector Specialist. The webcast will cover how Destination NSW supports Aboriginal tourism development, how businesses can respectfully include Aboriginal cultural experiences in their tourism products, and how to engage with Indigenous communities to share the world’s oldest living culture. NEW TRAVEL TRADE NEWSLETTER Destination NSW has launched a new Sydney & NSW Inbound Product Update newsletter to provide the travel trade with export ready product news and itinerary ideas. The newsletter features export ready tourism experiences that are new to inbound; articles about regions in NSW; and product news across accommodation, attractions, tours, and sectors, including Aboriginal tourism and food & wine. Featured experiences are commissionable and ready to work with the travel trade. Click here to view the newsletter. EVENT WORKSHOPS IN SYDNEY The Australian Centre for Event Management is running a series of one-day courses for event professionals in Sydney. Workshops are being offered across a range of topics including project and risk management, creative theming and incorporating performers into events. The courses are being held from 24 to 28 July at the University of Technology Sydney’s Ultimo campus. Click here to download a copy of the course brochure and visit the Australian Centre for Event Management website for further information. DESTINATION NSW JAPAN ROADSHOW Destination NSW is pleased to offer NSW product suppliers and destinations the opportunity to join the Japan Roadshow. The 2017 roadshow will be held in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka from 30 August to 1 September. This roadshow will be an excellent opportunity for NSW operators to meet with key trade partners including agents, product managers, front line staff and strategic in-market partners. Places are limited and are available for a maximum of 10 NSW product suppliers. The event is supported by the Destination NSW International Business Development Program and NSW tourism suppliers must demonstrate how they meet the eligibility criteria. Registrations close on 30 June. DESTINATION NSW SOUTH KOREA WORKSHOP Destination NSW is pleased to offer NSW product suppliers and destinations the opportunity to join the South Korea Workshop. The 2017 workshop will be held in Seoul from 4 to 5 September. This workshop will be an excellent opportunity for NSW operators to meet with key trade partners including agents, product managers, front line staff and strategic in-market partners. Places are limited and are available for a maximum 10 NSW product suppliers. The event is supported by the Destination NSW International Business Development Program and NSW tourism suppliers must demonstrate how they meet the eligibility criteria. Registrations close on 30 June. NEW RESEARCH ON BONDI & MANLY Destination NSW has released two new research snapshots on tourism to the beach suburbs of Manly and Bondi. Both areas are hugely popular with tourists. In the year ending December 2016, the total number of international and domestic overnight and day trip visitors to Bondi was 2.7 million, and to Manly was 2.4 million. Together, these visitors accounted for more than 15 per cent of all visitors to Sydney for the year. The profile of visitors to each precinct is similar, with most international visitors coming from China, the United States and United Kingdom, while more than half of the domestic overnight visitors travelled from interstate. Click below to go to the Destination NSW website to download the Bondi and Manly reports. |