No Images? Click here MAMMOTH EXHIBITION BOUND FOR SYDNEYIn an Australian first, the world’s only intact and preserved woolly mammoth will be on display at the Australian Museum as part of the blockbuster exhibition Mammoths! Giants of the Ice Age, which has been secured exclusively by the NSW Government through Destination NSW. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall and NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin announced the major exhibition, developed by the Field Museum in Chicago, will open in Sydney on 18 November 2017. “More than 9,000 overnight visitors are expected to travel to Sydney to see this exhibition, generating more than $3.7 million in overnight visitor expenditure,” Mr Marshall said. “The NSW Government is committed to continuing to develop our world-class events calendar and securing exhibitions such as this will help us maintain our position as the number one tourism and events state in Australia.” Click here for more information. Image: Woolly Mammoths Mural by Velizar Simeonovski © The Field Museum MINISTER IN CHINA TO STRENGTHEN TOURISMNSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall will join his national counterparts next week for the Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (TMM) in Beijing, China. TMM is the meeting of Australian, State and Territory Government Tourism Ministers to discuss the implementation of the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy and national tourism policy matters of mutual interest. The Minister will also hold meetings with several airline partners and Business Events Sydney and Destination NSW’s key travel trade partners and business industry leaders in Beijing, Guangzhou and Tianjin. “I will be focused on driving visitation to rural and regional NSW and look forward to robust discussions on infrastructure investment, addressing labour and skills in the tourism and hospitality sector and a coordinated approach for the next National Long-Term Tourism Strategy,” Mr Marshall said. REGIONAL NSW TO STAR ON SYDNEY WEEKENDERRural and regional NSW will be featured in a special episode of Channel Seven’s popular travel show Sydney Weekender, thanks to a NSW Government initiative to promote the State’s top tourism destinations. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the show was secured by Destination NSW and would feature four popular country NSW towns including the beautiful Glen Innes. “I’m thrilled that Sydney Weekender will be showcasing Glen Innes this Sunday evening, including some of our significant cultural attractions and boutique accommodation,” Mr Marshall said. The episode will also feature Indigenous history and luxury accommodation in Wagga Wagga, the Deni Ute Muster and the local fresh produce at the Taste Riverina Festival. Sydney Weekender will air on the Seven Network at 5.30pm this Sunday, 27 August. DESTINATION NSW AND QANTAS LAUNCH MEET THE SYDNEYPOREANSDestination NSW has partnered with Qantas to launch Meet the Sydneyporeans – a new three-part video mini-series that aims to inspire Singaporeans to travel to NSW. The campaign features experiences that have been curated by Singaporeans who live in NSW and will appeal to their fellow countrymen and women back home. The mini-series has its own dedicated website to further promote the NSW destinations featured in the series, and encourage travellers to customise their own itineraries. Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said Singapore is an important source market for tourism to Sydney and NSW with 120,500 overnight visitors travelling to NSW and staying more than 1.4 million nights in the year ended March 2017. “Singaporeans are sophisticated travellers and very familiar with NSW. In fact, almost 75 per cent of overnight visitors from Singapore to the State are repeat visitors. This campaign allows Destination NSW and Qantas to highlight what’s new, what the locals love, and what Singaporeans must see – all curated from a truly Singaporean perspective,” Ms Chipchase said. The first of the three episodes features popular Masterchef Australia 2012 contestant Audra Morrice and can be viewed at www.sydneyporeans.com. SYDNEY SET FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANFAREActing NSW Premier John Barilaro welcomed hundreds of American college footballers and support crew to Sydney this week, ahead of Sunday’s College Football Sydney Cup between the Stanford Cardinal and Rice University Owls at Allianz Stadium. The College Football Sydney Cup was secured exclusively for Sydney by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, in partnership with TEG and TLA Worldwide. “The College Football Sydney Cup will provide a significant boost to the State’s visitor economy, with more than “In addition, the match will be broadcast throughout Australia on Fox Sports and beamed into thousands of homes in the US on ESPN, generating massive global exposure for our Harbour City and State. “The match is the ultimate American sporting experience and a unique opportunity for Australians to experience the fanfare, excitement and athleticism that make American football the most popular sport in the United States." To purchase tickets visit www.ticketek.com.au. Image: Acting Premier Barilaro with players and coaches from Stanford and Rice. COFFS HARBOUR AIRPORT UPGRADE COMPLETEMore planes and larger aircraft can now land at Coffs Harbour airport after the completion of its $6.5 million upgrade. NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said, “The investment will see greater capacity for business travel and tourists, boosting visitation, and in turn generating spending in the local economy.” The main passenger apron can now handle five large aircraft instead of four. It can also handle heavier aircraft, including the B737 and A320, which can carry up to The airport is one of the largest regional airports in NSW, connecting over 350,000 passengers to major hubs and rural areas each year. The upgrade received $5.1 million from the NSW Government’s Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund to improve the airport’s terminal, apron and airside. Click here for more information. NSW TO BOOST JAPANESE TOURIST NUMBERS: GLOBAL LAUNCH FOR VIVID 2018 DATESNSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has invited the largest ever Japanese travel trade delegation to visit Vivid Sydney 2018, in a bid to build on the record number of tourists who took part in this year’s festival. Ms Berejiklian made the announcement in Tokyo this week at the global launch of the Vivid Sydney 2018 dates. “We are seeing a resurgence of Japanese visitors to our shores and we want to see that grow even further,” Ms Berejiklian said. “Not only is this great for forging closer ties with Japan but more tourists coming to NSW is vitally important for our local economy.” Vivid Sydney 2018 will be held from Image: Premier Berejiklian with Destination NSW's Country Manager Japan, Haruhiko Niihori, at the global launch of the Vivid 2018 dates in Tokyo. RECORD ATTENDANCE AT VIVID SYDNEY 2017Vivid Sydney 2017 has set a new record with 2.33 million people attending this year’s festival and contributing over NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the festival’s value didn’t stop in Sydney, with rural and regional NSW also benefiting from the record numbers. “We’ve also seen a record 38,000 visitors travel beyond the fringes of Sydney, staying more than 94,000 nights and injecting over $16 million into rural and regional local economies,” Mr Marshall said. “Sydney is not only the gateway to Australia, it is the gateway to rural and regional NSW, and I am thrilled that the whole state is reaping the benefits of the NSW Government’s significant investment in tourism and major events.” Go to Destination NSW for more on the Vivid Sydney 2017 results. TARONGA WELCOMES TWO BABY GIRAFFES AND OPENS NEW TIGER ENCLOSUREAnimal lovers are in for a treat with two exciting new attractions at Taronga Zoo Sydney and at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo has welcomed two adorable additions to the giraffe herd, born within one week of each other, and Taronga Zoo Sydney has opened a new tiger enclosure. The long-awaited Tiger Trek, is the first exhibit of its kind, combining the excitement of seeing four endangered big cats with an educational program about the threat of palm oil production on the species. The arrival of the newborn male giraffe calves in Dubbo marks an exciting development for the Zoo’s giraffe breeding program, which has an 11-strong breeding herd of the gentle giants. There is also a third calf on the way with another giraffe, Ntombi, confirmed pregnant and expecting soon! FOODIE WEEKEND FOR SEAFOOD LOVERS IN PORT STEPHENSVisitors to Port Stephens can savour some of the State’s freshest coastal cuisine at a seafood lovers showcase this weekend. The two-day Fish & Fun celebration is the grand finale of the month-long Love Seafood event supported by Destination NSW, which showcases the region’s fresh seafood and the people who catch it. Port Stephens is renowned for sensational seafood all year round with prawns, oysters, crabs and lobsters bursting from the region’s estuaries and lakes. The weekend program comprises activities for all ages including fish feeding and touch tanks for the kids alongside cooking demonstrations, chef-led masterclasses, foodie talks, seafood tastings and more. The Fish & Fun event will take place at D’Albora Marinas Nelson Bay from 10am. Click here for more information. Image credit: Destination Port Stephens TINA ARENA TO STAR IN NEW EVITA PRODUCTION IN SYDNEYAustralian icon Tina Arena will play the role of Eva Peron in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s EVITA. One of the most celebrated classical musicals of all time, EVITA will return to Sydney next year, playing at the Sydney Opera House. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the Australian premiere was secured exclusively for Sydney by Destination NSW and will be a major drawcard for visitors to the State. “The NSW Government is committed to securing premier musical productions which drive visitation to the State. During the season of EVITA more than 17,000 overnight visitors are expected to travel to Sydney to see the production, generating an estimated $14 million in overnight visitor expenditure,” Mr Marshall said. Tickets are on sale from 31 August 2016. ORANGE WINE FESTIVAL TO SHINE A LIGHT ON REGION'S VINTAGESOrange will celebrate its cool-climate wines once again this Spring with the 2017 Orange Wine Festival. Running from 13 to 22 October with Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said events such as the Orange Wine Festival offer visitors a unique opportunity to taste some of Australia’s best wines and fresh produce, while providing a boost to local economies. BLUE MOUNTAINS ON GLOBAL SHOW WITH |