No Images? Click here SUPER LEAGUE NSW TOUR COMES TO SYDNEYThe Wigan Warriors and Hull FC are making the most of their stay in Sydney ahead of the blockbuster double header tomorrow at ANZ Stadium. After around 12,500 fans turned out to watch the historic match between the two rugby league teams in Wollongong, both sides have been preparing in Sydney this week to take on the best of the NRL. Wigan will play the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Hull will play the St George Illawarra Dragons tomorrow night to finish the inaugural Super League NSW Tour, secured by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. Players from both sides have been enjoying the sights and sounds of the Harbour City, including climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, jet boating on Sydney Harbour and visiting Featherdale Wildlife Park. Tickets for tomorrow night’s double header are still available via ticketek.com.au. Image: L-R – Thomas Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors), Mark Minichiello (Hull FC), and Nene McDonald (St George Illawarra Dragons). GROWING CHINESE TOURISM IN NSWNSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall has welcomed the NSW Business Chamber’s latest paper on encouraging Chinese tourism to the State and boosting visitor numbers into rural and regional NSW. “I’d like to thank the NSW Business Chamber for their advocacy for tourism in rural and regional NSW and we will continue to work closely with them to drive the best outcomes for the State’s visitor economy,” Mr Marshall said. “Chinese visitors are the highest spenders, so we must encourage them to see more of our beautiful State and do all we can to ensure they are spending in rural and regional NSW to boost local economies. “We are already making progress in this space, the International Visitor Survey (IVS) results for the year ended September 2017 show more than 53,000 Chinese travellers visited regional NSW, a 33 per cent increase on the previous year and more than double the volume in year ended September 2012. “Last year regional NSW also received the highest volume of Chinese visitors since the IVS began, with more than seven per cent of Chinese visitors dispersing to regional NSW, up from six per cent on the previous year. “However there is still much more to do to ensure rural and regional NSW can get a bigger slice of the Chinese tourism pie and The NSW Government is current reviewing its approach to the State’s visitor economy through its Visitor Economy Taskforce which was announced last year. “The NSW Government will continue to work with industry and tourism operators to ensure rural and regional NSW is a destination of choice for not just Chinese tourists, but all visitors to the State.” To read the NSW Business Chamber’s report, click here. TOP SURFERS HEAD HOME FOR NSW EVENTSThree of the State’s best male surfers are home for a month of blockbuster surfing in NSW. 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Rookie of the Year, Connor O’Leary, WSL surfer, Adrian Buchan, and 2017 WSL Championship Tour fifth place finisher, Matt Wilkinson, will all contest events in NSW this month. The three will compete for their local clubs in the Australian Boardriders Battle this weekend at Newcastle Beach, and contest the Burton Automotive Pro as part of Surfest at Merewether Beach from 19 to 25 February. O’Leary will also contest the inaugural Vissla Sydney Surf Pro at Manly Beach from 26 February to 4 March. All three events were secured exclusively for the State by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said surfing was a key component of the NSW Summer sports calendar. “The NSW Government supports 10 surfing events in the State, with nine of them taking place over the Summer months, showcasing the stunning NSW coastline and our fantastic weather to visitors from all over the world,” Mr Marshall said. “Surfest and the Australian Boardriders Battle are both significant events for regional NSW and last year cumulatively attracted more than 2,000 overnight visitors to Newcastle, injecting more than $2 million into the local economy. “The Vissla Sydney Surf Pro is an exciting new event for Manly Beach, the spiritual home of surfing in Australia, and will see the best international surfers descend on the iconic beachside suburb.” TOP SKATER TONY HAWK ARRIVES IN SYDNEYThe world’s most famous skateboarder, Tony Hawk, travelled to Sydney this week to experience the city’s sights and surrounds ahead of Bondi Bowl-A-Rama this weekend. Today, Hawk traded the skate park for the marine park, where he experienced a snorkelling tour of the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve in Manly. Back on dry land, Hawk enjoyed lunch at The Boathouse Shelly Beach and had a final chance to relax ahead of this weekend’s competition. Hawk will compete in the masters event at Bowl-A-Rama, a globally recognised skateboarding competition that brings together current professionals, masters skaters and juniors, and is proudly supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. Visit Bowl-A-Rama for more information and to purchase tickets. Image: Member for Manly, James Griffin MP and Tony Hawk. NOVOTEL DARLING SQUARE OPENSThe former Rockford Darling Harbour has undergone a total renovation and has reopened as Novotel Sydney Darling Square. Each of the hotel’s 230 rooms has a new colour scheme and lighting inspired by the nearby Chinese Garden of Friendship, and Pier Street Kitchen is the new lobby bar and restaurant. Darling Square is the emerging new inner city neighbourhood, adjacent to Darling Harbour, Chinatown and Paddy’s Markets, featuring apartments, offices, shops and restaurants. To celebrate the relaunch, Novotel Sydney Darling Square is offering a special overnight rate of $199 per room in a standard king or twin room, including breakfast for two and a complimentary bottle of wine. For more information about Novotel Sydney Darling Square, visit accorhotels.com. DESTINATION NSW CELEBRATES THE YEAR OF THE DOGAn annual networking event for Chinese inbound tour operators was held last week to celebrate Chinese New Year. Hosted by Destination NSW, the Chinese Inbound Tour Operator Networking function was held at Luna Park and attended by 42 tour operators. The fun event provided Chinese inbound tour operators with the chance to meet Destination NSW's Trade & Industry Development team and learn more about the huge range of NSW tourism products, experiences and events, and to network with peers in the tourism industry. In the year ending September 2017, NSW welcomed more than 752,500 Chinese visitors who stayed nearly 21 million nights and spent over $3.2 billion in the State. Click the above image to view the Lunar New Year E-Card. NEW LUXURY HOTEL FOR REGIONAL NSWMore hotel rooms are now available in country NSW with the recent opening of Abode Murrumbateman in the Yass Valley. The 50-guestroom hotel is designed with a nod to the grand pastoral homesteads of rural Australia, and is made up of a series of linked pavilions. As well as providing a stylish accommodation option for the Murrumbateman area, it is estimated the hotel will attract an extra 23,000 visitors to the area each year, and create between 15 and 20 new jobs. The region around Murrumbateman is known for the vineyards and wineries of Clonakilla and Helm, as well as scenic driving routes, including the Poachers Way. To find out more about Abode Murrumbateman visit abodehotels.com.au and for information on things to see and do in the area go to visitnsw.com. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE UPDATES FUNCTION SPACEAs part of a $273 million package of renewal works, the Sydney Opera House is removing the temporary marquee from the Northern Boardwalk and replacing it with a purpose-built function centre. The project is the second in the planned 'Decade of Renewal' improvements, which received $228 million from the NSW Government towards the funding package. The works will prepare the world-famous performing arts centre and top tourism attraction for the next generation of artists, audiences and visitors. The new function centre will offer 500 square metres of premium function space, a 270 square metre state-of-the-art kitchen and direct access to the Northern Boardwalk, with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Find out more. FREE YOUTH MUSIC EVENT RETURNS TO GOULBURNThe popular youth music event, Vibesfest, is returning to Goulburn’s Belmore Park next weekend. Now in its fourth year, the festival is headlined by the youngest winner of Australian Idol, Casey Donovan. The free community event will also include performances by DMC: Dauntless Movement Crew, known for their acrobatics, parkour and dance moves, plus a carnival and multicultural markets. Parkour is an activity where people run and jump over obstacles, with Vibesfest also offering parkour workshops for festival-goers who want to learn the art form. For more information on the festival program, check out the Vibestfest event page on Facebook. Image: Casey Donovan who will headline Vibesfest. LUNAR NEW YEAR AT SCENIC WORLDScenic World in the Blue Mountains is inviting visitors to celebrate the Lunar Year of the Dog. From today until 4 March, Scenic World is transforming its main forecourt into a table tennis arena for the annual Scenic World Ping Pong Pro tournament. There will also be traditional lion dances, balloon dog making and the EATS270 restaurant will be serving char sui beef ribs. IT'S TOMATO TIME IN SYDNEYThe Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s award-winning Tomato Festival returns for its fifth year this weekend. Celebrating the much-loved tomato, the festival includes tomato-inspired lunches, a pop-up café and bar, cooking demonstrations, produce stalls, free taste-testing and children’s activities. New additions include the 70-metre Longest Tomato Lunch, a cooking and learning hub and a range of food stalls. SCULPTURES FOR LUNAR NEW YEARSea Life Sydney Aquarium is celebrating Chinese New Year with two sculptures by Chinese-Australian multi-media artist Tiani Zu. The sculpture ‘The Flying Penguin’ is made from geometric shapes and is suspended outside the entrance to the Penguin Expedition, and the second sculpture ‘Home’ is a depiction of the Chinese character for ‘Home’ and is displayed on the viewing window to the expedition. SNOWY MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVALHear the call of the mountains and head to Tumbafest next weekend for the annual festival held in the picturesque town of Tumbarumba, in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains. A celebration of quality music and local food and wine, the 21st anniversary event program will showcase musical artists, including headliner Russell Morris, produce and craft markets, local JERSEY BOYS ENSEMBLE CASTWhen Jersey Boys returns to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in September, it will be with a talented ensemble cast, announced this week. The musical will have a supporting cast including Ryan Gonzalez, Cristina D’agostino, Glenn Hill (recently in Matilda the Musical), Luigi Lucente, Josh Mulheren (currently in The Book of Mormon) and Jack O’Riley. Jersey Boys has been secured for Sydney by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. VALE BRIAN LONGBOTTOMDestination NSW recognises the passing of one of the Kiama tourism industry’s long serving professionals, Brian Longbottom. Brian was the Chair of the former South Coast Regional Tourism Organisation, and is remembered for his enthusiasm and dedication to the local visitor economy, and for his role in the award-winning Unspoilt South Coast campaign. Our condolences and sympathies go to Brian’s family, friends and colleagues. |