NSW VISITOR ECONOMY GOES FOR GOLD
DURING PARIS OLYMPICS The NSW Government will turn the state green and gold in support of the Australian Olympic Team and the Australian Paralympic Team as they compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With nearly a third of the 460-member Australian Olympic Team, and a significant number of Paralympians, hailing from NSW, the state is well represented on the global sporting stage. The Sydney Opera House sails will be illuminated green and gold on the evening of 1 August 2024 in celebration of the dedication and achievement of our Olympians and Paralympians.
Throughout both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, visitors and Sydneysiders will be able to gather at Sydney’s Darling Harbour free Live Site to cheer on athletes. Learn more here.
OLYMPICS EXTENDED TRADING A WIN FOR VENUES Olympics fans will be able to watch many of the major events at the Paris Games live at pubs, clubs and bars across the state, thanks to the NSW Government’s Special Event Extended Trading. Venues can trade during the early hours of the morning if they screen selected 2024 Olympics events for patrons. These include every Matildas match in the women’s football competition along with swimming finals. With an eight-hour time difference between Paris and Sydney, the extended trading
will give more fans the chance to cheer on their favourite athletes and teams. Learn more here.
SPORTS TOURISM TURBOCHARGES
VISITOR ECONOMY GROWTHSports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors worldwide, both in size and market volume. According to UN Tourism the market reached an approximate value of $US609 billion in 2023 and it is projected to grow at rate of around 16 per cent between 2024 and 2030. American Express Travel's 2024
Global Travel Trends Report has also identified sports tourism as one of the four top trends driving booking decisions, based on survey data from travellers in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Almost four in 10 respondents (37 per cent) said they had plans to travel for sporting events in 2024. President of American Express Travel Audrey Hendley said: “Travellers are focused on creating the right itineraries and building memories, whether that means booking a trip to see a favorite sports team compete or taking a once-in-a-lifetime expedition cruise."
DESTINATION NSW SUPPORTS STELLAR
SPORTING EVENTS CALENDARInvestment in signature sporting events plays a key role in Destination NSW's strategy to position Sydney and NSW as the major events capital of the Asia Pacific. Research conducted by Neilsen estimated the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™, supported proudly by Destination NSW, made an economic impact of $1.32 billion in Australia, with more than 86,000 visitors cited as a major driver of expenditure. Destination NSW was also proud to support the Supercars Sydney SuperNight and the Wallabies versus Georgia match last weekend, while the World Time Attack Challenge will take place on 30-31 August at Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek. September highlights supported by Destination NSW include Sydney Marathon (15 September), the Bledisloe Cup Wallabies versus New Zealand match at Accor Stadium (21 September) and the Touch Football National Youth Championships at C.Ex Stadium in Coffs Harbour (25-28 September).
EDEN SAILS TOWARDS GREATER CRUISE CAPACITYEden will enjoy the benefits of bigger cruise ships and more frequent visits, thanks to the NSW Government granting planning approval for a modification to the existing Eden Breakwater Wharf Extension.
It follows Eden’s busiest summer cruise season on record, with arrivals up more than 20 per cent compared with the previous summer season. There were 40 ship visits, which brought more than 70,000 passengers and 30,000 crew into the state’s largest regional cruise port and injected an estimated $19 million into the local economy, based on previous data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). There are already 26 cruise ship visits booked for the upcoming summer cruise season in Eden with the port welcoming the first ship, Disney Wonder, on 30 October.
PURPLE FLAG PROGRAM TO ROLL OUT ACROSS NSWAfter four successful pilots across Sydney, the internationally recognised Purple Flag program is being rolled out state-wide. Just as beachgoers look for red and yellow flags to know where it is safest to swim, the Purple Flag program provides similar guidance when it comes to going out after the sun goes down. Marrickville is the fourth precinct to achieve a Purple Flag accreditation, alongside YCK laneways in the CBD, Parramatta Eat Street precinct and Lakemba’s Haldon Street. 24-Hour
Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said: “I look forward to more Purple Flag districts in the coming year as we expand the program and help thousands of people across the state identify safe, diverse and vibrant precincts to eat, dine or dance the night away.”
SYDNEY FRINGE PROGRAM ANNOUNCEDSydney Fringe Festival has unveiled its 2024 program, featuring more than 400 events spanning theatre, music, comedy, dance, visual art, circus and cabaret. Running from 1-30 September 2024, festival highlights include shows by the triple Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir and Fringe’s first Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney, amplifying the voices of LGBTQIA+ storytellers. Destination NSW is the proud strategic partner of Sydney Fringe Festival 2024.
CHINA HOST WORKSHOP FOR SYDNEYThe Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) in partnership with the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations is delivering a China Host-focused workshop in Sydney on 22 August 2024. The workshop aims to enhance engagement with Chinese visitors and strengthen the confidence of visitor economy businesses in showcasing their products to this market. A prerequisite for the workshop is to complete ATEC's China Host online training program.
FREE WEBINAR TO GROW YOUR BUSINESSDestination NSW is holding a free webinar on 7 August 2024 as part of its Choose Tourism NSW Program. The webinar will update visitor economy businesses on the latest techniques for attracting and retaining quality staff. Industry experts Anna Finch and Melanie Louth from Think Regional and Samantha Cox from Samantha Cox International, will provide practical examples of how to build a skilled workforce through a positive workplace culture, strong business practices in customer service and the latest technology.
CO-EXHIBIT AT AIME WITH DESTINATION NSWExpressions of interest to co-exhibit with Destination NSW at the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) are now open. AIME is the leading annual trade event for the business event industry. Taking place from 10-12 February 2025 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, it is expected to attract more than 570 exhibitors and 3500 attendees. As a pivotal date on the business events calendar, it offers unparalleled opportunities for the business event travel sector. View the prospectus here.
ONLINE TRAVEL SEARCH GROWTHIpsos iris data shows the travel category recorded its biggest online audience for 2024 in June in terms of content consumed. The largest audience increases month-on-month were for tourism information, up 3.5 per cent to nearly 7.5 million and hotel, resort and home sharing, which increased by 3.1 per cent to nearly 7.9 million. Booking.com was the site that recorded the highest number of visitors in June (6,343,000), followed by Uber (6,340,000), TripAdvisor (5,980,000) and Qantas (5,897,000).
VIVID SYDNEY BOOSTS WESTERN HARBOUR VISITSNew Sydney Waterfront Company data for June 2024 indicates Vivid Sydney boosted visitation to the Western Harbour district by 22 per cent on 8-9 June compared to the average for other weekends in the month. There was also a 10.8 per cent year-on-year growth in cross-visitation to sub-precincts. Arts, entertainment and recreation spending was up 21 per cent month-on-month, bars and restaurants were up nine per cent and hotels and accommodation rose six per cent.
WORLD'S TOP TRAVEL SPENDERSUN Tourism data shows China reclaimed its position as the world's top international travel spender at $196.5 billion in 2023, followed by the United States ($US150 billion) and Germany ($US112 billion). UN Tourism predicts a full recovery in international travel levels by the end of 2024, with growth two per cent above 2019 levels.
SYDNEY AMONG SAFEST GLOBAL CITIES TO VISITGlobal consumer platform Forbes Advisor has ranked Sydney as the fourth safest city for visitors across the globe, behind Singapore, Tokyo and Toronto. Forbes Advisor compared 60 international cities across seven key metrics to determine the safety for visitors in terms of crime, infrastructure safety, digital safety and other factors.
NATIONAL PARK RECEIVES
ECO-HEALTH REPORTAustralia’s oldest national park, Royal National Park in Heathcote, has received a world-first health report with the publication of its EcoHealth Scorecard. The scorecard is part of the first scheme in the world to systematically integrate ecological health data and financial data into national park decision making.
FREE SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARDDestination NSW has extended its partnership with Ecotourism Australia to provide free access to the pre-certification Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard for eligible NSW visitor economy businesses. The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard supports businesses to assess their performance.
NSW CELEBRATES BUMPER SKI SEASONChristmas in July arrived last weekend for ski resorts. Thredbo Resort received 59cm of fresh snow, ensuring excellent skiing and snowboarding conditions for the final day of the July school holidays. Thredbo had 70 per cent of its terrain open, while Perisher reached 90 per cent. Selwyn Snow Resort also opened its advanced terrain for the first time in five years.
RISE OF NATURE-BASED TOURISMTourism Research Australia data shows demand for nature-based visitor experiences grew by 47 per cent from 2014 to 2023. Visitation to botanic or public gardens saw the highest growth at 85 per cent, with the popularity of bushwalking and rainforest walks growing by 81 per cent and national or state park visitation rising by 73 per cent.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTSREGIONAL ABORIGINAL PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM ROUND 2 OPENS: The NSW Government program provides support to Aboriginal businesses and organisations to develop new economic and employment opportunities. Learn more NSW WINE AWARDS ENTRIES OPEN: Entries for the awards close 30 August 2024,
with winners celebrated at ICC Sydney on 1 November 2024. Destination NSW is a proud partner of the awards. Learn more SIX INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR CRUISE360: The experts will visit Sydney for the sold-out Cruise360 conference on 30 August 2024. Learn more REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR TOURISM AUSTRALIA'S 2024 INDUSTRY
BRIEFINGS: The Sydney briefing will be held on 6 November 2024. Register here 2024 AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL TOURISM CONVENTION: This year's convention will be held in Mackay, Queensland from 9 -11 October 2024. Learn more NSW STARS IN GREAT AUSTRALIAN WALKS 2: Snowies Alpine Walk and Newcastle's Bathers Way Coastal Walk will both
feature in the new series, which premieres at 7.30pm on 22 August on SBS and SBS On Demand. Learn more
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