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NSW SMASHES VISITATION RECORDS AT HOME AND ABROAD
Visitation to NSW is at a record high with international and domestic tourists streaming to Sydney and the regions, latest data shows.
Latest Tourism Research Australia figures released this week show NSW remains Australia’s number one destination for visitors from home and abroad, with steady increases in the number of visitors, visitor nights and visitor related expenditure generated for the State.
In the year ending June 2019, NSW received 37.2 million domestic overnight visitors and 4.4 million international visitors – the highest volume ever from both markets.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the NSW Government, through tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, was making solid progress on the 2030 visitor economy target.
“These latest surveys show unprecedented growth for NSW, with domestic overnight visitors spending $22.6 billion in the state – an increase of 13 per cent year on year,” Minister Ayres said.
“International visitors also contribute significantly to the NSW economy with $11.3 billion generated through overseas traveler spend, which is up eight per cent.
“There have been significant gains in the high-yield markets of the United States and Japan which is the result of fantastic airline partnerships and trade initiatives in these countries. NSW welcomed 522,000 US visitors in the year ending June 2019 who generated $853 million in tourism spend (up 18 per cent) and 205,000 Japanese visitors who generated $402 million for the State.”
Japan has now surpassed Korea in the State’s top five source markets, joining China, US, New Zealand and United Kingdom.
On the home front, New South Wales leads Victoria and Queensland in attracting domestic overnight visitors, visitor nights and tourism related expenditure.
“In the latest survey NSW has reached its highest ever lead over Victoria and Queensland in terms of domestic overnight expenditure, proving that Australians love the Harbour City and the many unique experiences and landscapes of regional NSW,” Minister Ayres said.
NSW achieved its highest growth in domestic visitor nights on record, with 37.2 million visitors staying 116.1 million nights – 11 per cent more than the previous year.
Regional NSW specifically welcomed almost 27 million international and domestic overnight visitors.
NSW TOP INGREDIENT FOR CHEF & TV STAR CURTIS STONE
NSW food and wine will star in an episode of award-winning chef Curtis Stone’s US series Field Trip with Curtis Stone and on the menu of Stone’s acclaimed LA restaurant Maude.
Secured through a partnership with the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, Stone will visit three of the State’s food and wine regions this month.
The popular chef and television presenter will sample local produce, meet industry champions and film content for an episode of the second season of the PBS program, scheduled to air in the US early next year. Stone will then draw on his experiences throughout NSW’s food and wine regions to inspire one of his menus at Maude.
Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres said this partnership was an enormous win for NSW.
“Curtis Stone is a world renowned chef and a respected authority on food and wine, so to have him experiencing NSW’s world-class products and sharing his journey with his dedicated fans is incredible for our State,” Minister Ayres said.
“This opportunity further supports the vision of the NSW Food and Wine Tourism Strategy and Action Plan 2018-2022, which is for Sydney and regional NSW to be recognised among the world’s leading food and wine destinations.”
Stone will explore several of the State’s premier food and wine regions; from the world class wine, olive oil and cheeses of the Hunter Valley, to the South Coast’s unique oyster varieties and breathtaking nature, while also sampling the tropical fruits of Northern NSW.
Stone said he was proud to showcase the best of his homeland around the globe.
“New South Wales truly has some of the best fresh produce in the world, so I am incredibly excited to be able to share this experience both in person on a plate in my Beverly Hills restaurant, as well as to audiences through television screens globally,” Stone said.
Field Trip with Curtis Stone Season 2, which will include the dedicated episode on NSW, will air in the US in early 2020 and is expected to be on-sold to regions including Australia, Asia, Latin America and the UK.
Read the full media release regarding Field Trip with Curtis Stone here.
ARIA NOMINATIONS LIVE
The countdown to the 2019 ARIA Awards in partnership with YouTube Music is on, with just seven weeks to go. This week the ARIA Awards Season Launch was held at The Art Gallery of New South Wales with nominees in all categories announced ahead of next month’s ceremony. The Awards Ceremony will be broadcast around Australia on the Nine Network, hosted by Guy Sebastian. It was an exciting day for breakthrough artist Tones and I leading the nominations tally with eight, including Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist and Song of the Year. The host of this year’s ARIA Awards, crowd favourite Guy Sebastian, has also scored four nominations for Best Male Artist, Best Pop Release, Best Video in partnership with YouTube Music, and Song of the Year in partnership with YouTube Music. Sebastian is no stranger to the ARIAs, having won four ARIA Awards from 27 nominations in his illustrious career.ARIA Chief Executive Dan Rosen said “2019 has been a brilliant year for Australian music”. For full details, read the nominees list.
MAITLAND TO GLOW FOR RIVERLIGHTS FESTIVAL
Riverlights Multicultural Festival will bring community and culture together in Maitland tomorrow, with more than 8000 people expected to attend the annual celebration. More than 20 cultures will be represented at the event – each village will offer free interactive activities, delicious food samples and arts and crafts for sale. Visitors are encouraged to tour each Cultural Village to taste traditional food, learn more about the culture and collect a stamp in their official Riverlights Cultural Passport, which are available from volunteers on the day. In 2019 communities from Tonga, Sri Lanka, India, France and Russia will be among the Cultural Villages. Other family-friendly activities throughout the day include belly-dancing workshops , performances by an Aboriginal Dance Group and Flamenco dancers, a fashion parade and the language lounge where visitors can start with the basics or join in a song. The evening will conclude with the much-loved Riverlights Procession and hundreds of lanterns being released onto the Hunter River. For more information maitlandriverlights.com.au
RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 9S TROPHY UNVEILED
The trophy for the Downer Ruby League World Cup 9s tournament was unveiled this week as squads are being finalised for the inaugural tournament at Bankwest Stadium. Australia coach Mal Meninga said the new format would provide a more streamlined pathway for emerging NRL stars to move into the Australia national team. “The whole idea of the under-23 concept is both the national squad and under-23 squad will train together with a view to setting down a program over the next couple of years,” he said. Emerging stars like Titans duo AJ Brimson and Jai Arrow plus in-form Eels Mitch Moses, Nathan Brown and Clint Gutherson headline the exciting Nines squad. Manly winger Reuben Garrick, experienced Souths playmaker Cody Walker, young Storm pair Curtis Scott and Ryan Papenhuyzen plus Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt round out the list of names with no Test experience who were not named in the Oceania squad. See all nations’ squads at nrl.com.
THREE MORE YEARS IN NSW FOR BOARDRIDERS NATIONAL FINAL
New South Wales has secured the final of the nudie Australian Boardriders Battle for another three years, bringing the country’s top surfers back to the state from 2020 to 2022. Newcastle Beach will host the 2020 National Final on February 15 and 16 next year, welcoming approximately a dozen interstate boardriders clubs to compete for the national title. Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres said the ongoing partnership between the NSW Government, via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, and Surfing Australia reinforced the state’s reputation as the country’s home of surfing. “New South Wales has hosted the final of the Australian Boardriders Battle since 2014, and we are delighted that it will remain here through the 2022 event. Over the next three years the Australian Boardriders Battle finals will generate an estimated $1.2 million in visitor spend for NSW while simultaneously profiling our spectacular surf beaches.” Read more about the Australian Boardriders Battle series.
GRIFFITH IN FULL BLOOM WITH SPRING FESTIVITIES
Griffith Spring Fest bursts into life this weekend getting the two-week program underway. On Sunday 13 October, 70 unique Real Juice Company Citrus Sculptures will be erected from 100,000 oranges along Banna Avenue for a fortnight. Highlights include five new creations such as the Altina Wildlife Park life-sized giraffe and Telstra’s traditional phone booth joining crowd favourites the NSW Rural Fire Brigade fire truck and more. From October 18 to 20, seven spectacular gardens will be open for the Annual Garden Festival with bus tours, lunch, morning and afternoon tea and a birdbath making workshop available to guests. Other key events are the Linx Launch Party on 18 October and Botanica – the Spring Fest Feast on 19 October. For details: visitgriffith.com.au
BILLY ELLIOT BOUNDS ONTO SYDNEY STAGE
Acclaimed musical Billy Elliot has returned to Sydney’s Lyric Theatre for the highly anticipated 10th anniversary tour kicking off on Thursday. Featuring music by the legendary Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical has been seen by more than 12 million people worldwide. Set in a country town during the miners’ strike of 1984/5, the show follows Billy’s journey from boxing ring to ballet class where his passion unites his family, inspires the community and changes his life forever. Billy Elliot the Musical will be staged at the Lyric Theatre for 10 weeks only. Tickets available at billyelliotthemusical.com.au
BATHURST REVVED UP FOR SUPER WEEKEND
‘The Great Race’ at Mount Panorama is fast approaching with a full schedule of racing now underway at the Bathurst 1000 event. The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Race 25 will commence on Sunday 13 October at 11.30amwith fierce competition expected for the Peter Brock Trophy. Reigning champions Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards will become rivals this year with Lowndes returning to partner with Jamie Whincup, who have won on the mountain together three times (2006-2008).The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 is recognised as one of Australia’s greatest sporting events, and contributes about $19.5 billion to the NSW economy through visitation to the race. Follow the race at supercars.com
LOVE THE LAKE WINS DIGITAL AWARD
Lake Macquarie campaign Love The Lake has been recognised by the NEWi Awards for Digital Creativity, winning the title of Best Tourism Solution. The NEWi awards are the leading program for digital entrepreneurs and creatives in regional Australia and reflects the appreciation of how emerging industries are fostering economic growth and employment. The Love The Lake campaign included multiple digital assets including extensive web content and a custom video that showcases the region’s unique appeal. The Best Tourism Solution award recognises the best website, cloud service, mobile app, smart sign, wearable device or other digital travel guide. To see the campaign go to visitlakemac.com.au
MUDGEE'S FESTIVAL SNAGS NATIONAL ADORATION
Mudgee has won a national competition hosted by online travel platform wotif.com, earning the right to host the inaugural Festival of Snags in the Central Tablelands. The competition – the Festival of Wot – invited regional towns to put forward their most creative festival concepts, and Mudgee’s Festival of Snags sizzled for the local community, businesses and tourists gaining the most votes. The Festival of Snags will take place on Saturday 30 November 2019 with plenty of activities occurring across the town to celebrate the humble snag. Visitors can get a discount on accommodation in Mudgee for the event via the wotif.com page.
SYDNEY VIBE HOTEL TO OPEN IN DARLING HARBOUR
A Manhattan design chic-meets-Sydney style hotel property will open in Darling Harbour next week when the fourth Sydney Vibe Hotel opens its doors. The 16-storey, 145-room hotel will open on Sussex Street on October 17 bringing playful design touches and a New York loft-feel to the Harbour City. The Vibe hotel is also home to Sydney’s newest rooftop restaurant and bar, Above 319, which offers sunset views over Darling Harbour and the city’s inner west. Above 319 and The Sussex Store on the ground floor have both taken inspiration from nearby Chinatown, featuring a modern Australian menu with an Asian twist. The see the hotel, owned by TFE Hotels, visit the website.
