Insights - 31 May 2024
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VIVID SYDNEY 2024 LIGHTS UP THE CITY
Vivid Sydney launched its 14th year with a spectacular opening night on 24 May 2024. The ‘Lights On’ moment was celebrated at Sydney’s Circular Quay, welcoming onlookers to the Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-artform festival.
Premier Chris Minns and Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, and Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham took part in the ceremony, which saw more than 30 light installations and 3D projections illuminate the city across the 8km Vivid Sydney Light Walk.
Australia's largest event will run from Friday 24 May to Saturday 15 June, featuring innovative artists, culinary talent, contemporary musicians and thought leaders as part of its 2024 program under the theme of Humanity.
Many events are free to attend, including the Vivid Sydney Light Walk, Vivid Music every night at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour, barbecue demonstrations and masterclasses at Fire Kitchen and the Vivid Ideas ‘After the Fact’ panel events.
Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress and comedian Amy Poehler made a special visit to Vivid Sydney on 27 May 2024, stepping inside the Sydney Opera House for an exclusive sold-out Vivid Ideas event.
‘In Conversation with Amy Poehler’ was moderated by leading broadcaster Zan Rowe and featured an in-depth conversation with the star of Inside Out 2, preceded by an exclusive 30-minute sneak preview of the highly anticipated film.
Learn more here.
Vivid Sydney is proudly owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW.
Bringing Australia’s largest event to life each year wouldn't be possible without Destination NSW's technical and operational teams, events, contracting, procurement, marketing, publicity and stakeholder engagement staff.
Thank you also to our program partners, sponsors, venue partners, suppliers and the NSW Government agencies that help facilitate a safe, smooth event delivery.
BUSINESS SYDNEY HOSTS VIVID SYDNEY UPDATE
Business Sydney held a networking event during the opening week of Vivid Sydney that provided an update to nearly 100 industry stakeholders on the festival program and the crucial role it plays in driving visitor economy growth.
Vivid Sydney attracted 3.48 million attendees in 2023 who contributed $206.1 million in visitor expenditure, underscoring the importance of the event to the NSW visitor, nighttime and creative economies.
The Vivid Sydney Local Business Program is also working with 184 local operators in 2024 to showcase special experiences, packages, tours and menus offered during the festival.
Pictured: Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou, Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox, Destination NSW General Manager Events Julie Turpie, Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins OBE and Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini.
DESTINATION NSW COMMEMORATES NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK
Vivid Sydney 2024 launched with a First Light celebration ahead of National Reconciliation Week.
Curated by Vivid Sydney's First Nations Advisor Rhoda Roberts AO, the ceremony paid tribute to the Wiyanga, ancestral women who have shaped the Sydney basin as healers, nurturers and leaders. Their enduring spirits guided the ceremony, inviting everyone to partake in their ancient practice of welcome and care.
National Reconciliation Week runs annually from 27 May to 3 June and commemorates two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. It is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements.
Destination NSW is proud to develop and deliver an annual state-wide program of business support to foster the growth and sustainability of Aboriginal experiences in NSW.
LAST CHANCE: HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE
NSW VISITOR ECONOMY STRATEGY
Destination NSW is reviewing the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 to turbocharge growth of the visitor economy through to 2035.
The review seeks to improve cultural experiences for visitors while also expanding visitation to Western Sydney and regional NSW.
We are inviting stakeholders from across the state to contribute their insights and expertise during this pivotal opportunity to shape the future of the visitor economy in NSW.
Submissions close on 2 June 2024.
WAGGA WAGGA HOSTS VISITOR ECONOMY CONFERENCE
The City of Wagga Wagga, Junee Shire and Coolamon Shire hosted hundreds of delegates this week for the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Destination and Visitor Economy Conference 2024.
Supported proudly by Destination NSW, the event brought together local government councillors and staff, key industry stakeholders and local operators to discuss visitor economy growth opportunities.
The annual conference took place at the Wagga Wagga Civic Centre from 28-30 May, with speakers including Minister for Tourism and Jobs John Graham, Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox, alongside experts in marketing, data insights, government support and industry trends such as agritourism, culinary tourism and EV charging.
Destination NSW also participated in a ‘Creating agritourism experiences’ panel discussion that explored the journey of lodge and farmstay Callubri Station in becoming an internationally-ready agritourism product.
Tweed Shire Council will host the 2025 Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Destination and Visitor Economy Conference.
NSW TOP TOURISM TOWNS CROWNED
NSW’s Top Tourism Towns 2024 award winners have been announced, with Kiama, Berry, and Huskisson taking out gold awards.
The winners were presented with their awards by Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham and NSW Tourism Industry Council Executive Director Paula Martin during the Local Government NSW Destination and Visitor Economy Conference.
Huskisson took home the Tiny Tourism Town award for the second year running; Berry was declared the Top Small Tourism Town and was ushered into the Hall of Fame, in recognition of winning gold three years in a row; and Kiama was crowned Top Tourism Town.
Silver awards were presented to Broke, Merimbula and Ballina, with bronze awards for Eugowra, Gloucester and Newcastle.
FREE WORKSHOPS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Destination NSW’s Choose Tourism NSW Program is inviting visitor economy operators to a series of free workshops to learn the latest techniques for attracting and retaining quality staff. The first workshop was held in Queanbeyan earlier this month, watch what attendees had to say here. Upcoming sessions will be held in Tamworth, Albury, Orange, Newcastle, Byron Bay and Wollongong.
WORKSHOPS: EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Destination NSW is presenting a series of Experience Development workshops during 2024. Delivered under the NSW First Program, these free, full-day workshops are designed to assist businesses including tour, attraction and accommodation providers to create and refine visitor experiences. The next workshops will be held in the Southern Highlands (18 June) and Hilltops (20 June).
CRUISE-READY WORKSHOPS UNDERWAY
Destination NSW is partnering with cruise industry experts to help businesses make the most of cruise opportunities in destinations across the state. Participants will gain insights into creating local, authentic, tailored experiences and selling great onshore experiences to cruise ship passengers as part of broader product development and sales strategy. The next cruise workshops will be held in Newcastle (12 June) and Sydney (3 July).
ATEC TO DELIVER CHINA HOST WORKSHOPS
ATEC has launched a new series of workshops to help Australian tourism businesses build confidence with the Chinese visitor market. The workshops will focus on unpacking culture, service, product and trade engagement. One of the key goals of ATEC’s program is to update regional and First Nations businesses on the evolving Chinese visitor profile. Workshops will be delivered in NSW in August 2024.
NOMINATE A BLUE
PLAQUE
Nominations are now open for a fresh round of Blue Plaques to celebrate the people, groups and events which have contributed to the rich heritage of NSW. Whether it’s an unsung hero, group or landmark event, now is the time to put them forward for recognition in this Heritage NSW program. More than a dozen recipients will be chosen from these submissions.
NEW EV CHARGING PORTS FOR NSW
The NSW Government has announced the largest rollout of public kerbside EV chargers in the country, with an investment of $4.1 million towards installing 671 ports at 391 sites across the state. The investment forms part of a wider $209 million investment in charging infrastructure that includes $20 million for the installation of chargers at regional destinations in NSW.
PM: WESTERN SYDNEY CRITICAL TO OUR FUTURE
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared that Western Sydney would be "absolutely critical" to the nation's future prosperity during the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue's 2024 Prime Ministers Luncheon. Mr Albanese said: "Two of the biggest generators of economic activity a region can have are an airport or a university. Western Sydney will be home to both."
ACCOMMODATION AUSTRALIA CEO TO RETIRE
Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson has announced his retirement. He spent four years as national and NSW head of Tourism Accommodation Australia. He was appointed CEO of Accommodation Australia in January 2023, before the amalgamation of Tourism Accommodation Australia and Accommodation Association of Australia in July 2023.
JETSTAR RE-ENACTS INAUGURAL FLIGHT
Jetstar has celebrated its 20th birthday by recreating its inaugural flight from Newcastle to Melbourne, with some of the original crew and passengers on board. The airline launched in 2004 with just 14 aircraft flying along Australia’s east coast, and now serves nearly 150 domestic and international routes. In 20 years, more than half of tickets sold by Jetstar have cost less than $100.
ATEC MEETING PLACE REGISTRATIONS OPEN
Registrations are open for ATEC Meeting Place 2024, which is taking place from 28-30 October on the Gold Coast. Export-ready sellers will once again have the opportunity to meet with inbound tour operators and online travel agents. This year’s event will also feature longer appointments. Destination NSW's NSW First program can help you learn how to sell internationally-ready products.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
SYDNEY METRO’S FIRST NEW CITY STATION COMPLETE: The Waterloo Metro Station is expected to welcome nearly 19,000 passengers each day when it opens later this year. Learn more
RECOGNISING HIDDEN DISABILITIES: The International Convention Centre Sydney has partnered with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program to ensure the venue and its events are more accessible and inclusive for all staff, exhibitors, speakers and attendees. Learn more
SYDNEY WATER SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM: Sydney Water has launched a free online Sustainable Hospitality Training Program for businesses on minimising water bills, reducing food wastage costs and accessing Sydney Water’s money-saving programs. Learn more
WINTER DRIVING DIGITAL TOOLKIT AVAILABLE: Transport for NSW has created a digital toolkit featuring winter road safety tips and planning tools. Learn more
FOLLOW DESTINATION NSW ON LINKEDIN: Stay up to date with all the latest Destination NSW initiatives by following us on LinkedIn. Click here
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