DESTINATION NSW HOSTS INAUGURAL
BUSINESS EVENTS NSW SHOWCASE Destination NSW has highlighted immersive visitor experiences in regional NSW to more than 100 event planners and buyers at its inaugural Business Events NSW Showcase. Held at Sydney’s Collider event space on 15 May 2024, the showcase was an opportunity to bring to life Destination NSW’s fresh approach to growing the business events sector in regional NSW. New Business Events NSW messaging aligned to the ‘Feel New’ visitor brand - ‘Corporate events that feel anything but’ - aims to present an engaging alternative to the traditional business event experience. Event planners and buyers were given a taste of regional NSW
experiences that ensure corporate events feel like a celebration, not just a convention. Learn more here.
SYDNEY CONFIRMS ITS POSITION AS AUSTRALIA'S
TOP BUSINESS EVENTS HOSTSydney has been named as the number one Australian city on the Cvent 2024 Top Meeting Destinations for Asia-Pacific list. The news follows BESydney revealing its forward pipeline, with 103 business events expected to generate more than $507 million in direct expenditure for the NSW visitor economy between now and 2030. BESydney CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith said: “As well as attracting some 128,000 delegates to boost the local visitor economy, the conference programming at these events will give more Australians
access to the world’s best practice and thinking on AI, biodiversity, education, engineering, defence and aerospace, critical minerals and all aspects of human and animal health, as well as significant social issues of concern to us all including gender-based violence and ageing." Highlight events in 2024 include Global Health Security (800 delegates), International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine World Congress (2500 delegates); International Congress on Mathematical Education (2800 delegates); and International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections World Congress (1000 delegates).
ENHANCING ACCESSIBLE VISITOR EXPERIENCESMore than a billion people across the world live with a disability and 90 per cent of travellers with a disability take at least one leisure trip per year. Over the next three years, Destination NSW will work with accessibility agency Get Skilled Access, founded by Dylan Alcott OAM, to improve accessibility and inclusion for visitors to NSW. Starting this month, a specialist assessor will look at destinations across the state through the lens of travellers with accessibility needs. These assessments will cover town centres, public amenities, a
sample of visitor experiences and attractions and natural and built landmarks. The outcome of these regional assessments will help Destination NSW better understand opportunities for improving accessibility and inclusion. It will inform the development of tailored capability-building resources for visitor economy businesses and destinations, in collaboration with Get Skilled Access. It will also help Destination NSW develop and share new stories to highlight accessible and inclusive destinations and build on its existing accessibility resources.
WHAT THE FEDERAL BUDGET DELIVERS FOR
THE VISITOR ECONOMYThe Australian Government has released its 2024-25 Budget, which includes a range of measures to support visitor economy growth. Investment in Tourism Australia remains steady, with $190.9 million in funding allocated for 2024-25. Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said: "This base appropriation provides the certainty we need to deliver our program of work for the year ahead." The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) welcomed the announcement that funding would be reinstated to support and improve the Approved Destination Status (ADS) scheme, with $8.1 million over four years to rebuild the China ADS scheme. ATEC Managing Director Peter Shelley said: “ATEC has been advocating for the reinstatement and refresh of this important program since the re-establishment of visitors from China last year and we are pleased to see this funding back in the budget. “We see an opportunity for the China ADS program to be modernised to strengthen service delivery and to focus on consumer-driven, quality group tour offerings. This budget allocation will enable us to achieve these changes with the security of ongoing forward funding for the first time.” Road and rail infrastructure in Western Sydney will receive $1.9 billion in funding and there is a commitment of $302.6 million over five years to enable operations at Western Sydney International Airport.
This is in addition to $916.2 million over four years for the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan to enhance capacity and improve infrastructure transport in Sydney’s western suburbs. The Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program will be extended with an additional $50 million over three years to improve safety of remote airstrips and accessibility for people with disability. The Regional Airports Program will be extended with an additional $40 million in competitive grant funding over three years from 2024-25. In terms of regional connectivity, there was also $78.8 million allocated over three years (from 2023-24) to develop a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle high speed rail corridor. The
Federal Budget also included $641.4 million in targeted support for small businesses. Learn more here. In the regions, funding was committed to improve wifi in remote communities and mobile coverage on regional highways, Albury Entertainment Centre and Albury Airport Western Precinct expansion will receive funds, as will the Australian Opal Centre, which is being developed in Lightning Ridge. In the arts, culture and creative industries space, the Government committed $1.5 million to support upgrades to Qtopia in Sydney in 2024-25. Further, APRA AMCOS, which represents songwriters, composers and music publishers, said it welcomed $8.6 million in funding, known as Revive Live, to support festivals and live music venues. Learn more about the 2024-25 Federal Budget here.
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT
GREEN REVOLUTION SUMMITVisitor economy leaders gathered at ICC Sydney this week to discuss sustainability challenges at the Tourism & Transport Forum’s 2024 Green Revolution Summit. Senior representatives attended the summit from organisations including Airbus, Booking.com, Graincorp, NRMA, Qantas, Taronga Conservation Society, Transdev Australia & NZ, Uber, Venues NSW and Virgin Australia. Topics included making major events more sustainable, decarbonising public transport, expanding the use of technologies such as electric vehicles and trackless trams, increasing sustainability at Australian airports, protecting natural assets and giving consumers more sustainable travel options. Another key issue was investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which received support in the 2024-25 Federal Budget. Tourism & Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said: “The Australian Government has listened to the tourism sector’s pleas to support the development of a local SAF industry in Australia, to help achieve our target of net zero emissions by 2050. “Consumers are increasingly demanding more sustainable options when they travel and want a greener future for aviation. This extra support will help Australia remain competitive.”
CHOOSE TOURISM INDUSTRY WORKSHOPSThe NSW Choose Tourism Program is inviting visitor economy operators to a series of free one-day workshops to learn about positioning themselves as employers of choice. Attendees will hear from experts via interactive panel discussions and sessions. Topics will include attracting and retaining staff, using free and low-cost technology to create marketing materials and team productivity. The next workshops will be held in Queanbeyan (21 May) and Tamworth (30 May).
CHOOSE TOURISM SCHOOLS PROGRAMVisitor economy businesses are invited to a webinar on 23 May 2024 that will explain the benefits and how to access the NSW Choose Tourism Program’s School-Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT) program. The SBAT program is being rolled out across regional NSW and aims to encourage young people to pursue a career in the visitor economy. Interested operators will be connected to local school authorities to explore opportunities to transition a high school student into their business.
WORKSHOPS: EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENTDestination NSW is presenting a series of Experience Development workshops during 2024. These free, full-day workshops are designed to assist businesses including tour, attraction and accommodation providers to create and refine visitor experiences that meet visitor needs and showcase the strengths of NSW. Focus areas include agritourism, nature, culinary and wellness experiences. The next workshops will be held in the Southern Highlands (18 June) and Hilltops (20 June).
NSW SOMMELIER'S WINE LIST AWARDS The NSW Sommelier’s Wine List Awards is now accepting entries and searching for sommeliers and hospitality managers from Sydney and regional NSW who have a talent for creating interesting, diverse, and thoughtful wine lists with a focus on local NSW producers. Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox said: “Destination NSW is proud to be partnering with the NSW Sommelier’s Wine List Awards 2024 to elevate representation of NSW wines on wine lists at restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs and hotels throughout the state."
TITANIQUE IS COMING TO SYDNEYThe award-winning musical TITANIQUE will have its Australian premiere at The Grand Electric theatre in Sydney’s Surry Hills in September 2024. An irreverent send-up of the blockbuster film Titanic, driven by the songs of Céline Dion, it has become one of New York’s most sought-after off-Broadway tickets since its premiere in 2022. Supported proudly by Destination NSW, tickets for the exclusive Sydney run go on sale in June.
CELEBRATING AUSTRALIAN FASHION WEEKAustralian Fashion Week (AFW) was held from 13-17 May 2024 at Carriageworks in Sydney. The event shone a spotlight on Sydney as a fashion capital and hub for creative industries in the Asia Pacific region. The line-up featured 36 runway shows and 14 consumer events and programs. The event played an important role in attracting visitors, media and major buyers to NSW. AFW is supported proudly by Destination NSW.
HAVE YOUR SAY: VISITOR ECONOMY STRATEGYThe NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 is being reviewed and evolved to showcase the best of NSW to the world by focussing on the diverse experiences it offers visitors. Destination NSW is inviting visitor economy stakeholders from across the state to contribute their insights and expertise to the review. This feedback will help identify opportunities and barriers to growth.
HARNESSING GENERATIVE AI FOR BUSINESSThe Australian Export Tourism Council (ATEC) has partnered with generative AI expert Christian Watts from Magpie Travel to create a six-month Harnessing GenAI for your business program tailored specifically for visitor economy businesses. The program commences on 7 June 2024 and includes six modules, covering topics including content creation and marketing and chatbots.
SYDNEY HOTELS SAW IMPROVED STATS IN APRILPreliminary CoStar data for April shows Sydney hotel occupancy rose 7.1 per cent to 72.6 per cent year on year. The city's highest daily occupancy was seen on the first night IMA MEAPAC Summit on 10 April (86.7 per cent). Occupancy remained above the 60 per cent mark throughout the month except for four days. Forward occupancy for May 2024 is continuing to run ahead of 2023 levels.
NSW TO HOST WOMEN'S ASIAN CUP GAMESFootball Australia has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup™, with NSW announced as one of the host states. The tournament will bring together 12 nations and provide significant economic and cultural benefits to NSW. Football Australia estimates the event will generate up to $260 million in economic output and create more than 1000 jobs.
OVERSEAS VISITOR ARRIVALS RISENew Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows international visitor arrivals to NSW in March 2024 reached 90 per cent of March 2019 levels. The leading source countries were the United States (44,730 trips), New Zealand (33,340 trips), the United Kingdrom (28,010 trips) and China (23,310 trips). There were a total of 761,050 short-term visitors to Australia in March 2024, an increase of 24.1 per cent on March 2023.
QANTAS ADDS ASIA FLIGHTSQantas has announced it will increase flights between Singapore and Sydney from 14 to 17 per week commencing 11 December 2024. Flights between Bengaluru and Sydney will also increase from five per week to daily to cater for demand over the peak holiday season. The extra flights will operate between mid-December 2024 and late March 2025, adding more than 12,000 seats over the four-month period.
PENRITH STADIUM PRECINCT PROGRESSESThe NSW Government is seeking expressions of interest for a partner to transform Penrith Stadium into a sporting and entertainment precinct for Western Sydney. The upgrade will improve the experience for spectators, with more food outlets and amenities, new scoreboards and ribbon boards, sound systems, upgraded lighting and more recreation space. Additionally, the training field to the west of the stadium will be remodelled for further community use and entertainment events.
TEMORA’S ARTISTIC NOD TO ITS SISTER CITYThe Temora Arts Centre in the Riverina will soon display pieces from four celebrated Japanese ceramic artists as part of the Australian Government’s Sharing the National Collection program. The artworks will make their way out of storage at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and travel to the Riverina region, where they will be on display for two years from June 2024. Temora’s strong relationship with its sister city, Izumizaki in Japan, guided the local gallery in its choice of works.
CARNIVAL AUSTRALIA HOSTS SUPPLIERSCarnival Australia this week hosted more than 100 suppliers on board P&O’s Pacific Adventure in Sydney to thank them for their partnership. Carnival Australia spent approximately $250 million in the past 12 months sourcing food, beverage and hotel amenities from Australian and New Zealand suppliers, up from $70 million in 2019. Carnival Australia has four ships operating in Australia and New Zealand year round, which source nearly 100 per cent of their food and beverages from Australian and New Zealand suppliers.
$35 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR REGIONAL NSWThe NSW Government has announced the first funding allocation from the $350 million Regional Development Trust, which will support a package of initiatives to boost the long-term resilience of regional NSW. The package includes $15 million to improve rural and remote airstrips; $5 million to empower Aboriginal businesses; $5 million to encourage economic growth and employment in regional NSW; and $10 million to establish, expand or upgrade Western NSW childcare.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS TOURISM AUSTRALIA YOUTH SECTOR ELITE SCHOLARSHIP: In partnership with the Australian Tourism Export Council, this scholarship is designed to increase distribution engagement and develop the capability of a future leader in the sector. Learn more PARRAMATTA LIGHT RAIL TESTING: Daytime testing has commenced for the Parramatta Light Rail as stage one of the project moves closer to completion later this year. Learn more SYDNEY WORKERS RETURN TO THE OFFICE: According to new CBRE data, Sydney workers are returning to the office in greater numbers. Sydney CBD office occupancy increased from a weekly average of 65 per cent of pre-COVID-19 levels in the first quarter of 2023 to 77 per cent in the first quarter of 2024. Learn more WILDLIFE REHABILITATION SECTOR CONSULTATION: The NSW Government is launching state-wide consultation on the wildlife rehabilitation sector to gain a detailed understanding of how NSW can improve the way we care for our native animals. Learn more SURF LIFE SAVING FUNDING: The NSW Government has made available $5 million to be shared by surf clubs across the state for upgrades, restoration and construction of facilities.
Learn more BIENNALE OF SYDNEY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Hoor Al Qasimi has been announced as the Artistic Director of the 25th Biennale of Sydney, which will take place from 7 March to 8 June 2026. Learn more ADVANCING WOMEN IN BUSINESS EVENTS: Business Events Sydney (BESydney) and the PCMA Foundation have released the final report of
Advancing Women In Business Events, a two-part global study. Learn more PLANNING REFORMS PROVIDE A LEG UP FOR FARMERS: Proposed changes to the NSW planning system are set to make it easier for regional landholders to build infrastructure without the need for a development application. Learn more
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