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AUSTRALIA'S BEST EVENT VIVID SYDNEY CLAIMS NATIONAL AWARD
New South Wales has been recognised as Australia’s home of major events by claiming multiple wins at this week’s Australian Event Awards.
Vivid Sydney – the largest festival of light, music and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere – was named Australia’s Best Tourism Event, and also the country’s Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event at the national awards ceremony.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the accolades reflected the State’s stellar reputation for staging world class events.
“Vivid Sydney is undoubtedly a shining light of Australia’s event calendar and it has a fitting home here in NSW, showcasing the best of the Harbour City through technology, creativity and innovation,” Mr Ayres said.
“Sydney is a bold, global city that offers visitors and locals exciting and authentic experiences, from our landscapes, coastline and nearby regions, to our hospitality and dynamic events.
“Our schedule of events delivers great return for NSW through outstanding economic benefit, the generation of jobs and the flow on effect of positive publicity.
Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, and continues to break records for attendance and international visitation.
Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer and Vivid Sydney Executive Producer Sandra Chipchase said the festival attracted 2.4 million attendees in 2019, a new record for the event.
“This year we achieved another record with 86,700 Vivid Sydney international travel packages being sold – 13,000 more than in 2018,” Ms Chipchase said.
Vivid Sydney 2019 generated $172 million for the NSW economy, and content with the social hashtag #VividSydney reached an astounding 621.7 million people worldwide.
“The NSW Government is committed to supporting events such as Vivid Sydney that give us a competitive edge in attracting visitors and increase our potential to build the State’s economy,” Minister Ayres said.
RUN THROUGH THE HEART OF NEW ENGLAND HIGH COUNTRY
Trail runners are invited to join in the fun of the Duval Dam Buster this Sunday 22 September. The event, supported by Destination NSW, is held a few kilometres outside of Armidale in the heart of New England High Country, with four distances open for competition: the 3km Duval Dash, the 8km Duval Base Run, the 15km Duval Dam Buster and the 30km Double Duval Dam Buster.
The running tracks wind through the Mt Duval and Dumaresq Dam regions. Mt Duval is a large forested mountain on the New England Range, which is part of the Great Dividing Range located in the New England region of NSW.
With an elevation of 1,400 metres above sea level, Mt Duval is one of the largest peaks in the area, dominating the Armidale skyline.
If you’re visiting the region, there is plenty to see and do in New England. Armidale is surrounded by four national parks and the region boasts spectacular waterfalls, gorges, cool-climate wines and a fascinating and diverse cultural heritage.
Outdoor adventures include canyoning, mountain biking, birdwatching and trout fishing, while those more inclined to spending time indoors can discover the region’s galleries, museums, fine food and wine.
Register for the Duval Dam Buster and learn more about the region.
Photo credit: Peter Hosking
WORLD'S TOP TENNIS STARS HEAD TO SYDNEY
Roger Federer and Andy Murray are among the big names who will be heading to Sydney to compete in a brand new tennis tournament.
Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural ATP Cup, which will be taking place from 3-12 January 2020 across Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Sydney is confirmed to host Switzerland, Great Britain, Belgium, Austria, Croatia and Argentina in the group stages, before the top eight head exclusively to Sydney for the finals, after being secured by the NSW Government via Destination NSW.
Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres said the ATP Cup will bring a whole new level of tennis to the Australian Summer.
“I am delighted our beautiful Harbour City will play such a key role in this fantastic new initiative, which will attract not only the world’s best tennis players, but visitors from right across the globe,” Mr Ayres said.
“With the upgrades to Ken Rosewall Arena, which include a brand-new canopy roof structure, Sydney is more than ready to showcase both the group and finals stages of this world-class tournament.”
To purchase tickets or to learn more about the ATP Cup, visit atpcup.com
NSW CONTINUES TO LEAD CRUISE INDUSTRY
A third cruise terminal in Sydney is a step closer with the invitation opened to industry to work on a potential site in Port Botany. The project will consider and assess options for an additional terminal at Yarra Bay or Molineux Point near Port Botany, following the Commonwealth Government ruling out Garden Island as an option.
The cruise industry creates $2.75 billion for the State’s economy each year, with around 350 cruise ships carrying almost 1.6 million passengers expected to visit NSW this cruise season alone.
In the NSW coastal town of Eden, P&O Cruises flagship Pacific Explorer has become the first cruise ship to use the new $44 million breakwater wharf, which allows ships of up to 325 metres to berth in Snug Cove instead of tendering passengers ashore. The wharf extension was jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government, NSW Government and Bega Valley Shire Council.
Meantime, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW has joined Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) as an Executive Partner. The new partnership means Australia’s gateway port of Sydney and thriving regional destinations are now represented in the world’s largest cruise industry trade association.
Photo: P&O Cruises Pacific Explorer docked at the new Eden wharf.
SNOW SEASON EXTENDED IN PERISHER
NSW ski resort Perisher has extended the season for skiers and boarders until the end of the school holiday period on Sunday 13 October. After opening early on 31 May, this will be Perisher’s longest ski season in memory at 136 days. The 2019 season has been phenomenal with huge snowfalls, cold temperatures and impressive storms building a natural snow base of 2.25 metres recorded by Snowy Hydro at Spencers Creek. With plenty of events and accommodation deals on offer, there is no reason to miss this extended season at Perisher.
CELEBRATE FOOD AND CULTURE AT CURRYFEST
For 14 years, Curryfest has transformed the streets and beach reserve of Woolgoolga on the NSW mid north coast into a carnival of colour, sights, sounds and taste. You can join this year’s celebrations at Woolgoolga Beach Reserve on Saturday 28 September, which will feature more than 150 stalls serving delicious multicultural cuisine, family fun rides and world-class Bhangra and Gidha entertainers. For the first time, passengers will be able to board “The Bollywood Express” from Central Station in Sydney to the Coffs Coast. Find out more.
START PLANNING YOUR NEW YEAR'S EVE IN SYDNEY
Start planning your New Year’s Eve in Sydney with the official website live. Here you can compare more than 50 vantage points in terms of cost and accessibility. There are a range of free and ticketed options, with details around opening times and whether alcohol is permitted. Sydney truly is the New Year’s Eve capital of the world, and is enjoyed by an audience of more than one-billion people across the globe. Be sure to plan your night well in advance and secure your vantage point by visiting
sydneynewyearseve.com
