Insights - 1 November 2024
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NEW PARTNERSHIP SUPPORTS FIRST NATIONS
TOURISM GROWTH
A historic partnership has launched to support greater participation and economic opportunities for First Nations people and businesses in Australia’s visitor economy.
The First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership, comprising First Nations industry representatives from every state and territory, will provide leadership and guidance on respectfully embedding Australia’s rich cultural heritage into visitor experiences.
The partnership will also investigate and establish a permanent First Nations national tourism peak body to provide guidance and strategic support to grow the sector.
INDUSTRY CELEBRATES PARTNERSHIP
The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) has welcomed the announcement of the First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership.
TTF CEO Margy Osmond said: “This announcement is a huge win, recognising the cultural importance of having First Nations representatives at the forefront of Australian tourism."
New research released by TTF has found that 45 per cent of Australians are interested in participating in a First Nations tourism experience in the next 12 months.
The age group most interested was 25–34 (60 per cent), followed by 35–44 (55 per cent) and 18–24 (50 per cent).
NSW NUMBER ONE DESTINATION
NSW is the top destination in Australia for domestic visitors seeking First Nations tourism experiences.
New Tourism Research Australia data shows NSW was the state with the highest number of domestic overnight trips that incorporated a First Nations activity. From 2021–22 to 2023–24, NSW welcomed an average of 242,000 such trips per year.
In the year ending June 2024 there were 289,400 domestic overnight visitors (up 15.2 per cent on the year ending June 2023) who participated in an Aboriginal tourism experience across NSW. They stayed 1.1 million nights (up 21.6 per cent) and contributed $498.8 million in visitor expenditure (up 14.8 per cent).
NOVEMBER MARKS NSW WINE MONTH
NSW Wine Month has launched, bringing the best local wineries and winemakers from across the state together to host a series of events in Sydney for wine enthusiasts and consumers.
Supported by Destination NSW, NSW Wine Month will be a four-week celebration of NSW’s 16 wine unique regions.
Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox attended the launch of NSW Wine Month, which was held at The Cut in The Rocks.
“Destination NSW is proud to be partnering with the NSW Wine Industry Association on the launch of the inaugural NSW Wine Month," Mr Cox said.
"From the Hunter Valley’s iconic semillons to Orange’s superb chardonnays, Griffith’s crisp pinot grigios, Mudgee’s velvety merlots, and the cool climate wines of the Southern Highlands, the diversity of terroirs and varietals across the state is unmatched.
“With tastings, winemaker dinners, masterclasses, and other events taking place throughout November, there has never been a better time to explore incredible wines from every corner of NSW.”
View highlights from the NSW Wine Month program here.
WINE TOURISM AND CELLAR DOOR GRANT PROGRAM
The Australian Government is supporting 36 wineries in NSW through the latest round of the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant Program.
More than 200 wine and cider businesses across Australia will share in $10 million of new funding designed to help build on the success of Australian wine regions and promote agritourism.
NEON FORUM PUTS NSW 24-HOUR ECONOMY
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The second annual NEON Forum was held in Sydney from 30-31 October 2024, bringing together the world’s leading experts on night-time economies, hosted by the NSW Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner.
NEON Forum 2024 spotlighted the efforts to implement the NSW Government's Vibrancy Reforms, as well as the broader work of the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner with its expanded remit across NSW.
NEW DATA PLATFORM AND MARKETPLACE LAUNCH
Two new night-time economy platforms were officially launched at the NEON Forum, Data After Dark and Neon Marketplace.
Data After Dark will track growth and changes in economic activity across the state between 6pm and 6am.
Some of the initial insights from the platform are that the NSW night-time economy is worth $102 billion a year, employs a fifth of all workers and supports more than 53,000 core businesses, including music venues, restaurants, bars and leisure activity providers.
Data After Dark draws from multiple information sources, including Opal travel data and spending transactions. It will create a baseline to track the impact of the NSW Government’s Vibrancy Reforms to boost the night-time economy.
Established nightlife precincts, businesses, suppliers, jobseekers and performers will also soon have a one-stop shop called Neon Marketplace to help them connect, find partnership opportunities, access grant initiatives and share knowledge and ideas to grow night-time offerings across the state.
DESTINATION NSW WINS EXCELLENCE AWARD
Destination NSW is proud to have won the Delivering For Our Customers and Sectors (Team) category at the inaugural 2024 DCITHS Staff Excellence Awards. More than 100 nominations were received from across the portfolio, with the work on the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 by Destination NSW, Office of Sport, NSW Institute of Sport and Venues NSW taking out a trophy.
WESTERN SYDNEY TOURISM AWARDS
The inaugural Western Sydney Tourism Awards honoured the best of the best in the region's visitor economy on 24 October 2024. Held at the William Inglis Hotel and hosted by Western Sydney Tourism Taskforce NSW Inc, guest speakers at the sold-out event included Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox. Visitor economy stakeholders were celebrated across 13 categories.
EXTRA PROTECTION FOR LIVE MUSIC
Live music venues in NSW will gain extra protection under new measures introduced by the NSW Government. As part of the second tranche of Vibrancy Reforms, the Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy has been empowered to intervene if a significant music venue is at risk of closing its doors.
PLANS TO TRANSFORM SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK
A new master plan for Sydney Olympic Park is now on public exhibition. It proposes to convert the area into a true mixed-use precinct, with almost 1.2 million square metres of space for commercial, retail, events, tourism, sports, arts and industry. Visit the NSW Planning Portal here to have your say.
ICC SYDNEY ANNOUNCES NEW CEO
ASM Global has announced that current International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney General Manager Adam Mather-Brown has been elevated to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Mr Mather-Brown replaces Geoff Donaghy, who retired on 1 September 2024. Beverley Parker has been appointed Deputy CEO, in addition to her current role as Director of Business Development.
BUSINESS EVENTS WIN
FOR SYDNEY
Sydney has been announced as host city for the 59th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) 2027 and the 39th World Congress of Audiology (WCA) in 2030. The SIOP Congress is anticipated to attract 2200 paediatric cancer specialists and generate $7.7 million in direct expenditure, while the WCA is expected to attract 1000 delegates and generate $5.9 million.
THE RISE OF FOODIE TRAVELLERS
The 2025 Hilton Trends Report has revealed that dining experiences are the next highest travel budget priority in 2025 after accommodation. Half of global travellers make restaurant reservations before their flights, nearly one in five travel specifically to seek out restaurants or culinary experiences and 60 per cent of luxury travellers favour staying at hotels with great restaurants.
LORD HOWE ISLAND AND MOREE AIR LICENCES
The NSW Government has issued licences to airline operators to provide flights on regulated routes from Sydney to Lord Howe Island and Sydney to Moree. QantasLink will continue to operate the Moree route until March 2030. QantasLink will have a licence for the Lord Howe Island route until 25 February 2026 when Skytrans will become the sole licensee until March 2030.
AHA NAMES BEST PUBS
IN NSW
Jacksons on George in Sydney and The Beach Hotel in Merewether have been named the 2024 Metropolitan and Regional Hotels of the Year at the AHA NSW Awards for Excellence held at Randwick Racecourse. Best Bush Pub was awarded to White Cliffs Hotel.
SET YOUR HOLIDAY HOURS ON GOOGLE
The holiday season is rapidly approaching and visitor economy businesses are being advised to ensure any changes to their business hours are added to their Google listing. These updates will ensure visitors can access the most accurate information possible.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
RECOVERY ASSISTANCE IN THE FAR WEST: The NSW Government is providing recovery support to Broken Hill and surrounding remote communities following a severe storm that destroyed seven Transgrid transmission towers. Learn more
NSW GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHES INAUGURAL LGBTIQ+ ADVISORY COUNCIL: The council’s first priority will be to develop NSW’s first LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy. Learn more
E-SCOOTER LEGALISATION IN NSW: A pathway to legalising e-scooters and fostering safer use of other micro-mobility devices has been outlined in a new E-micromobility Action Plan released by the NSW Government. Learn more
NEW PUBLIC FORECOURT FOR STATE LIBRARY OF NSW: The forecourt will be transformed into a new public domain as the institution prepares to celebrate its 200-year anniversary in 2026. Learn more
LAST DAY FOR ATE25 SELLER APPLICATIONS: ATE25 will be held in Brisbane from
27 April to 1 May 2025. Applications close on 1 November 2024. Learn more
ACTIVE TRANSPORT FUND OPENS FOR APPLICATIONS: The Australian Government's Active Transport Fund will contribute up to $5 million per project to construct new or upgrade existing bicycle and walking paths. 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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