No Images? Click here ROUND TWO FUNDING FOR EVENTS IN REGIONAL NSWRegional events held between July and December 2019, can now apply for NSW Government funding aimed at driving more overnight visitors to rural and regional towns across the State. “As a country Minister, it’s really important to me that NSW Government support continues to reach every corner of the State’s tourism industry, and I encourage events to apply for this fantastic funding opportunity which is now available.” The Flagship Event Fund offers an annual grant of $20,000 or a triennial grant of $27,500 to support marketing activities. The Incubator Event Fund offers grants of up to $20,000 to new events to assist with elements such as temporary infrastructure, marketing, venue hire or attendee research. Applications for Round Two of both funds close on 13 January. For more information and to lodge an application, go to www.destinationnsw.com.au/rfep. TENNIS SUPERSTARS DESTINED FOR 2019 SYDNEY INTERNATIONALAustralia’s top ranked tennis stars are destined for the 2019 Sydney International, with one of the best line-ups in the tournament’s 124-year history. With French Open champion Simona Heap, Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber, and reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka in the mix for the women’s tournament, it promises to be an exciting and hard fought competition. For the men we welcome back reigning champion Daniil Medvedev who will defend his title against top seed Kyle Edmund, Australian number one Alex de Minaur and crowd favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said, “Tennis is a massive part of the Australian Summer and the Sydney International and FAST4 tennis events have become firm favourites with tourists. We expect more than 5,500 overnight visitors to travel to Sydney for the tennis, injecting approximately $3.7 million into the NSW economy.” The 2019 Sydney International is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. Image credit: Sydney International AACTA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN SYDNEYThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) celebrated its 60th year on Wednesday night at the 2018 AACTA Awards Ceremony in Sydney at The Star Event Centre. Leading the 2018 AACTA Awards season with a total of six Awards, Sweet Country scooped three Awards, including Best Film presented by Foxtel and Best Direction for Warwick Thornton. Receiving their first AACTA Awards, Sweet Country’s Hamilton Morris and Ladies in Black’s Angourie Rice took home the Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress Awards respectively, while Simon Baker received the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for Breath. Making AFI | AACTA history, Oscar®, BAFTA and Emmy Award winner Nicole Kidman won the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress for Boy Erased, becoming the first actress to win two consecutive Best Supporting Actress Awards. Sydney’s own Bryan Brown was honoured with the AACTA Longford Lyell Award, Australia’s highest screen accolade. The AACTA Awards are supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. For the full list of winners, click here. ROSEHILL TO HOST AUSTRALIA'S SECOND RICHEST RACEThe Golden Eagle, a new race with prize money second only to The Everest in Australian racing, is the centrepiece of an expansion of the Sydney Spring Carnival. This week, Racing NSW and Australian Turf Club announced significant Spring Carnival race programming changes including the introduction of the $7.5 million Golden Eagle, to be run over 1500m at Rosehill Gardens on 2 November 2019. The Golden Eagle has more prize money than the $7.3 million Melbourne Cup and complements the $14 million The Everest, giving Sydney’s Spring Carnival the two richest horse races in the Southern Hemisphere. Of the $7.5 million Golden Eagle prize, 10 per cent will go to charity. Racing NSW Chairman Russell Balding AO said, “The Golden Eagle strengthens our Spring Carnival and provides a further highlight for Spring racing in Sydney. It also opens up the possibility of attracting runners from diverse form lines including The Everest, Sydney Stakes and the Epsom Handicap.” Image credit: Felipe Neves A NEW GLAMPING EXPERIENCE ON THE TWEED COASTGlamping is coming to the Tweed Coast, with The Hideaway Cabarita Beach launching a new boutique outdoor hotel on Boxing Day. Perfect for the Summer holidays, the 13 classic belle tents offer the creature comforts of permanent campsites with added luxuries such as air-conditioning, quality bedding and hotel-like touches. The hideaway is steps from the sand and offers a communal lounge area with bean bags, WiFi, a fresh-roasted coffee station and state-of-the-art cooking facilities. The glamping village is close to renowned surfing beach, Cabarita Beach and only 100 metres from the main shopping precinct. Located just 20 minutes’ drive south of Coolangatta Airport, special introductory rates are available until 24 January, 2019. For further information and bookings, go to www.hideawaycabaritabeach.com.au. WAGGA WAGGA TOPS AIRBNB TRENDSOff-the-beaten track destinations are trending on Airbnb for 2019, with the country NSW town of Wagga Wagga topping Airbnb’s list of Aussie destinations. In fact, five of the top ten trending hotspots are in NSW, with Blackheath coming in at number two, as well as Corowa, Jindabyne and Mudgee making the list. The results are based on a combination of Airbnb searches, bookings and wish list growth data. Click here for further details on the 2019 trends in Australia. HELPING TOURISM BUSINESSES GROWWith the Australian tourism industry booming and international visitor numbers climbing, one of the key challenges of Australian tourism businesses is access to finance to grow globally. Efic is the Government’s export credit agency, providing export finance solutions so that operators can undertake global opportunities. From finance, resources and advice, Efic has helped hundreds of Australian businesses in the international tourism market. For information, call 1800 093 724 or click here. NEW VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE |