DESTINATION NSW TARGETS BUSINESS EVENTS
GROWTH IN REGIONAL NSWDestination NSW has launched a fresh approach to growing the business events sector in regional NSW. New messaging - ‘Corporate events that feel anything but’ - aligns to the Destination NSW ‘Feel New’ visitor brand and highlights how NSW provides engaging alternatives to traditional business event experiences. Destination NSW has also updated its regional conferencing program name from ‘Meet in Regional NSW’ to ‘Business Events NSW’. Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox said: “We want to position regional NSW as the meetings and events destination for businesses who seek immersive, tailor-made experiences that
spark a genuine connection among their delegates. “Aligning the business events positioning with the Feel New brand enables NSW to stand out from its competitors by showcasing how the distinctive character of our state’s regional destinations and communities can take business beyond the boardroom. “NSW offers business event visitors unique experiences that leave them with long-lasting memories and positive working relationships, not just a stack of business cards.”
The refreshed messaging and new program name made their debut at the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) from 19–21 February 2024. AIME welcomed more than 3500 visitors, 570 exhibitors and 600 buyers from around the world. Destination NSW attended AIME in partnership with Business Events Sydney, highlighting more than 40 destinations, venues and experience suppliers from across the state through more than 800 appointments, with 100 handpicked business event buyers and media also visiting the NSW stand for networking opportunities.
Business visitors are a high yield sector and distributing their economic benefits across the state is key to achieving our visitor economy target of $25 billion in visitor expenditure for regional NSW by 2030. Business event travellers spend on average $554 per person per night in NSW, which is 101 per cent higher than the average overnight spend for leisure travellers, who spend on average $182 per night. NSW visitor economy businesses looking to take advantage of opportunities presented by the business events sector can create a free listing on bensw.com.au.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES
SYDNEY AIRPORT SLOT REFORMSThe Australian Government has announced a major package of reforms to the Sydney Airport demand management scheme. The reforms follow an extensive consultation process and aim to deliver better efficiency, competition and consumer outcomes. They will increase transparency about how slots are allocated. Airlines will be required to provide regular information on how they use slots, such as reasons for cancellations or major delays and this monitoring information will be regularly published. Independent audits of slot usage will be undertaken to better detect and crack down on anti-competitive behaviour. To
improve connectivity for regional communities, regional NSW services will be able to apply to use any slot during new peak period hours (changing from 6-11am/3-8pm to 7-11am/5-8pm). Learn more
SYDNEY AIRPORT WELCOMES CHANGES Sydney Airport has welcomed the demand management scheme reforms. It said they will boost efficiency and competition at Australia’s major international gateway and improve the experience for the more than 40 million passengers who use the airport annually. The reforms are the first enhancements in 27 years to the rules that govern how the airport operates. Passengers will also benefit from the implementation of a ‘recovery period’ following weather disruptions, which will temporarily allow up to 85 movements an hour for two
hours - an increase from the usual 80 - to permit delayed services to depart on the same day, meaning fewer overnight stays and less cancellations. Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Australia said: "[The recovery period] will see fewer travellers left stranded when severe storms strike or other unexpected disruptions take place at Sydney Airport, which often cause travel chaos across the network. “These new rules will allow the backlog of flights to be cleared more quickly so more passengers will be able to reach their destinations and return home to their families. “Time after time we see incidents in Sydney causing cascading effects across the country, triggering flight delays and cancellations nationwide. These
reforms will not only benefit passengers using Sydney Airport but help shield travellers right across Australia." The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) CEO Deon Long said: “These reforms not only enhance the operational efficiency of our busiest airport but also support the many people and businesses in Australia’s travel sector. "The opportunity cost for delayed passengers is usually significant, particularly for business travellers. Cancellations also lead to seats being withdrawn from the market, which raises airfares for those yet to book a flight. There are also massive knock-on effects to travel professionals as a result of cancellations.” Learn more
AIRLINES RESPOND TO REFORMSQantas has welcomed reforms to the slot management system at Sydney Airport. The airline group said in a statement: "Any improvements to the efficiency of the slots system in Sydney will benefit travellers and have a positive flow-on impact to airports around the country, which have been impacted by inefficiencies in Sydney. It will also improve transport links with regional NSW and help customers to get to their destinations quicker on days of severe weather. "More transparency in the slots system is a positive step that will help clarify recent
public debates on how the system works and demonstrate that claims Qantas has been hoarding slots are wrong." A spokesperson for Virgin Australia said: “Virgin Australia has always been committed to fair slot allocation and compliance."
QTOPIA OFFICIALLY OPENS IN SYDNEYA new permanent home of Sydney’s first Centre for LGBTQIA+ History and Culture, Qtopia Sydney, has officially opened at the site of the former Darlinghurst Police Station. Launching in time for Mardi Gras 2024, the heritage-listed site was previously associated with the jailing of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community including some 78ers. It has been remediated to host exhibitions, educational programs and evening performances that explore, celebrate, and educate people on LGBTQIA+ history and culture. The NSW Government provided the site and
committed $6.7 million towards supporting the establishment of Qtopia Sydney. NSW Premier Chris Minns said: “Qtopia will stand as more than just a testament to any one particular person or government, this centre will stand as a marker for us all as to how far we’ve come in addressing inequality in NSW." Minister for the Arts John Graham said: “This heritage-listed building holds a lot of history for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It will provide a place for exploring ideas and foster a deeper understanding of history and current events. I am pleased to see its reimagining as a much-needed cultural space in the centre of Sydney.” Pictured: Qtopia Sydney Chair Elaine Czulkowski,
Qtopia Sydney CEO Greg Fisher, Premier Chris Minns, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore at the official opening of Qtopia Sydney.
HOTELS AT CAPACITY FOR SWIFT CONCERTS
Hotels in Sydney are anticipating a bumper weekend during Taylor Swift's concerts at Accor Stadium. The Australian Hotels Association has predicted a 100 per cent occupancy rate across hotel rooms in Sydney's CBD and Sydney Olympic Park on Friday and Saturday night and it hopes to see 90 per cent of hotels full across Greater Sydney as well. More than 320,000 fans have tickets to the concerts at Accor Stadium, with Sydney Cricket Ground, CommBank Stadium and Accor Stadium lighting up in a Lavender Haze to celebrate the tour. Visitors landing at Sydney Airport will be welcomed with a Taylor Swift takeover of billboards on Joyce Drive, while many Sydney establishments are creating themed experiences.
NEW CROWD TECH FOR TAYLOR FANS
New AI technology will ensure crowds are safe, calm and move smoothly when more than 80,000 fans descend on Accor Stadium over four nights during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Staff at Sydney Olympic Park and Transport for NSW will use an AI program to support crowd control at the stadium’s high-tech Coordination Centre. The program includes features such as CCTV footage, weather data and social media to accurately predict crowd movements and mood around the stadium. This will allow teams to prevent problems before they occur and implement a range of measures such as opening more exits, redirecting people, giving live updates, deploying more staff or playing music to keep the mood up.
SWIFT PAYS TWO VISITS TO SYDNEY ZOO
Taylor Swift loves Sydney Zoo so much she visited it twice. After heading to the visitor attraction on Wednesday, she returned for a private tour with her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce on Thursday. Located in Western Sydney, Sydney Zoo is home to more than 4000 animals and features an open-range Australia habitat, where kangaroos and wallabies hop freely around the pathways. The celebrity pair were spotted feeding kangaroos and taking selfies. The visit has attracted headlines around the world, alongside the singer's dinner at Surry Hills restaurant Pellegrino 2000.
PINK BUSES FOR MARDI GRAS
Two pink buses are driving passengers across Sydney in celebration of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival 2024. The wrapped buses are on the road throughout the Mardi Gras season and will also take part in the Parade on 2 March. Families will take a seat in the decorated buses to join the 200-float street parade as part of Transport for NSW’s float. During Mardi Gras, Sydneysiders will also spot rainbow buses in North Sydney and the Northern Beaches, a “Happy Mardi Gras” wrapped tram on the L2 and L3 and decorations across city train and light rail stations.
TRAVEL BOOSTS HOUSEHOLD SPENDING
The CommBank Household Spending Insights (HSI) Index rose 3.1 per cent in January 2024, led by spending on travel and gyms as Australians made the most of their summer holiday. Spending increased in nine of the CommBank HSI Index’s 12 underlying categories, albeit most were modest gains. The exception was recreation spending (travel agencies, online travel bookings, airlines, cruise lines and fitness clubs/gyms), which was up 13.5 per cent in January following a 5.8 per cent decline in December. The hospitality sector was also up 2.2 per cent.
ROY MORGAN WINS AUSTRADE CONTRACT
Austrade has awarded a three-year contract to Roy Morgan to provide survey methodology, data integration and modelling techniques to deliver domestic tourism statistics. The new metrics will be available from 2025 and will be connected with profiling insights such as Helix Personas. Roy Morgan Head of Client Services Portia Morgan said: "We are thrilled to be working with Austrade and the broader industry to provide a deeper understanding of how many people are travelling, where they go, what they do and how they spend their valuable tourism dollars.”
DESTINATION NSW HOSTS WELLNESS WEBINAR
Join Destination NSW and wellness expert, Katherine Droga from Droga & co, along with guest speakers from Currajong Retreat and Watersports Guru for a 'Creating Wellness Experiences' webinar on 29 February 2024. It will explore opportunities in the growing wellness sector for NSW visitor attraction, accommodation and tour and activity providers. While wellness travel is often associated with spas, health resorts, and yoga retreats, the webinar will show how NSW accommodation and experience providers can add wellness elements to their visitor experiences.
LUNAR NEW YEAR TRAVEL SURGE
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has reported that travel and spending during the Lunar New Year holiday exceeded levels from before the pandemic, adding to signs that consumption is improving. According to a report by Oxford Economics, the number of international outbound trips taken by Chinese travellers in 2024 is projected to double compared to 2023. However, ATEC says there is a marked change in the way Chinese visitors are travelling, with strong forward growth in the independent travel segment and a shift in the group traveller segment.
PROTECTING OUR PLACES GRANTS
The NSW Environmental Trust's Protecting Our Places grants are open with Aboriginal groups or corporations encouraged to apply for funding up to $80,000. Aboriginal Programs Officer Shannon Whyte said: "The types of projects that have successfully applied for funding include creating bush tucker gardens, rainforest and riverbed restoration, fire management and conservation of threatened species habitats."
DESTINATION NSW FINALIST AT COMMSCON
The 2024 Mumbrella CommsCon Awards shortlist has been announced and Destination NSW is a finalist in two categories: Best Campaign on a Small Budget (G Flip Drums the Blue Mountains) - and PR Team of the Year – In House. The awards are Australia and New Zealand's biggest celebration of public relations and communications excellence. The winners will be announced on 27 March 2024 at Sydney’s Four Seasons Hotel.
CHARTER FOR SMALL BUSINESS LAUNCHES
The NSW Government has launched the Charter for Small Business, which aims to build stronger partnerships with small businesses and sets out the key principles and actions regarding the way the NSW Government will work with the sector. Its commitments include listening and responding to red-tape and other pain points; boosting government procurement from small businesses; introducing and reporting on metrics; and identifying opportunities for supporting Small Business policy.
TRENDS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF EVENTS
McCrindle and ICC Sydney have released the ‘RESPECT: Shaping Events for Success’ report, which shows 69 per cent of Australians attended local entertainment events and 46 per cent attended business events in 2023, with high representation from Gen Z at events. Two in three Australians placed high importance on an event’s ability to create an accessible and inclusive space, while 62 per cent of Gen Z considered sustainable and environmentally friendly practices to be extremely/very important at an event.
ALPHONSE MUCHA EXHIBITION FOR SYDNEY
A major exhibition on the life and work of Alphonse Mucha will lead the Art Gallery of New South Wales 2024 program. Exclusive to Sydney and supported proudly by Destination NSW, Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau will be the most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work ever seen in Australia. Czech-born Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) created a new visual language that defined late 19th-century Paris and led him to develop some of the most recognisable work in modern European art. The exhibition will run from 15 June to 22 September.
MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mountain bike riders will descend on Lake Macquarie for the GWM Mountain Bike National Championships from 12-17 March 2024. Supported proudly by Destination NSW, the event will feature Cross Country, Downhill, Adaptive and Pump Track races. Lake Macquarie City Mayor Kay Fraser said: "It’s not just the 1500-plus competitors, more than half of whom will be from outside the region, seeking places to stay, eat and socialise outside the competition. It’s also their families, friends and support staff. The five days of competition will provide a massive boost to our visitor economy."
BATHURST HERITAGE TRADES TRAIL
Bathurst will celebrate its rich history, paying homage to the trades and traditions that have helped shape the region, at the annual Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail from 16-17 March 2024. Held at Bathurst Showground and supported proudly by the Destination NSW Regional Event Fund, unique talents demonstrated will include traditional Aboriginal tool and weapon making, blacksmithing, saddlery, dry stone walling, whip cracking and making, glass artistry, lace making, tapestry, embroidery, carpentry and joinery and cigar box guitar making.
SUNRISE VISITS GRIFFITH AND WAGGA WAGGA
JT Travels NSW livestreamed from Wagga Wagga and Griffith on 17 and 18 February 2024 as part of Destination NSW's ongoing partnership with Channel Seven’s Weekend Sunrise. Among the locations visited by presenter James Tobin was Calabria Family Wines, where he interviewed winery Director Bill Calabria. Griffith recently took seventh place on Wotif's 2024 Aussie Town of the Year Awards. The JT Travels NSW segment showcases NSW destinations, operators and experiences to a national audience of more than 1.2 million each weekend.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS TERM COMMENCES FOR NEW BUSINESS EVENTS SYDNEY (BESYDNEY) CHAIR: Australian engineer Professor Mary O’Kane AC has commenced her role as Independent Director and Chair of the Board of the strategic event bidding organisation. Learn more $80 MILLION IAT BUILDING OPENS: The NSW Government has opened the Institute of Applied Technology for Construction at TAFE NSW Nepean – Kingswood. Learn more EARLYBIRD REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE TOURISM CONFERENCE: The event will take place at Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre on 27 August 2024. Learn more GLOBAL SEARCH FOR NEW VIRGIN AUSTRALIA CEO: Chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka has resigned after four years in the role. Learn more NEW QANTAS CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCED: John Mullen will join the Qantas Board from 1 July 2024 as Non-Executive Director and Chairman Elect and will assume the role of Chairman ahead of the company’s annual general meeting. Learn more G'DAY AUSTRALIA 2024 DATES ANNOUNCED: The Tourism Australia signature event will be held in Perth from 13-18 October. Learn more BOLSTERING TRADITIONAL PRACTICES TO RAMP UP BUSHFIRE RESILIENCE: The $4.5 million Transport for NSW Aboriginal Cultural Landscapes Project has launched at four sites across regional NSW. Learn more NSW GOVERNMENT RELEASES BUS TASKFORCE SECOND REPORT: A new blueprint has been released that will deliver the biggest improvements to NSW bus services in a generation. Learn more ROAD EXPERTS GATHER IN SYDNEY: The NSW Government’s 2024 Road Safety Forum was held this week, with Transport for NSW running an online survey to allow the public to have their say on a range of road safety topics. Learn more BOOST FOR KOALA CARE IN REGIONAL NSW: The NSW Government is providing additional support to wildlife hospitals, koala protection and research with more than $3.5 million in new funding provided to three regional wildlife care facilities. Learn more GREEN LIGHT FOR PARRAMATTA LIGHT RAIL STAGE 2: The project will connect Parramatta CBD to Sydney Olympic Park via the growing communities of Camellia, Rydalmere, Ermington,
Melrose Park and Wentworth Point. Learn more
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