No Images? Click here THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS OFFERS SO MUCH MOREThe number of visitors to the Snowy Mountains, outside of the Winter season, is set to increase thanks to the release of two new promotional videos as part of a marketing campaign funded by the NSW Government through Destination NSW in partnership with Tourism Snowy Mountains. Showcasing activities to do in the Snowy Mountains outside of the ski season, the videos will be shared via Concrete Playground, YouTube, Google Video and Facebook, motivating those considering a short break to head to the alpine region. A snow lovers’ playground during Winter, the Snowy Mountains area is a fantastic destination in Spring, Summer and Autumn for hiking, mountain biking, fishing and great food and wine. The marketing campaign, which was announced in December 2017, has been designed by Destination NSW with input from the local Destination Network - Destination Southern NSW - in collaboration with Tourism Snowy Mountains. The new videos form part of the $200,000 Tourism Snowy Mountains co-operative marketing campaign, which received matched funding from Destination NSW’s Regional Tourism Fund. Last Summer, the Snowy Mountains welcomed 147,000 domestic overnight visitors who spent $138 million in the region. The new videos will run until April 2018 and can be viewed on our YouTube channel. For more information on the Snowy Mountains, go to visitnsw.com. NSW TO WELCOME MORE FLIGHTS FROM HONG KONGVirgin Australia this week announced plans to operate daily flights between Hong Kong and Sydney, which will increase the airline’s presence in Greater China. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall welcomed the plans and said it was great news for the State’s visitor economy. “The aviation industry is a key player in turbocharging tourism growth in Sydney and throughout rural and regional NSW, particularly from China, which is the largest international inbound visitor market to the State and one that is continuing to grow,” Mr Marshall said. “I’d like to congratulate Virgin Australia on their strategic initiative, and look forward to welcoming increased visitation from China into Sydney and rural and regional NSW when this new service begins.” NSW continues to be the firm favourite for Chinese visitors to Australia, with the State welcoming 752,000 visitors from China in the year ending September 2017. The daily Virgin Australia Sydney to Hong Kong route will commence in mid-2018. THOUSANDS EXPECTED FOR MARDI GRAS PARADEAround 300,000 people are expected to line Oxford St tomorrow as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade celebrates its 40th anniversary. More than 12,000 marchers and 200 floats will participate in the Parade, which starts at Whitlam Square and finishes at Moore Park. The NSW Government is proud to support the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. Mardi Gras is one of the biggest annual events on the NSW major events calendar, and last year the Parade attracted more than 38,000 overnight visitors to Sydney, injecting approximately $40 million into the State’s visitor economy. NSW Police are encouraging people attending the event to use public transport and arrive early. For more information on the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade visit mardigras.org.au. NSW WINS 11 AUSTRALIAN TOURISM AWARDSNSW has once again shown it is home to some of the nation’s best tourism experiences after the State won awards in 11 categories at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards last Friday. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the NSW tourism industry had once again shone a spotlight on the State’s world-class tourism products, experiences and major events. “Our tourism operators are at the forefront when it comes to delivering quality products and experiences, and I congratulate the NSW finalists for their unwavering commitment to excellence, which has contributed to NSW’s position as the most visited State in Australia,” Mr Marshall said. Deniliquin’s BIG4 Holiday Park received Gold for Australia’s best caravan and holiday park, Margan Winery and Restaurant in the Hunter Valley received Gold for excellence in food tourism, and Sand Dune Adventures in Port Stephens received Gold for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism. The Qantas Australian Tourism Awards is the pinnacle event for the nation’s tourism industry. To see all the NSW winners, visit the Australian Tourism Awards website. ADDITIONAL $100 MILLION FOR REGIONAL SPORTNSW Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro, and NSW Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres this week announced the NSW Government is doubling its commitment to improving regional sports infrastructure, with an additional $100 million in funding for sports projects in regional and remote communities. The additional funding will form part of the second round of the Stronger Country Communities Fund, and follows the $100 million Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund announced last year; both funds form part of the broader $1.3 billion Regional Growth Fund. Mr Barilaro and Mr Ayres made the announcement at Wingham Rugby League Club, with the Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead, where they announced $500,000 of NSW Government funding for the Club as part of Round One of the Stronger Country Communities Fund. “We all know how important sport is to regional communities, and by doubling the funding now available for regional sports infrastructure, from $100 million to $200 million, we will see so many more projects just like this one rolled out across regional NSW,” Mr Barilaro said. Applications for the Stronger Country Communities Sports Fund Round Two open on 12 March 2018. For more information and to apply go to nsw.gov.au/strongercountrycommunities. SURFING VISSLA FINALS THIS WEEKENDAfter nine days of competition, the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro comes to a close this Sunday with the final events of the series. Supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro combines a Pro Junior event with men’s and women’s World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 6000 events. Sunday’s events at Manly’s North Steyne, include the Vissla Sydney Men’s Pro WSL QS6000, Sydney Women’s Pro WSL QS6000, Creators and Innovators Event Surfboard Shaper Surf Competition and the Adaptive Surfing Expression Session. In addition to great surfing, there will be WSL & VISSLA pop-up event merchandise shops at the event site and Manly Corso, surf photography exhibitions, live music, a mechanical surfboard ride, pop-up bars, giveaways and a kid’s seaside play zone. Find out more. SEAL ROCKS HOLIDAY PARK RENOVATION COMPLETEA $6 million revamp of one of NSW’s most popular holiday parks has been completed, offering improved accommodation options for visitors. NSW Minister for Lands Paul Toole visited the Seal Rocks Holiday Park this week to celebrate the completion of the staged redevelopment, which began in 2013, and includes the addition of six new cabins, a guest lounge and an upgraded playground. Find out more about Seal Rocks Holiday Park. THE DARLING RECOGNISED IN FORBES TRAVEL GUIDEThe prestigious Forbes Travel Guide has announced its Star Award Winners for 2018, with the highest ranking of five stars awarded to The Darling at The Star for the second year running; the only hotel in NSW to receive the honour. The annual awards’ Travel Guide Star Rating is considered the most coveted award in the luxury travel sector; properties awarded five stars are considered outstanding, often iconic with virtually flawless service and facilities. The Darling joins top international luxury brands including The Peninsula Hotel Group, Four Seasons Hotel Group, The Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt and Mandarin Oriental as one of only two Australian hotels to receive top honours. Opened in 2011, The Darling has 171 guestrooms, suites and penthouses, a Find out more about The Darling. FELIX HOTEL OPENS AT SYDNEY AIRPORTTaking its very cool design cues from the 1960s, the new Felix Hotel is an airport hotel with a difference. The newly-opened, 150-room at Sydney Airport turns traditional hotel design on its head with a penthouse featuring the hotel reception, and a 24-hour food shop and outdoor rooftop cinema all with fantastic runway views. Modern additions include fast WiFi, 1,000 USB ports, communal and solo work spaces, a 24-hour gym and self-service laundry. Guestrooms, which are themed by airline flying classes, feature power rain showers, blackout curtains and 55-inch TVs, and are also pet friendly. In partnership with Fly Arly, the Felix Hotel also offers scenic flights by private jet. Find out more at felixhotel.com.au. WOMEN'S NSW GOLF OPEN UNDERWAYWomen’s golf is front and centre on the Coffs Coast with the Women’s NSW Open currently underway at Coffs Harbour Golf Club. The event returns to the Australian golf calendar for the first time since 2015, with the final round set to be played on Sunday. The Women’s NSW Open follows the success of the inaugural Australian Ladies Classic – Bonville last week, with both tournaments secured exclusively for regional NSW by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The Australian Ladies Classic has been secured for Bonville until 2022, while the Women’s NSW Open will move to Queanbeyan next year and to other regional NSW locations from 2020 to 2022. Entry to the Women’s NSW Open is free with an event pass. NEW BROKEN HILL TOURISM RESOURCESThe Outback city of Broken Hill has produced a new visitor guide, touring map and website to help visitors explore the Outback region. Highlighting the city’s thriving art scene, including murals, galleries and desert sculptures, the new resources will attract and inspire visitors to the city and surrounds. The guides and touring maps are now available in Outback visitor information centres, and there is a digital version available. COUNTRY MUSIC ROCKING THE FARMBella Vista Farm in Baulkham Hills will be jumping to the beats of live music performances at Country Rocks – the day-long music festival that brings country music to Sydney. A line-up of 17 acts, including Lee Kernaghan, Adam Brand and James Blundell, will perform at the historic farm complex, which features an 18th Century homestead and farm buildings – the perfect surroundings for a fun, family day out. NEW ARMIDALE ART MUSEUM DISPLAYBilled as the most significant art exhibition between Brisbane and Sydney, Hinton: Treasures of Australian Art, is the new permanent exhibition at the New England Regional Art Museum in Armidale. The exhibition features more than 130 artworks collected between 1928 and 1948 by retired shipping agent Howard Hinton OBE. The collection includes works by Australian artists including Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Margaret Preston and more. TAKE A WALK ALONG THE SOUTH COASTA guide to a series of Grand Pacific Walks has been created by Destination Wollongong, perfect for the cooler Autumn weather. The 15 walks are of varying lengths and difficulty levels to suit all abilities, and range from the 1.25 kilometre Helensburg Historic Railway Glow Worm Tunnel walk to the 16.5 kilometre Illawarra Escarpment Traverse. The easy-to-follow Grand Pacific Walks Locator features distances, difficulty levels, approximate walk times, starting points and ATTENTION NATURE TOURISM BUSINESSES!NSW tour operators interested in growing their nature-based tourism business can learn more about the types of visitors who love the outdoors in a new research report by Destination NSW. In the year ending September 2017, NSW received 28.3 million nature-based visitors, up six per cent on the year ending September 2016, and 25 per cent over the last five years. Nature-based visitors accounted for 84 per cent of international visitors to NSW and 28 per cent of domestic visitors, with China, the USA and UK making up the key international source markets. TRAVELLING FILM FESTIVALSydney Film Festival favourites and new films will be screened in Wagga Wagga and Tamworth this month thanks to the Travelling Film Festival. Screening over two weekends (Wagga Wagga 16 to 18 March and Tamworth 23 to 25 March), both Travelling Film Festival events will open with Paul Williams’ portrait of revered Indigenous artist Geoffrey Gurrumul, captured as he approached the brink of global stardom Other films in the program include Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Square, Sydney Film Prize 2017 winner On Body and Soul, French family drama Back to Burgundy, and much more. |