EXPERIENCE TOURISM AT THE CENTRE OF
NSW VISITOR ECONOMY GROWTH STRATEGYNSW is leading Australia's post-pandemic visitor economy rebound, surpassing $50 billion in visitor expenditure for the first time in history in the year ending December 2023. The NSW Government has ambitious plans to drive that economic growth to even greater heights. To unlock our state’s full potential, the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 is being reviewed and evolved to showcase the best of NSW to the world by focussing on the diverse experiences on offer for visitors. The review seeks to improve cultural experiences for visitors while also expanding visitation to Western Sydney and regional NSW. The review of the NSW Visitor Economy
Strategy 2030 presents a pivotal opportunity to shape the future of the visitor economy in NSW. It will formalise the NSW Government’s focus on experience tourism and ensure that the state’s approach to the visitor economy, the NSW Government’s Arts, Culture and Creative Industries Policy (Creative Communities), the night-time economy agenda and the regulatory environments that underpin them, are in lockstep.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said: “The visitor economy is going from strength to strength. With the looming opening of the Western Sydney International and Newcastle International Airports, it is a perfect time to reassess the opportunities in the sector.
"Three years on from the development of the strategy, not only does the tourism context in NSW look different, so does the policy direction of the new government.
“An experience tourism focus means thinking about not just bringing people here, but about what they do when they arrive and encouraging them to come back over and over again. Culturally rich and vibrant communities are what keep people in NSW but they’re also what bring people here.”
HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE NSW
VISITOR ECONOMY STRATEGYDestination NSW is inviting visitor economy stakeholders from across the state to contribute their insights and expertise to the revised NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030. This feedback will help identify the barriers to growth and most importantly, the opportunities and strategic initiatives that will turbocharge the growth of the visitor economy through to 2035. Read the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 here, then have your say via the link below by 2 June 2024.
DESTINATION NSW SEEKS MENTORS FOR
NSW CHOOSE TOURISM PROGRAMDestination NSW is calling for visitor economy leaders to join the NSW Choose Tourism Program as mentors. The program aims to address industry workforce shortages in regional NSW by encouraging Australians to pursue a career in the visitor economy, while also helping operators retain and upskill their staff. The NSW Centre of Excellence Choose Tourism Mentor Program will play a key role in the initiative. The six-month program aims to support employee career development and encourage emerging leaders. Becoming a mentor is an opportunity to give back to the industry and ensure long-term sustainable growth of the visitor economy. The program will commence in May 2024 and is limited to 70 mentors.
WORKSHOPS: EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENTDestination NSW is presenting Experience Development workshops for visitor economy businesses during 2024. These free, full-day workshops are designed to assist businesses including tour, attraction and accommodation providers to create and refine visitor experiences that meet visitor needs and showcase the strengths of NSW. Focus areas include agritourism, nature, culinary and wellness experiences. The next workshops will be held in Western Sydney (30 April), Bathurst (2 May) and the Snowy Valleys (9 May).
WOMEN'S ASIA CUP 2026 BIDFootball Australia has announced that NSW, Queensland and Western Australia will be the proposed host states for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™. The tournament is projected to generate up to $260 million in economic output for Australia and create more than 1000 jobs. Last year's FIFA Women's World Cup™ led to a nationwide increase in female football participation, with an overall 12 per cent increase in 2023 and a 20 per cent increase already in 2024. The final decision regarding hosting rights is expected to be ratified during May.
SYDNEY AIRPORT RECOVERY A total of 10.3 million passengers passed through Sydney Airport's terminals in the first quarter of 2024. This represented a 14.4 per cent increase on passenger traffic year on year and a 93.7 per cent recovery compared to the same period in 2019. The international terminal saw 4.16 million passengers pass through, a 25.1 per cent increase on the same period last year and a 96.6 per cent recovery rate compared to 2019. The number of passengers from New Zealand, South Korea, India and the Philippines were all above 2019 levels. Domestic and regional passenger traffic was up 8.2 per cent on the same period last year, with 6.16 million passengers passing through the
T2 and T3 domestic terminals and a 91.9 per cent recovery rate on the 2019 period.
COST-OF-LIVING PRESSURES INCREASEThe latest NAB Consumer Sentiment Survey shows that more consumers have responded to cost-of-living pressures by cutting back on spending during the March quarter. Eating out at restaurants was the most common area for cutbacks (57 per cent versus 54 per cent in the last quarter), micro treats such as coffee and snacks (52 per cent versus 50 per cent), entertainment (49 per cent versus 47 per cent), car journeys to save petrol (46 per cent versus 45 per cent) and holiday plans (45 per cent versus 43 per cent). With the number of consumers making cutbacks continuing to rise, the biggest savings are coming from spending less on major household appliances ($554 up
from $430 in the previous quarter) and holidays ($528 versus $409).
DESTINATION NSW VISITS SOUTHERN TABLELANDSDestination NSW CEO Steve Cox, General Manager Consumer Marketing Kathryn Illy and Director, Regional Hub Tim Loxton visited the Southern Tablelands on 18-19 April 2024. Together with Destination Southern NSW they met with industry stakeholders and discussed growth opportunities in the region. Pictured: Destination Southern NSW Chair Kalina Koloff, Steve Cox, Shaw Wines' Tanya Olinder, Destination Southern NSW General Manager Richard Everson and DOMA Group Managing Director Jure Domaze.
BUSINESS FAMIL SERIES FOR REGIONAL NSWDestination NSW recently hosted six conference, meeting and incentive planners for a famil in Newcastle and Port Stephens. The first of the Business Events NSW famil series for 2024 was an opportunity to showcase visitor experiences in the region. Associate Director Regional Conferencing Mitchell Gunn said: "Famils play a critical role in raising awareness and consideration of NSW in the mindset of buyers, driving new sales leads and bookings for regional NSW stakeholders."
KOSCIUSKO CELEBRATES 80 YEARSThe National Parks Association hosted a celebration of the 80th anniversary of Kosciuszko National Park on 19 April 2024. NSW President Dr Grahame Douglas said: "We pay homage to the First Nation custodians who cared for the Australian Alps over millennia. We also thank all those who have advocated for the protection of the high country and especially the rangers and other staff whose work has sustained that legacy." Kosciuszko National Park is the largest conservation reserve in NSW.
ANA LAUNCHES VIRTUAL SYDNEY TOURANA has collaborated with Tourism Australia on a new virtual trip to Sydney's most historic neighbourhood, The Rocks. The trip has been added to ANA GranWhale, a virtual travel platform app for smartphones. The V-TRIP feature on the app allows users to embark on a 360° virtual travel experiences to ANA recommended destinations. Historical architecture and panoramic views of each destination are highlighted, accompanied by a guide that offers insights into each location.
NEW TAFE PLANNING DIPLOMAIn a first for NSW, budding planners will soon have a TAFE pathway into the planning profession with a new diploma open for enrolments. The new Diploma of Local Government (Planning) will support school leavers and future planners on their way into paraplanning, a role that manages a lot of the initial assessment, research and review to provide assistance to planners.
NORTHERN RIVERS RECOVERY PROGRAMBridge expansions, upgraded pumps, enhanced evacuation routes and nature-based projects are some of the 36 projects being rolled out in the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program. The Australian Government has provided $150 million to the NSW Government to deliver infrastructure and community projects to local government areas impacted by the 2022 floods.
SCENIC ECLIPSE II CRUISES INTO NSWScenic Eclipse II arrived in Sydney Harbour on 19 April 2024 ahead of its first exploration of Australian waters. The ship will embark on a two-year series of voyages in the region. The debut of Scenic Eclipse II was an exciting moment for the Australian-founded Scenic Group. The newest addition to the company’s ultra-luxury fleet then travelled to Newcastle on 22 April for the first time, the city where Scenic was founded 38 years ago.
BOOK OF MORMON RETURNS TO SYDNEYThe Tony, Olivier and Grammy award-winning production The Book of Mormon will return to Sydney from July 2025. It will premiere at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney from July 2025. The production features music and lyrics by Robert Lopez, together with Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are the creators of the TV series South Park. The Book of Mormon return season is supported proudly by Destination NSW.
BRIDGERTON STARS HEAD TO BOWRALNetflix Australia hosted an event to celebrate the premiere of the third season of Bridgerton on 21 April 2024 at Milton Park Country House in Bowral. Showrunner Jess Brownell was joined by cast members Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton on the red carpet. It followed a week-long celebration of the series in the Southern Highlands, with local businesses filling the streets with flowers, flags and regency decor.
BEST CITIES FOR REMOTE WORKGlobal HR platform Remote has released a list of the 100 top global destinations for remote work, with Sydney ranked 17th. The list is based on analysis of factors spanning quality of life, safety, internet infrastructure, economics, travel and more. It leverages the latest data to guide digital nomads and other remote professionals in making informed decisions about where they choose to work while travelling.
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