TAYLOR SWIFT TOUR TURBOCHARGES
NSW VISITOR ECONOMYTaylor Swift's The Eras Tour is coming to Sydney for four nights from 23-26 February 2024, bringing not only a musical extravaganza but also a significant boost to the NSW visitor economy. An anticipated influx of more than 100,000 visitors from interstate, intrastate and international markets is expected, with Destination NSW estimating it will generate more than $80 million in visitor expenditure during the concert period. As the countdown to the singer's arrival begins, the entire city will be immersed in Taylor Swift fever with a series of themed events and activations. Visitors landing at Sydney Airport will also be welcomed with a Taylor Swift takeover on billboards along Joyce Drive. Sydney hotels are already 84 per cent full for The Eras Tour long weekend according to Accommodation Australia. Accommodation Australia Chief Executive Michael Johnson said: “2023 was the biggest February hotels have seen in years and Taylor has topped it. Major events like these are a boon for hotels and a huge boost for the visitor economy. Whatever you think of her music, everyone in NSW should be thanking her for coming.” Ovolo Hotels Australia Marketing Manager Toby Franklin said: “We have never witnessed such a surge in demand at Ovolo Hotels during this period, particularly attributed to a single artist."
The singer made purple cool with her hit song Lavender Haze and Accor Stadium has lit up with purple lights ahead of Taylor Swift's four concerts at the venue. Venues NSW Chief Executive Kerrie Mather said: “We can’t wait for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour to arrive … it’s the first time we’ll see four back-to back sold-out concerts at Accor Stadium. “[It] will create significant economic benefit for NSW, support thousands of jobs and attract large numbers of interstate and international visitors.”
SYDNEY.COM CREATES ULTIMATE SWIFTIE GUIDEDestination NSW consumer website Sydney.com has created The Ultimate Swiftie Guide to Sydney to elevate the visitor experience of concert attendees. The guide includes tips on where to eat and drink, plus advice on the best ways to enjoy the city, Swiftie-style, during The Eras Tour. View the guide here. Sydney Swifties
are also recreating the singer's iconic 2018 ‘Sydney’ chant in the lead-up to the event. Click here to watch Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox's version on LinkedIn.
THE RISE OF 'TOUR TOURISM'Travel analysts and websites are reporting a growing trend sweeping the globe called "tour tourism". A recent survey by Expedia Group found 70 per cent of respondents were more likely than ever to travel to attend a concert while 44 per cent would travel to take in a concert as an excuse to visit a new destination. Expedia Group
Director of Music Partnerships Liseli Sitali said: “In 2024 we expect gig-getaways to boom further. Music lovers will be travelling farther, turning their gig night into a long weekend, and be on the lookout for affordable alternative destinations to go and watch live music.” Travel and hospitality data analysts RateGain has also reported that during Taylor Swift's US tour, destinations experienced a 'long-tail effect' around concert dates: people planned 'Swiftcations', staying a week or two after the date she played.
THE BEST NSW BEACHES FOR 2024Two NSW beaches have scored top 10 spots on the Best Australian Beaches for 2024 list. Beach expert Brad Farmer AM chose from the almost 12,000 contenders found across Australia’s mainland and surrounding islands, with The Farm in Shellharbour taking second place on the list, while Lagoon Beach on Lord Howe Island was ranked seventh. Farmer is an Australian coastal veteran and one of Tourism Australia’s Friends of Australia. His list of beaches is refreshed each year to highlight different destinations and to showcase the diversity of
beaches Australia has to offer. He said: “The list of ‘best beaches’ attracts headlines both here in Australia and in key international tourism markets around the world. "That’s why I take the chance to uncover some of those destinations that might not be well-known but are home to some of Australia’s, and in my opinion, the world’s, best beaches.” The Farm, also known as Killalea Beach, is famous with surfers throughout the region and was declared a national surfing reserve in June 2009. Meanwhile Lagoon Beach is home to the world’s southern-most coral reef. The accolades are great news for the NSW visitor economy, with Tourism Australia
research showing beaches are one of the greatest drivers of international visitor demand to Australia.
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS LIGHT UP NSWCelebrations to welcome the Year of the Wood Dragon have started in NSW ahead of Lunar New Year falling on 10 February. The 2024 wood-element dragon was last celebrated in 1964 and is believed to bring vitality and creativity. Lunar New Year is a celebration for many cultures in NSW, including the Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian and Korean communities. Sydney Lunar Festival will include street parties, live entertainment, food, lion dances, dragon boats and art and light installations during the 16-day event, starting on 10 February. Councils throughout Greater Sydney are hosting celebrations, with Campsie hosting one of the largest, including a lantern festival featuring performers and street food on 24 February. Around 50,000 locals and visitors welcomed the Year of The Dragon at Georges River Council’s Lunar New Year 2024 celebrations in Hurstville on 3 February. Funding for the event has been provided by the NSW Government through the Stronger Together Local Council Major Festival Grants Program. Lion dances will also welcome Wollongong residents to 2024 Lunar New Year celebrations in Crown Street Mall on February 15. The Year of the Wood Dragon promises to be an exciting one for the NSW visitor economy. Sydney Airport experienced one of the strongest China recoveries of any international airport globally in 2023, with nine airlines flying 89 return-services weekly to mainland China. In December 2023, China was the second largest source of visitors travelling through Sydney Airport. Data from Tourism Research Australia show that in the year ended September 2023, China ranked number one in visitor nights and expenditure in NSW. Sydney was also the fourth best performing city globally for outbound destinations this year for the Chinese
New Year period.
DOMESTIC VISITOR RESULTS: NOVEMBER 2023
Tourism Research Australia data shows stronger domestic travel results in November 2023 compared to November 2022. Spend was $8.7 billion, up three per cent. There were 9.2 million overnight trips, up eight per cent on November 2022. Visitors spent 28.6 million nights away. This was on par with November 2022. Australians took 3.3 million holiday trips (down four per cent year on year), three million trips for visiting friends and relatives (up 19 per cent year on year) and 2.5 million business trips (up 14 per cent year on year). Early data shows domestic overnight trip rates for December 2023 were stronger compared to December 2022 but slightly weaker than December 2019. Data for the first three weeks of January 2024 show weaker results when compared to January 2023.
INTERNATIONAL VISITOR RESULTS: NOVEMBER 2023
International visitor expenditure and nights spent in Australia in November 2023 exceeded November 2019 levels by four per cent and 13 per cent respectively according to new Tourism Research Australia data. Trips to Australia were 81 per cent of 2019 levels. International visitors spent $2.4 billion during their trips, took 627,000 international trips to Australia and had 22.9 million nights away. Holiday travel accounted for 259,000 trips (71 per cent of 2019 levels), with spend of $891 million (95 per cent of 2019 levels). Business travel accounted for 73,000 trips (66 per cent of 2019 levels) with spend of $207 million (101 per cent of 2019 levels), while employment-related travel accounted for 27,000 trips (165 per cent of 2019 levels, with spend of $269 million (199 per cent of 2019 levels).
UPTOWN GRANT APPLICATIONS OPEN
Hospitality operators, small businesses and collaborating individuals in Greater Sydney who have a vision for their precinct’s future can now apply for the Uptown Grant Program (Round 2). Under the second round of the funding, the NSW Government is making $6 million available to help unlock the city’s secret spots, create unique spaces and support going-out districts that reflect the bespoke cultures of local areas across Greater Sydney. New applicants from across Greater Sydney can apply for grants of between $100,000 to $200,000, while previous recipients can apply for $100,000 in funding. The first round of the program brought 21 precincts to life.
MAJOR STEP FOR WESTERN SYDNEY AEROTROPOLIS
Planning for one of the biggest economic development projects undertaken in Australia, the Bradfield City Centre, has taken a major step forward with the draft master plan now available for community feedback. The master plan will position Bradfield City Centre as a centre for innovation, education and skills development in the heart of Western Sydney. The proposal contains all key areas for a new city, including homes, streets and roads, city blocks, parks and open space, commercial and retail precincts. The NSW Government has made a $1 billion investment in the project, which is anticipated to unlock billions more in private investment.
SXSW SYDNEY 2024 INFORMATION SESSION
Join an online webinar on 14 February 2024 to learn more about packaging and selling SXSW Sydney 2024, which will take place from 14-20 October. The webinar will feature advice from Destination NSW on enhancing package offerings by highlighting the attractions of Sydney and NSW, perspectives from the SXSW Sydney team and tips from Smile Marketing on building an experience package. Session one will commence at 8am, register here. Session two will commence at 3pm, register here.
CALLS TO ESTABLISH GREEN FUEL INDUSTRY
A Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) survey has found 82 per cent of Australians believe it is important to reduce carbon emissions produced by air travel. The survey also found 86 per cent of Australians support the development of a local Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry to create jobs, lower emissions and possibly prevent travel from becoming more expensive. TTF CEO Margy Osmond said the tourism and aviation sectors also support the development of a local SAF industry.
CLOSING THE GAP REPORT RELEASED
The NSW Government has welcomed the Productivity Commission’s review on progress towards improved life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities across the country. The report notes that NSW is one of the few jurisdictions nationwide to have amended its cabinet and budget processes to reflect the requirements of the National Agreement. Over the next 12 months the NSW Government will continue to deliver the NSW Closing the Gap Implementation Plan 2022-2024, which includes 142 initiatives supported by $221 million over four years.
INDIANS INVITED TO 'COME AND SAY G'DAY'
Tourism Australia is inviting Indian visitors to ‘Come and Say G’day’ via a campaign running on digital, social, out-of-home and cinema platforms in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. The campaign is supported by content on Meta, YouTube and sporting broadcasts to reach high-value travellers. It includes assets in malls, arterial city junctions and areas that have a high density of relevant target audiences across the country, as well as cinema placements in luxury theatres. Australian Bureau of Statistics data for November 2023 shows India was the sixth largest source market for visitors to NSW.
NAROOMA MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS OPEN
A new era for the Far South Coast visitor economy is off and racing with 88 kilometres of mountain bike trails now officially open. The $4.1 million Narooma Mountain Bike Hub project, co-funded by the Australian and NSW Government under the Local Economic Recovery program, has delivered an additional 58 kilometres of new trails and a trail head car park in Bodalla State Forest. The trails are predicted to generate an extra 65,000 visitors to the region, boost the local visitor economy and grow the Far South Coast’s reputation as a premier destination for mountain biking.
REX REGIONAL NETWORK REDUCTIONS
Rex has announced it will need to prolong the regional network reductions implemented in various stages in 2023. The airline said a pilot shortage and dislocated supply chains post-COVID-19 had heavily impacted the provision of aircraft spare parts, especially aircraft engine parts. Existing regional network reductions announced in September 2023 will continue from 31 March 2024 until 27 October 2024. Rex cut flights on seven NSW routes last year, including flights from Sydney to Albury, Coffs Harbour, Griffith, Narrandera, Orange, Parkes and Port Macquarie.
SAVING OUR SPECIES PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
The NSW Government's flagship threatened species conservation program, Saving our Species, has created a partnerships page featuring an expression of interest form to find out more about partnership opportunities. A quarterly Partnering with Purpose newsletter will also launch in March, celebrating achievements in conservation. Click here to join the mailing list.
WORLD INDIGENOUS TOURISM SUMMIT
The TULU 2024 World Indigenous Tourism Summit will be held in Taiwan from 16-20 April 2024, promoting the sustainable development of Indigenous tourism. Participants will collectively explore how to utilise Indigenous cultures and natural ecosystems to provide local perspectives in guided interpretation and how to share the economic benefits brought about by Indigenous tourism.
DRONES COMBAT NSW HOLIDAY TRAFFIC
More than 70 drones are being deployed in NSW to give traffic responders unprecedented visibility from above, supporting the work of the Transport Management Centre (TMC). The drones are being deployed around road crashes and peak hour choke points, with the visibility they provide allowing detours to be put in place sooner to ease delays and clear traffic jams. Clearing traffic sooner lowers the risk of bump-on crashes that can occur at the end of traffic snarls. The drone fleet is also helping to improve real-time information relayed on apps such as Live Traffic. Transport for NSW will deploy drones during morning and afternoon peaks and during holiday traffic periods when the network is under pressure and incidents can have negative knock-on effects.
SHOWCASING ART IN REGIONAL NSW
The Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program will see more than $1.3 million in funding shared among nine projects to support the development and touring of exhibitions, with a particular focus on venues in regional and remote Australia. Recipients visiting NSW include Same Like Yesterday: Virlkuthalypila and Other Stories from Our Country, a colourful projection-installation work that follows six senior Adnyamathanha women and two teenage girls sharing their stories and memories; Primavera, The Museum of Contemporary Art’s 32nd annual exhibition; The Brothers Gruchy – an exhibition from Bundaberg Regional Galleries featuring key artworks from acclaimed digital artists Tim and Mic Gruchy; and Brett Whiteley: Inside the Studio.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS 2024 SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW TICKETS ON SALE: Family tickets are available at $110 during the early bird period, with 12 hours of free entertainment, competitions, exhibits, activities and family fun. The event is supported proudly by Destination NSW. Learn more 2024 NAROOMA OYSTER FESTIVAL TICKETS ON SALE: The festival will take place on the weekend of 3-4 May 2024 and is supported proudly by Destination NSW. Learn more WESTERN HARBOUR JANUARY FOOTFALL: New Sydney Waterfront Company data for January 2024 shows total precinct footfall was up seven per cent year-on-year, but down nine per cent in January compared with the previous month. Learn more WESTERN SYDNEY TOURISM AWARDS: The inaugural awards ceremony will celebrate the achievements of the industry in Southwest and Western Sydney on 24 October 2024. Learn more LOCAL WORKFORCE TO RE-ENGINE EMERALD MK IIs: Sydney’s three Second Generation Emerald Class vessels will be fitted with new, heavier duty engines ensuring safer, smoother and more frequent journeys along the city’s most popular ferry
route. Learn more REGIONAL NSW ON TRACK FOR LIFE-SAVING LEVEL CROSSINGS UPGRADES: Railway crossings in NSW are on track to receive significant upgrades thanks to the Australian Government’s Regional Level Crossing Upgrade Fund. Learn more NSW GOVERNMENT TACKLES SKILLS SHORTAGE: Applications are open for the NSW Public Sector Apprentices and
Trainees Program, delivering on the NSW Government’s commitment to employ 1000 extra apprentices. Learn more REGISTER FOR TOURISM AUSTRALIA'S FEBRUARY INDUSTRY WEBINAR: Tourism Australia’s new Country Manager, China, Nick Henderson, will provide an update on the China market. Register here CYBER SECURITY REGIONAL
ROADSHOW: Regional Development Australia Southern Inland is hosting a series of Cyber Security awareness events in February. Learn more ART OF ATTRACTION TOURISM SUMMIT: Australia's only conference to explore two of the fastest-growing segments in tourism - mature-age travel and art-loving visitors - will be held from 6-8 March 2024 on the Sunshine Coast. Learn more FUNDING TO SUPPORT LANDCARE: The NSW Government has allocated funding for 83 full-time equivalent local and regional Landcare coordinators and support staff through its $59 million NSW Landcare Enabling Program 2023-2027. Learn more ANZAC COMMEMORATIONS FUNDED ACROSS NSW: Organisations will share in more than $100,000 from the Anzac Community Grants Program to commemorate veterans across the state. 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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