Insights - 25 August 2023
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NSW PREPARES FOR RECORD CRUISE SEASON
Australia is gearing up for a record cruise season this summer, with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) forecasting cruise ship visits will surpass pre-pandemic levels.
CLIA Australasia Managing Director Joel Katz said: “Between October and April about 70 cruise ships are scheduled to operate in Australian waters. That’s well above the 60 or so that had been scheduled over the summer of 2019-20.
“NSW will welcome the lion’s share of cruise guests, with 51 ships scheduled to visit the ports of Sydney, Eden and Newcastle over the summer peak. Together they will make 355 port calls in NSW, representing more than 700,000 passenger visit days.
“Cruising may have returned late to this part of the world, but we are fast catching up with the rest of the world – bringing economic benefits to dozens of communities around Australia’s coasts.”
Cruise tourism has rebounded faster than international tourism arrivals according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) 2023 State of the Industry Report, with cruise passenger volume forecast to reach 106 per cent of 2019 levels in 2023. This compares to the United Nationals World Tourism Organization forecast that international tourist arrivals in 2023 could reach 80 to 95 per cent of 2019 levels this year.
In welcome news for cruise industry stakeholders, NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed this week that COVID-19 vaccination requirements for cruise passengers would be removed, bringing Australia into line with other jurisdictions around the world.
“We need to move on and get life back to normal,” Mr Minns told the Daily Telegraph. “Australia can’t remain the only country globally with these rules for cruising.”
Further discussions with other states will be necessary, but CLIA said it was hopeful that cruise guests will have clarity ahead of the coming summer season.
Business Sydney, in collaboration with Carnival Australia, hosted a breakfast event for its members and cruise industry stakeholders on board the P&O Cruises Pacific Adventure on 22 August to highlight the contribution of the cruise industry to the visitor economy of NSW.
Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox joined key industry stakeholders for the 'Cruising Means Business - Why this summer season will be a triumph for Sydney' event.
NSW Parliamentary Secretary for the Premier & the Arts Julia Finn MP addressed the breakfast on how the cruise industry plays a vital role in the NSW visitor economy.
A panel discussion, moderated by Daily Telegraph editor Ben English, delivered insightful perspectives on the key issues facing the sector from Tourism & Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond, Carnival Australia Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer Teresa Lloyd, NSW Taxi Council CEO Nick Abrahim and Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson.
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON CRUISING
Destination NSW has a laser focus on supporting the cruise industry to deliver visitor economy and jobs growth in NSW.
In line with the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030, Destination NSW works with the cruise sector to develop new opportunities for Sydney and regional NSW.
Opportunities for collaboration are leveraged via Destination NSW's 2023 Gold Executive Partnership with Cruise Lines International Association and a Platinum State Tourism Organisation membership of the Australian Cruise Association.
Destination NSW also collaborated this year with Port Authority NSW to publish a revised Cruise Sydney & NSW – Along the Blue Highway guide, which both agencies use to showcase NSW cruise ports and experiences to cruise lines and other visitor economy stakeholders.
The development and distribution of cruise shore excursions, including tours and visitor attractions, is also supported to increase visitor economy outcomes from cruise ships making calls at ports in Sydney and along the NSW coast. This includes workshops and resources through the NSW First Program and familiarisation visits for cruise ground handlers.
View 'Quick tips for creating cruise shore experiences' here.
Destination NSW this week unveiled a suite of stunning new video and images assets from five NSW cruise ports and their surrounding visitor experiences.
Eden, Batemans Bay, Newcastle, Sydney Overseas Passenger Terminal and White Bay all feature in the new asset release.
These photos and videos complement Destination NSW's existing suite of content of onshore experiences at all nine NSW ports that are currently available on the Content Library.
The content can be used to promote cruising in NSW to both domestic and international audiences across all marketing channels.
The extensive video and photography assets can be ordered and downloaded through the Destination NSW Content Library.
DESTINATION NSW HEADS TO CRUISE CONFERENCE
The Australian Cruise Association (ACA) Conference and AGM is being held in Wollongong from 30 August to 1 September 2023.
As a member of ACA, Destination NSW is attending the event whose program focuses on the next phase of cruise growth and how to maximise opportunities.
Australian Cruise Association CEO Jill Abel said: “We are really looking forward to the industry coming together at our conference, ready to capitalise on the optimistic future of cruising both at home and abroad.”
This year's conference is supported by Destination Wollongong, City of Wollongong and Port Authority of NSW, with Destination NSW showcasing NSW food and wine through sponsorship of the conference's gala dinner and a familiarisation visit of the Illawarra region for key shore excursion decision makers.
THE VALUE OF TOURISM TO COUNTRY & OUTBACK NSW
Every minute of every day, the visitor economy delivers $4351 of domestic visitor spend into Country & Outback NSW. That is $6.3 million per day, a value that grew by 63.7% in 2022.
Destination NSW's 'Value of Tourism to Country & Outback 2022' report shows the number of domestic visitors to the region was more than 5.3 million, who spent almost $3 billion in the region.
The top destination for visitors in the New England North West district was Tamworth (984,000), in the Central West it was Dubbo (1.1 million) and in Outback NSW it was Broken Hill (260,000).
The most popular activities for visitors were eating out/dining at a restaurant and/or cafe (51 per cent); visiting pubs, clubs, discos (28 per cent); visiting friends and relatives (26 per cent); sightseeing (19 per cent); bushwalking/rainforest walks (13 per cent).
Read the full report here.
Part of a 'Value of Tourism' Series.
EVENTS BOOST COUNTRY AND OUTBACK
VISITOR ECONOMIES
In 2022, the Country and Outback region secured events that delivered $154 million worth of visitor expenditure into the state.
Among the events were the TOYOTA Country Music Festival in Tamworth, the Orange Chamber Music Festival and the recent Mundi Mundi Bash in Broken Hill.
Mundi Mundi Bash 2023 was held from 17-19 August 2023 and was proudly supported by Destination NSW.
Set against the spectacular backdrop of Mundi Mundi Plains, it has become a bucket list experience for visitors to outback NSW.
The all-ages, family and dog-friendly music festival drew more than 12,000 attendees and broke the world record for the most people performing the iconic Nutbush dance, with 6594 people gathering to kick up the dust.
Major events like Mundi Mundi Bash are key to the vitality of our regional centres, attracting thousands of fans, performers and event staff who stay in hotels, visit attractions and spend locally, supporting businesses and jobs throughout the region.
'FEEL NEW IN BROKEN HILL' CAMPAIGN SUCCESS
Destination NSW, in consultation with Broken Hill City Council and Destination Country and Outback NSW, recently delivered a campaign in response to challenges that emerged due to COVID-19 related border closures.
The campaign, developed under Destination NSW’s Feel New brand, targeted travellers from Sydney, regional NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT across YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, plus print and digital advertising in News Corp’s Escape section. The objective of the campaign was to increase appeal and consideration of Broken Hill among travellers over 45 years old by showcasing Broken Hill as a destination to experience a unique blend of art, culture and stunning desert landscapes.
Campaign tracking research conducted by Destination NSW’s research agency Fifty Five 5 showed the campaign was highly successful in meeting its core objectives, with both appeal (45 per cent) and consideration of a trip to Broken Hill (31 per cent) increasing significantly among people who saw the campaign, versus those who had not.
In addition, 57 per cent of those who saw the campaign went on to take action, including 15 per cent visiting a website for further information, 11 per cent speaking to family or friends about booking a trip, nine per cent deciding to go on a holiday or short break to Broken Hill, 8 per cent expanding their itinerary to additional locations in the Broken Hill area and eight per cent booking a new trip to Broken Hill during the campaign period.
The campaign delivered more than 11 million impressions via social media and digital video with more than 2.9 million completed views on YouTube.
The Broken Hill pages on VisitNSW.com received 34,000 visits and generated 3400 leads to operators in Broken Hill during the campaign period. This was a 162 per cent increase in traffic during the campaign period compared to the previous period.
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP WINS FOR NSW
Destination NSW is proud to have secured 11 games for Sydney during the milestone Women’s World Cup 2023 TM , hosting 603,957 football fans in the Harbour City – almost one third of the 1.9 million people who attended matches during the biggest tournament of its kind to date. The FIFA Fan Festival TM site in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, was the largest FIFA Fan Festival TM across the nine host cities, attracting 250,084 attendees. FIFA has reported that USD $570 million in revenue was generated throughout the tournament, allowing the event to break even for the first time.
PLATYPUS NAMED AFTER AUSSIE ICONS
A rescued female Platypus puggle being cared for at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo has been named Matilda after Australia’s much-loved women’s soccer team record breaking run at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM. She was found under a bush on the NSW Central Coast, weak and severely malnourished. Thanks to attentive, around-the-clock care from Taronga’s expert Platypus team who hand-fed her six times a day for two months, she was saved. Matilda, who is now approximately eight-months old, is eating and foraging on her own and recently weighed in at 694 grams.
NEW FACE OF SPORT AT STADIUM AUSTRALIA
The NSW Government has commissioned a giant mural at Stadium Australia to celebrate the Matildas’ historic success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM. The permanent mural will capture some of the Matildas’ greatest moments during the tournament. It will serve as a permanent reminder of how the Matildas’ captured the imagination of the nation and inspired the next generation of female athletes. The artwork will be installed on the external façade of the eastern side of Accor Stadium.
SPORTING LEGACY FOR WOMEN & GIRLS
The Federal Government has announced one of Australia’s biggest investments in women’s sports, with funding and reforms to help more women play sport. The Play our Way grants program has been given $200 million to promote equal access, build more suitable facilities and support grassroots initiatives to get women and girls to engage, stay and participate in sport throughout their lives. Guidelines for Play Our Way grants are in development and applications are expected to open by early 2024.
QANTAS ADDS MORE THAN 250,000 SEATS
Qantas has announced it will add more than 250,000 seats to its international capacity to meet strong travel demand. The Qantas Group is currently at around 80 per cent of its pre-COVID international capacity levels. This is expected to reach 100 per cent by March 2024, with this additional flying taking it beyond that level from July 2024 onwards. Flights will increase from four per week to daily from August 2024 on the New York-Auckland-Sydney route; capacity will nearly be doubled on the Johannesburg-Sydney route from July 2024; and Los Angeles-Sydney flights increasing from eight to nine per week from July 2024.
CHINA TOPS NSW ARRIVALS FOR JULY
A total of 3.38 million passengers passed through Sydney Airport in July 2023, representing an 87.8 per cent recovery compared to July 2019. Chinese passengers were the number one overseas visitors for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019. The number of Chinese nationals coming through the T1 international terminal in July represented a 76 per cent recovery rate on July 2019. For the first time since COVID-19 travel restrictions eased, the international recovery overtook the domestic recovery, with 1.3 million travellers passing through the international terminal, an 89.1 per cent recovery rate on July 2019.
REX ON TOP FOR RELIABILITY
Rex Airlines has been named as Australia’s most reliable airline for the month of July, leading the table by a wide margin, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE). Rex led the pack for both domestic and regional operations. Qantas Group recording 100 per cent more cancellations compared to Rex.
VIRGIN PARTNERS WITH LUXURY ESCAPES
Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program has commenced an exclusive multi-year partnership with travel company Luxury Escapes. Velocity’s 11.5 million members and Luxury Escapes’ three million Australian customers can now earn and redeem Velocity Points on thousands of luxury holiday packages, hotels, cruises, tours and other offers.
THIRD TRANSPLANTATION CONFERENCE FOR SYDNEY
The International Congress of The Transplantation Society (TTS) will return to Sydney in 2026 for the third time. The biennial meeting is the peak international transplant congress, bringing together 3000 global delegates. The congress is worth an estimated $10.3 million to the NSW visitor economy and will be held over four days at the International Convention Centre Sydney.
AUSTRALIA MARKETPLACE CHINA 2023
Seller applications are open to attend Australia Marketplace China. The event will include two days of appointments between buyers and sellers as well as networking opportunities. It will provide an opportunity for the Australian tourism industry to build relationships with product planners and travel decision makers from China. Applications close on 22 September 2023.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
WRISTBANDS & DAY PASSES FOR SXSW SYDNEY: Wristbands have gone on sale for the SXSW Sydney Games Festival, SXSW Sydney 2023 Screen Festival and SXSW Sydney Music Festival, plus day passes to the SXSW Sydney® Tech & Innovation Expo. Learn more
OUTDOOR INDUSTRY POSITION OF CLIMATE CHANGE SURVEY 2023: The Outdoors NSW/ACT climate change committee is looking to gather more responses for its Australia-wide survey regarding the outdoors industry's position on climate change. Take survey
E-SCOOTERS ROLL INTO ARMIDALE: Armidale will become the newest location in NSW to welcome a trial of shared scheme e-scooters. The trial is expected to run for 12 months from 7 September 2023. Learn more
COUNTDOWN TO MANLY JAZZ BEGINS: Manly will come alive with the sounds of Australia's longest running jazz festival, Manly Jazz, from 22–24 September 2023. Learn more
2023 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE ENTRIES OPEN: Nominate your business, colleagues or employees and celebrate the achievements of the Caravan, Camping, Manufactured Housing & Land Lease Living industry in NSW. 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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