Insights - 27 January 2023
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SUMMER EVENTS TO GENERATE $260 MILLION FOR
NSW VISITOR ECONOMY
Blockbuster sporting battles, artistic and cultural showcases, family-friendly community events and exhibition openings have provided a super start to summer and 2023 for the state’s visitor economy.
Destination NSW has supported 38 events taking place across the state in December, January and February, which are expected to attract more than 230,000 visitors and generate more than $260 million for the visitor economy across their full season run.
Led by the Summer in Sydney event series of OPEN FOR LUNCH, Noël Sydney and ELEVATE Sydney, record-breaking ticket sales at Parkes Elvis Festival and huge crowds at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, the state’s summer event calendar is providing a cool boost for local accommodation providers, hospitality venues, attractions and retailers.
Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the program of new and returning events was drawing visitors to all corners of the state.
“The NSW Government has worked hard to secure a calendar of exclusive, diverse and unmissable events to turbocharge our visitor economy and support local businesses,” Mr Franklin said.
“The Summer in Sydney event series delivered by Destination NSW for the NSW Government, has showcased our Harbour City in new, spectacular ways and added value to our full events program.
“This is in addition to incredible, place-defining regional events such as Parkes Elvis Festival and the Tamworth Country Music Festival which attract tens of thousands of visitors collectively.
“By delivering a rich and broad-ranging schedule of regional and city-based sporting, cultural and family events, we will advance on our ambition to be the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific by 2030.
“We’re backing events, we’re bringing in more visitors through our $60 million Aviation Attraction Fund and we’ve got world-class experiences in abundance – we are on track for a bumper 2023.”
The strong summer program will contribute to and build on the recovery of the state’s visitor economy, which has reached $27.9 billion in value.
AUSTRALIA DAY LIVE CONCERT DAZZLES THOUSANDS
AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
The annual Australia Day Live concert drew thousands of people on 26 January to the Sydney Opera House forecourt.
Some of the country's top performers including Casey Donovan, Dami Im, Christine Anu and her daughter Zipporah, William Barton, Isaiah Firebrace, Anthony Callea, Tim Campbell, James Morrison, Emma Pask and Darren Percival took part in the show.
Australia Day Live, supported by Destination NSW, also saw several symphony orchestras from across the country collaborate on an opening piece, soprano Mirusia and mezzo soprano Emma Kavanagh took to the stage and Koomurri Aboriginal Dance Troupe delivered a stunning performance.
Accompanying the musical entertainment was a land and water show on Circular Quay featuring projections on the Sydney Opera House, an illuminated vessel parade, jet-skiers, fly-boarders and fireworks.
Australia Day Live complemented a range of tributes and activities, which commenced with a morning projection on the Sydney Opera House sails and WugulOra (meaning ‘one mob’), a ceremony that recognises the world’s oldest living culture. The ceremony of cleansing, reflecting and connection with First Nations people was a poignant time to pause, reflect and remember.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone on the Australia Day 2023 Honours List whose contributions have enriched the NSW visitor economy, including Anthony Bastic, Gregory Bowman, Michael Cassel, Bill Granger, Kylie Kwong and Deni McKenzie.
NSW JOINS LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS
The NSW Government continued its long-standing tradition of celebrating Lunar New Year this week by lighting the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the sails were lit up to symbolise good fortune, prosperity, happiness and new beginnings for Lunar New Year.
“The NSW Government has been joining communities across the state to celebrate this significant cultural event for more than a decade,” Mr Perrottet said.
“While Lunar New Year is significant to many across the state, it also represents much of what we all stand and hope for in a new year, especially new beginnings.
“To everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year, I wish you all prosperity, good health and fortune for the year ahead.”
Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said: “You will be hard-pressed to find such rich diversity proudly championed and celebrated like it is in NSW.
“Lighting the sails of the Sydney Opera House is more than just keeping a tradition we started more than 10 years ago. It is about showing communities and the world that we welcome everyone and value our diversity.
“I wish everyone a prosperous and happy Year of the Rabbit, and for those from a Vietnamese background, a very happy Year of the Cat.”
Lunar New Year is a 15-day celebration with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends with the next full moon. This year, Lunar New Year commenced on 22 January.
The Sydney Lunar Festival runs until 5 February 2023.
SYDNEY HOSTS RUGBY 7s TOURNAMENT
The HSBC Sydney 7s takes place at Allianz Stadium from 27–29 January 2023. Supported by Destination NSW, the event makes a significant contribution to the NSW economy, attracting thousands of fans, players and officials. It injects an estimated $6 million of visitor expenditure into NSW and supports businesses and jobs. Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said a crowd of around 50,000 was expected to flock to Allianz Stadium for an action-packed, fun and colourful event with the world’s best rugby players on display.
MELBOURNE-SYDNEY ROUTE SOARS
New results from aviation data provider OAG shows Melbourne to Sydney is the fifth busiest domestic route in the world. In January 2023, the route jumped up to 702,744 seats. Seoul to Jeju Island in South Korea was the busiest domestic route in the world (1.2 million seats), followed by Tokyo to Sapporo in Japan, Hanoi to Ho-Chi Minh in Vietnam and Tokyo to Fukuoka in Japan. Domestic passenger traffic at Sydney Airport totalled 1,937,000 in December 2022, more than double the number of passengers in the same month last year.
SYDNEY WELCOMES
WEST END HIT
The West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has been secured for Sydney through the support of the NSW Government. Minister for the Arts and Tourism Ben Franklin said hosting blockbuster productions was key to the vision for the NSW visitor and 24-hour economies, with Joseph premiering during a bumper period for the state. Featuring an all-star Australian cast including Paulini and Trevor Ashley, with an award-winning songbook by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical is set to run at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from 11 February to 16 April 2023.
DIGITAL SKILLS ACCELERATOR
Applications close soon for the Destination NSW Western Sydney Digital Skills Accelerator for Tourism program. Destination NSW has partnered with digital consultancy Tourism Tribe to offer the free program to accommodation providers, tour companies and visitor attractions. In addition to receiving a customised digital health check report and Australian Tourism Data Warehouse review, successful applicants will also have two consultation sessions with a digital advisor. The program is open to businesses located in Sydney's Central River City and Western Parkland City.
SYDNEY WORLDPRIDE TO SPARKLE AT AGNSW
The Art Gallery of New South Wales will present a program of art, performance, films, talks and more to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Sydney WorldPride 2023. Staged across both buildings of the Art Gallery’s newly expanded campus, the program will include Queer Art After Hours, co-presented with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, on 22 February from 5pm to 10pm, while Queering the collection labels will showcase the breadth of queer histories in the exisiting collection.
ILLAWARRA SURF CLUB UPGRADES
The Illawarra will benefit from more than $1.3 million to upgrade, restore and improve surf clubs as part of the NSW Government’s Surf Club Facility Fund. Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said six surf clubs in the Illawarra region will receive funding through the program to create more modern, accessible facilities and ensure lifesavers have what they need to keep the community and visitors safe on our beaches. The program provides grants ranging between $50,000 and $650,000.
OFFICIAL FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP BALL
The Official Match Ball for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ has been unveiled. The design of the ball was inspired by the unique landscapes of host countries Australia and New Zealand. Produced by adidas, the ball features designs by Aboriginal artist Chern’ee Sutton and Māori artist Fiona Collis. Their art is also part of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ brand identity, Beyond Greatness™. The tournament will be taking place in July and August 2023, with 11 games to be held in Sydney, supported by Destination NSW.
EXPLORE NSW WITH SAVINGS FINDER
Families are being encouraged to explore how the NSW Government Savings Finder program could help them save money if they are planning a getaway. Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said more than 4.3 million people in NSW have accessed the Savings Finder webpage since July 2018, delivering more than $7 billion worth of savings, with the average saving around $750 per person. “There are more than 70 rebates, vouchers and concessions to help with cost-of-living pressures," Mr Dominello said.
PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON SYDNEY CYCLEWAYS
Bike riding in and around the Sydney CBD will become much easier and safer with the completion of the King St cycleway between Clarence St and Pitt St and the Oxford St East cycleway between Paddington Gates and Taylor Square. They are set to transform the way people move around the CBD and surrounding areas. To provide feedback to Transport for NSW on the King Street cycleway click here. To view the interactive map and provide feedback on the Oxford Street East cycleway click here.
PARRAMATTA TO CBD FORESHORE LINK
A continuous 91km active transport path linking Parramatta to the CBD along the foreshore is forging ahead. Detailed planning and work is underway to complete the missing link along the Bay Run at Rozelle, with work beginning on three additional missing link projects in Parramatta and Canada Bay later this year. Minister for Active Transport Rob Stokes said an interactive map detailing a draft route had been released for public feedback. An animation of the draft route is available here.
ADVENTURE BEGINS FOR REGIONAL RIDERS
Bike riders and regional communities are on track to benefit from the NSW Government's plan to boost regional tourism and grow adventure cycling experiences. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole has unveiled the Adventure Cycling Strategy, which will promote the regions as top visitor destinations for riding enthusiasts around the world. “There’s no need to pack your bag for Europe and tackle the climbs of the Tour De France or go off road in New Zealand – there are plenty of amazing sights to experience from your bike right here in NSW,” Mr Toole said.
GRANTS TO SUPPORT ABORIGINAL LANGUAGES
The NSW Government's Aboriginal Languages Grants Program is open for community organisations and groups to support their language programs. The $1.6 million investment aims to reawaken, grow and raise awareness of Aboriginal languages in communities across NSW. It will be split between the Aboriginal Languages Revival Program, which focusses on small, seed funding to reach a range of communities across the state; and the Aboriginal Languages Sustainable Funding Program, which promotes sustainability by offering renewed funding for $25,000 to $60,000.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
$20.5 MILLION COMMUNITY AND PLACE GRANTS: Aboriginal projects across NSW will receive a boost thanks to a $20.5 million investment from the NSW Government. The Community and Place grants program will support 143 projects. Learn more
NORTHERN RIVERS RAIL TRAIL PARTNER PROGRAM: Tweed Council is inviting businesses to register their interest in its Partner Program in advance of the 24km Tweed section opening. There are opportunities for everything from cafes to bike hire, cultural tours, accommodation and more. Learn more
POWERHOUSE ULTIMO RENEWAL: The next step in the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for the Powerhouse Ultimo planning process involves consultation with the community. Sign up to the mailing list to receive project updates.
AUSTRALIAN STREET ROD NATIONALS 2023: The 25th Australian Street Rod Nationals will be held from 6-10 April at Hawkesbury Showground. The event attracts more than 1000 modified vehicles, ranging from Model T hot rods to early 1960s custom cars. Learn more
TOURISM AUSTRALIA INDUSTRY WEBINAR: Tourism Australia’s first industry webinar for 2023 will be held on 24 February. Executive General Manager, Strategy and Research, Rob Dougan will give an update on what the future traveller looks like. Register to attend the webinar here.
CATHY FREEMAN PARK TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO LIVE SITE FOR CRICKET: The location at Sydney Olympic Park will be transformed into a live site to screen the first two Test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia, starting 9 February. 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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