Insights - 18 August 2023
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WORLD CUP GIVES $3 BILLION BOOST TO
NSW VISITOR ECONOMY
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ has seen a $2.98 billion rise in travel and retail spending in NSW, according to financial infrastructure platform Airwallex.
“In the current environment this has been a screamer of a goal for the Australian economy,” Airwallex ANZ General Manager Luke Latham told The Australian.
“The world game is living up to its name with our tracker showing international visitors have so far spent an extra $4.53 billion at Australian hotels and retailers.”
All eyes were on Sydney for the Matildas' semi-final match against England at Stadium Australia, which was attended by 75,784 people, with a further 11.15 million watching it on TV, the biggest audience in modern ratings history.
The match attracted an overall 89.8 per cent commercial share of viewers during its timeslot, with 93.2 per cent of 25- to 54-year-olds and 96.1 per cent of 16- to 39-year-olds tuning in.
Pubs, clubs, parks and public venues across NSW have been packed with people watching the tournament.
The FIFA Fan Festival™ in Darling Harbour has been attended by more than 224,000 fans throughout the tournament to date.
Click here for more information about everything taking place at the FIFA Fan Festival.
Merivale Group said more than 40,000 patrons attended its venues that screened the Matildas vs France game. Hospitality group Solotel also celebrated record attendance across its venues.
Endeavour Group CEO Steve Donohue said his executives hadn’t seen such a vibrant and lively atmosphere at pubs to watch a sporting event since Cathy Freeman raced at the Sydney Olympics, declaring people were “absolutely back at pubs”.
SYDNEY LIGHTS UP FOR PLAY-OFF MATCH
As the Matildas prepare to face Sweden in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM third-place play-off match, the NSW Government will open the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) at Moore Park to maximise fan screening sites in the city.
The SCG gates will open at 5.30pm ahead of the 6pm kick-off. Saturday night’s match will also be screened at the FIFA Fan FestivalTM at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour.
Once capacity is reached at Tumbalong Park, the ICC Event Deck will be made available for fans to view the knock-out match on a big screen.
Other locations across Sydney and NSW will also be showing the remaining FIFA Women's World Cup 2023TM matches. Click here for more information.
Once again, the Sydney Opera House sails will be illuminated green and gold on Saturday night from 5:50pm, along with other key landmarks.
Saturday’s match will be the first time the Australian football team has progressed to the third-place play-off in a FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM, with Sydney also set to host the Final against England and Spain on Sunday night with kick-off at 8pm at Stadium Australia.
Destination NSW is proud to have secured 11 games for Sydney during the tournament.
Bonza has announced it will name the fifth plane in its fleet Matilda in honour of the Australian team.
Bonza CCO Carly Povey said naming the airline's planes gave them unique personalities among Bonza’s team and customers.
“Like the rest of the nation, our team of legends has been gripped by ‘Matilda Mania’, thanks to their sportsmanship, mateship with one another and their pride in wearing the green and gold,” she said.
“As an airline solely focused on Australia, it seemed fitting to name our next aircraft, Matilda.”
SYDNEY SCORES SECOND FIFA CONFERENCE & COMMUNITY TOURNAMENT
Sydney secured the second edition of the FIFA Women's Football Convention, being held today and tomorrow to conclude the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™.
Held at the International Convention Centre Sydney, the FIFA Women's Football Convention is hosting 1000 delegates over two days in Sydney with an estimate value to the NSW economy of $1.2 million.
The FIFA Women’s Football Convention features speakers who are influential and successful in their field, chosen because they are helping give women and girls the chance to fulfil their potential – whether that be in football, sport or society.
Learn more here.
Forty local female footballers will unite with some of the greatest players in the history of the game on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on Saturday, 19 August bringing the excitement of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™️ to the game’s grassroots in the Beyond Greatness™️ Community Football Tournament.
Two NSW State Indigenous Representative U16 teams will play a round-robin competition with teams from Kissing Point FC and Hurlstone Park Wanders FC.
The young footballers will share the pitch with FIFA legends including Brazil’s Formiga, France’s Laura Georges and England internationals Fara Williams and Kelly Smith.
Fans will be able to take a seat on the steps of the Sydney Opera House to view the matches between 2pm and 5pm, before making the short journey to the FIFA Fan Festival™️ at Tumbalong Park ahead of kick-off between Sweden and Australia at 6pm.
THE VALUE OF TOURISM TO CENTRAL WEST NSW
Every minute of every day, the visitor economy delivers $3376 of domestic visitor spend into Central West NSW. That is $4.9 million per day, a value that grew by 55.7% in 2022.
Destination NSW's 'Value of Tourism to Central West 2022' report shows the number of domestic visitors to the Destination Network was almost five million, who spent almost $1.8 billion.
The top region for visitors in the Central West was Orange (1.344 million), followed by Bathurst (1.235 million).
The most popular activities for domestic overnight visitors were eating out/dining at a restaurant and/or cafe (54 per cent); visiting friends and relatives (29 per cent) visiting pubs, clubs, discos (25 per cent); sightseeing (21 per cent); bushwalking/rainforest walks (14 per cent).
In 2022, the Central West Destination Network secured events that delivered $169 million worth of domestic visitor expenditure into the state. They included Parkes Elvis Festival, the Mudgee Classic and Bathurst Winter Festival.
NEW CHINA VISITOR DATA RELEASED
Tourism Research Australia (TRA) data shows China was Australia's number five visitor market in the year ending May 2023. The majority of Chinese travellers were aged 15-29 (43 per cent), followed by 45–59-year-olds (21 per cent). NSW welcomed 58 per cent of visitors. TRA forecasts Chinese arrivals will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2026.
OVERSEAS ARRIVALS FOR JUNE
There were 203,410 short-term visitor arrivals to NSW in June 2023, an increase of 112,070 compared to June 2022. New Zealand lead recent growth in short-term visitor arrivals (32,970 trips), followed by United States (24,040) and China (16,140). There were 542,080 short-term visitor arrivals to Australia – an annual increase of 266,780 trips.
SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US
Destination NSW is seeking news and content from visitor economy stakeholders to help spread the word about the many reasons to visit NSW. Tell us about the new experiences your business, organisation or destination is offering that will wow visitors to your region - anything from nature-based activities to luxury stays, seasonal attractions, foodie finds or local favourites. The Destination NSW PR team will use this information to create captivating media pitches, produce inspiring content on the Destination NSW Media Centre and support planning of potential media familiarisations and media hosting opportunities.
QANTAS UNVEILS 'YES' AIRCRAFT
Qantas Group is supporting the Yes23 campaign ahead of the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Three Qantas Group aircraft will feature the Yes23 campaign logo - a Qantas Boeing 737, a QantasLink Dash 8 Turboprop and a Jetstar Airbus A320. Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: "We’re supporting the Yes23 campaign because we believe a formal voice to government will help close the gap for First Nations people in important areas like health, education and employment. Like our Flying Art livery aircraft showcasing First Nations culture to a global audience, these aircraft will send a message of support for a Yes vote as they travel the country."
AFTA REVEALS NEW NAME & STRATEGY
The Australian Federation of Travel Agents has changed its name to the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) to more accurately reflect its members and drive one voice for the travel industry. The association has unveiled three caucuses: one for independent travel agents, one for independent contractors/home-based agents and one for the tour operator and wholesaler segment. Watch a video about the changes here.
OPEN FOR LUNCH ACCOLADE
Open for Lunch 2022 has been chosen as a National Finalist at the 2023 Australian Event Awards in the Best New Event category. Proudly delivered by Destination NSW and partners, the celebration of food and award-winning chefs took place across four precincts along George Street in Sydney CBD and at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta. The awards night will be held on 13 September 2023 at the Highline Venue in Bankstown.
CARAVAN PARK GRANTS HIT THE SPOT
Caravan Industry Association of Australia is celebrating the success of the Federal Government's $10 million Caravan Park Infrastructure Grants. The funding allocated under the October 2022 Federal budget has allowed infrastructure enhancements for 111 caravan parks across the country. CEO Stuart Lamont said: "This is not just a win for the caravan industry but for every Australian and international visitor who wishes to experience the best that our nation has to offer."
CARAVAN INDUSTRY ECOTOURISM PROGRAM
Ecotourism Australia and Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) are collaborating to create a pathway to sustainability for caravanning and camping tourism enterprises through Ecotourism Australia’s Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard. CIAA Chief Executive Stuart Lamont said: “Caravanning and camping has immense potential to be part of the growing responsible travel movement and to lead regional small to medium-sized business toward innovative sustainability.”
GREEN TRAVEL LEADERS 2023
Eight NSW businesses have been inducted into Ecotourism Australia’s Hall of Fame as Green Travel Leaders: Tribal Warrior, Simmo's Offroad Tours, Broger's End Kangaroo Valley, Diamond Waters Treehouse Retreat, Oakvale Wildlife Park, Spirit Safaris, Noonaweena and AquaFun Avoca Lake. Green Travel Leaders are businesses that have a decade of ECO Certification. Ecotourism Australia CEO Elissa Keenan said: "With travellers increasingly seeking transformative and sustainable experiences that make a difference, these operators are at the forefront of sustainability leadership."
STURT'S STEPS TOURING ROUTE LAUNCHES
Sturt's Steps Touring Route was officially opened this week during a ceremony at Milparinka Post Office. The route approximates the journey taken by Charles Sturt when he searched for an inland sea in 1845. It connects about 1100km of sealed and unsealed roads from Broken Hill to Milparinka, Tibooburra and Cameron Corner to create a circular adventure experience for visitors. The project is owned by Milparinka Heritage & Tourism Association and received funding via Restart NSW and Infrastructure NSW with the support of the NSW Government.
ALLIANZ STADIUM CONCERT CAP REVIEW
The NSW Government is continuing its bid to increase the number of major concerts at Allianz Stadium. Concerts at Allianz Stadium are estimated to be worth $7 million per night to the NSW economy and create some 1500 direct and indirect jobs. This is in addition to attracting attendees from all over Sydney, NSW and Australia. The planning amendment to the stadium’s State Significant Development Application (SSDA) goes on public exhibition on 12 August with people invited to have their say. The concert cap restricts the SCG and Allianz Stadium to a maximum of six concerts per year, with a five-year rolling average of four concerts a year.
ACCC AIRPORT MONITORING REPORT
The ACCC's latest Airport Monitoring Report shows the total operating profit margins at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth airports in 2021-22 remained below the results achieved in the last full non-pandemic financial year of 2018-19. ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said: “While there was a rebound in passenger numbers in the latter part of 2021-22 as domestic and international borders reopened, all four airports still reported financial year operating losses from aeronautical services. The airports were still profitable overall as their non-aeronautical operations, including parking and leasing, more than offset the losses on aeronautical services.”
WORLD'S MOST INSTAGRAMMED BEACHES
Luggage storage specialist Bounce has collated posts and hashtags on Instagram to find the world's top 10 most popular beaches. Two NSW beaches topped the list: Bondi Beach was number one with 1.9 million hashtagged posts and was described as a "dream travel spot"; while Manly Beach was number two with 543,520 hashtagged posts and was hailed as a "surfer’s nirvana".
MANLY SCENIC WALKWAY ACCOLADE
Manly Scenic Walkway - the 10km coastal trail also known as the Spit to Manly walk - has been recognised as one of the world's leading attractions in Tripadvisor's 2023 Travellers’ Choice Awards. The awards celebrate businesses and attractions that have consistently received great reviews over the last 12 months, placing them among the top 10 per cent of listings globally.
NEW CHAIR FOR VENUES NSW
Venues NSW Chair the Hon. Morris Iemma has resigned due to a medical episode and the requirement for ongoing treatment. Mr Iemma was announced as the new Venues NSW Chair in July following a selection process led by the Premier’s Department and the Office of Sport. Another qualified candidate from that process, David Gallop AM, has been appointed to the role. Mr Gallop formerly led the National Rugby League and Football Federation Australia.
JT TRAVELS HEADS TO ORANGE AND MUDGEE
The August edition of JT Travels - sponsored by Destination NSW, will broadcast the weather for Channel 7’s Weekend Sunrise live from Orange on 19 August and Mudgee on 20 August, showcasing the upcoming food and wine festivals and experiences in the respective regions. Weekend Sunrise is one of Australia’s highest rating national breakfast TV programs, with an average audience reach of 1.12 million each weekend.
VISITOR ECONOMY WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
EVENTS MENTORING PROGRAM APPLICATIONS CLOSING: Meetings & Events Australia will launch the second intake into its 2023 Mentor Program between 1 September and 30 November. Expressions of interest close on 23 August 2023. Learn more
SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE CYCLEWAY RAMP TO HONOUR ABORIGINAL CULTURE: The ramp will feature a prominent design that honours the important Aboriginal history of the area, as plans for the cycleway pass the final hurdle before construction. Learn more
INDUSTRY ROAD MAP GUIDES CARAVAN PARKS OUT OF INSURANCE HARD CYCLE: Caravan Industry Association of Australia has released its industry road map, a five-point strategy to help guide caravan parks through a hard market cycle in the insurance industry. Learn more
TANK STREAM HOTEL TO BE REBRANDED: Sydney’s Tank Stream Hotel will be re-branded as Rydges Australia Square in mid-2024 following an agreement which sees the hotel now operating under EVT Hotels and Resorts management. Learn more
WORK TO START ON POP-UP PARK AT PYRMONT: The NSW Government is starting work on a new temporary park at Bank Street in Pyrmont for locals and visitors to play, exercise and relax. Learn more
MOTORSPORT INNOVATION PRECINCT FOR WESTERN SYDNEY: Australia's first Motorsport Innovation Precinct is opening at Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek and will house the next generation of motor-engineers. Learn more
FIRST BUS INDUSTRY TASKFORCE REPORT RELEASED: The NSW Government has given in-principle support to seven key recommendations made by the taskforce. Learn more
2024 NSW SENIORS FESTIVAL: The 2024 NSW Seniors Festival is shaping up to be bigger and better, with the theme ‘Reach Beyond’. 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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