NSW Government Support to Reignite Visitor Economy

The NSW Government has announced it will invest more than $8 million in a suite of grant programs to accelerate the recovery of the NSW visitor economy as the state reopens to visitors.

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney and Minister for Trade and Industry Stuart Ayres said the funding would be a significant boost to the visitor economy as travel restrictions lifted.

The $8.35 million will be delivered through the following programs:

  • $4.1 million Tourism Product Development Fund – to support regional accommodation renewal and new visitor experiences
  • $1.5 million Regional Event Fund – to support new and flagship regional events
  • $2 million Co-operative Marketing Program – leveraging Destination NSW’s new Feel New marketing campaign
  • $750,000 Regional Business Event Development Fund – to create, attract and support new business events for regional NSW
The NSW Government, through Destination NSW, will deliver the grants and support recipients to best manage their project delivery.

Read the media release here.
 

Tourism Product Development Fund

The $4.1 million fund will include two streams: a Refresh and Renew Fund and an Experience Development Fund.

Applications open for the Refresh and Renew Fund open this Friday, 5 November. The Experience Development Fund will open in the coming weeks.

Read more here
 


 

Regional Event Fund

The Regional Event Fund identifies and supports events in regional NSW that have the potential to act as ‘cornerstone’ or flagship tourism events for their area by attracting overnight visitation and delivering long-term benefits to the region.

Applications are open now for the following three streams:

  • Incubator Event stream, for the establishment of new events
  • Flagship Event stream, for the marketing of emerging events to increase their profile and encourage visitation
  • Event Development stream, for the strategic development of proven events as drivers of tourism

Applications for the Incubator and Flagship Event streams close at midnight on Sunday 5 December. The Event Development stream will remain open until available funds are exhausted.

Read more here

Cooperative Marketing Program

This program will fund activity that leverages the new ‘Feel New’ Visitor Brand to drive demand, increase exposure and ensure NSW destinations and experiences are top-of-mind between March and June 2022.

Eligible tourism organisations, local governments and tourism-related businesses will be able to buy into Destination NSW-led promotional activity packages under the NSW Visitor Brand at subsidised rates.

Download the Prospectus, applications for the program open on 2 December. Opportunity to participate will be offered on a first come, first serve basis, subject to applicants meeting the required criteria.

A Q&A webinar is scheduled to explain in more detail the program and to answer your questions:
    Regional LTOs and LGAs 
    Thursday 11 November 2021 
    11am – 12noon 
    Register here to attend
 



NSW Regional Business Event Development Fund

Designed to help stakeholders create, attract and support exciting business events for regional NSW and to support new business event initiatives. The program includes four streams:

  • Creation of a new business event  
  • Attraction of an existing business event  
  • Support for an existing business event  
  • Support for a business event project 

Applications are now open. Those submitted by 5pm Monday 31 January 2022 will be assessed on a first-come-first-served basis until the funds have been expended.

Read more here

Interested in applying?

The team at Destination Sydney Surrounds South is available to assist you with further information about the new tourism funding and if you’re interested in applying for funding, we would love to hear from you about your project!
 
Next steps, once you have downloaded and read the resources available including full funding guidelines with list of eligible activities, please reach out to us.

Shannan Perry-Hall
General Manager
[email protected]
0418 776 640

Tash McQueen
Business Support
[email protected]
0448 437 052
Aaron Matis
Industry Development Manager
[email protected]
0402 324 951
Header image: Surfers at Killalea Beach (‘The Farm’), Shell Cove. Credit: Destination NSW.