Destination Download – Special Edition

In this edition:

• News & Announcements

• Business & Skills Development, Resources, Events

• Industry Insights

• Local Updates & New Product

• Grant & Funding Opportunities

NSW Tourism Awards Highlights

What a fantastic time last night at the NSW Tourism Association Awards, celebrating the best of tourism in NSW! 

Big congratulations to our Gold Award winners:
🥇 Cupitt’s Estate – Best Tourism Wineries and Breweries
🥇 Mt Hay Retreat – Luxury Experiences
🥇 Symbio Wildlife Park – Major Tourist Attraction
🥇 Holiday Haven Parks Lake Conjola – Best Caravan and Holiday Parks

We’re also thrilled to announce our win: The South Coast Centre of Excellence project took home a Tourism Star Judges Award – a great achievement for regional collaboration and innovation.

A special mention to Lyndel Gray GAICD, Chair of DSSS, for receiving the prestigious Outstanding Contribution by an Individual award.

Congrats to all winners and finalists for shaping the future of tourism in NSW! Together, we’re elevating the industry and showcasing the best of regional NSW.

Updates from the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse

Christmas is near, get your Profiles updated now!
Christmas and the New Year are fast approaching. ATDW will be closing over this period from Wednesday 25 December and reopening on Thursday 2 January 2025. So now is the time to check your profiles, are they due to expire soon? Running any events over this time? Give your profile(s) a spruce up, perhaps add a compelling Deal or Offer. Let’s make sure you’re displaying an enticing profile on ATDW’s distributor websites. Need some help or advice? See below for info on booking a free profile optimisation session with ATDW before Christmas. 

Free Personalised ATDW Support 
Are you wondering if your Tourism Business Profile could work harder for you, but not sure where to start? Standing out online is a challenge for all businesses. That’s why ATDW offer free one-on-one profile optimisation sessions to help you succeed. You will be connected with your dedicated ATDW representative for Destination Sydney Surrounds South and be guided on how to enhance your profile to help attract more customers. 
 
Boost your visibility and connect with the right audience. Visit the ATDW website today, or book your one-on-one session here. 

Add a Deal or Offer to your ATDW Profile
Uploading a deal or offer to your ATDW profile takes just 10 minutes and is completely free. Your Deal could be a Discount, Bonus Offer, Package or Special Rate. Let your customers know about it! Your Deal will feature on your ATDW profile page on the VisitNSW website, as well as on their special Deals landing page. Deals are a great way to feature in more than one location on a distributor website, so take advantage of this great tool to help boost your visibility.
 

Tourism’s Critical Role in the Australian Economy – “We are the Australian tourism industry”

Members of the Australian tourism industry have come together to take part in a Tourism Australia led industry initiative We are the Australian tourism industry to highlight the importance of tourism to Australia’s economy.

With tourism approaching a critical period in its ongoing recovery those on the frontline of the industry have issued a reminder about the value of tourism, which is expected to be worth $220 billion by 2028.

The first episode of We are the Australian tourism industry was launched as registrations opened to Tourism Australia’s flagship event, Destination Australia, to be held in March 2025. The videos will also feature at upcoming State and National tourism awards around the country. 

Download the NSW Government’s Sustainable Tourism Toolkit

The Australian Government’s Sustainable Tourism Toolkit has been popular, with thousands of views and downloads. Did you know it includes a template to help you take the first step: writing a sustainability action plan? Use this template (Appendix 3 on page 61) to help set clear goals and track your progress

Want Help to Reach the Accessible Tourism Market?

Accessible and inclusive tourism is a major opportunity, with Australia’s domestic accessible travel market worth $6.8bn in just one quarter of 2023. MyTravelResearch.com is teaming up with Charles Sturt University to explore how research can support tourism operators in engaging this growing market. Led by Dr. Nicole Sugden and Dr. Clifford Lewis, the project aims to tailor its focus based on your input. Take their 3-minute survey to help shape the research to better meet your needs.

A New Way of Collecting Domestic Tourism Statistics

Australia’s official tourism statistics for domestic and outbound travel are having a makeover. In 2025, Austrade’s Tourism Research Australia (TRA) will replace the National Visitor Survey (NVS) with a new Domestic Tourism Statistics (DoTS) collection

Bay and Bush Launches Bees and Honey Apiary Day Tour

Active Transport Fund

The Active Transport Fund commences on 31 October 2024 to provide funding for the design and construction of new or existing bicycle and walking pathways to encourage the use of active transport.

Through the program, $100 million in funding will be available from 2024-25 to 2028-29.

The aim of the program is to encourage an increase in active transport through the upgrade of existing and construction of new bicycle and walking pathways across Australia.

The focus areas for the program are:

• road safety
• reducing transport emissions
• active and liveable communities

Applications close 13 January 2025