NSW TOURISM CONTINUES TO LEAD NATION

NSW

Destination NSW continues to develop a range of successful promotions, major international partnerships and a packed major events calendar to consolidate the State’s position as the premier Australian tourism destination.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said, “NSW has once again held its spot as the number one state for visitors, visitor nights and visitor expenditure. This is thanks to our calendar of world class events in both Sydney and Regional NSW, investments in infrastructure and the focus on developing new products and experiences and marketing innovations and partnerships across the industry.”

Key achievements in recent times for the State’s tourism and major events agency include:

• Securing major events including visits of international football giants Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur, the Opening Series of Major League Baseball, the Sydney International Art Series and the upcoming Australian premiere of Matilda: The Musical
• Continuing to expand Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, which attracted 1.7 million people in 2015
• Implementation of the Regional Visitor Economy Fund (RVEF) which has seen a $6 million increase in funding over three years
• Implementation of the 2012-2020 China Tourism Strategy, which contributed to a 17.8 per cent increase in overnight visitation from Chinese travellers to NSW for the year ended December 2014
• Targeted international marketing campaigns and partnering with airlines including Qantas, China Southern and China Eastern Airlines, Scoot and AirAsiaX

Delivering more than 80 per cent of the actions identified in the NSW Government’s Visitor Economy Industry Action Plan (VEIAP).“These events and strategies are crucial as Destination NSW helps work towards achieving the NSW Government’s target of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020,” Ms Chipchase said.