MUCH OF NSW OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND READY FOR VISITORS

Information direct from the tourism industry and authorities confirms that the majority of the state is open for business following the widespread bushfires of recent months.

Destination NSW has been working closely with industry to understand the impact of the bushfires, and thankfully much of the state’s tourism infrastructure, products and experiences are ready to receive visitors.

With improved conditions and confirmation of access to many towns from RFS, local council and operators on the ground this week, Destination NSW is now actively promoting Sydney and the State’s regions encouraging visitors not to cancel forward travel plans and also to support affected communities by taking a holiday or short getaway now.

The message to consumers is simple: the best thing you can do to help the state is book a holiday in NSW, stay local and buy local.

Travellers are being urged to book for Australia Day long weekend, a romantic Valentine's Day getaway, Easter, winter and beyond – from caravan and camping trips to coastal getaways, outback adventures and holidays to enjoy regional events.

This position is now reflected across Destination NSW’s many marketing and publicity channels including a new travel alert page on both VisitNSW.com and Sydney.com, the DNSW corporate website that includes the latest advice on NSW’s tourism regions.

The messaging is also being used to guide posts on consumer and corporate social channels and in proactive publicity pitching to domestic and international markets.

This week Destination NSW recommenced marketing activities including social media content, search and It’s On website marketing, while work on a comprehensive disaster recovery plan continued.

Further, two new factsheets were developed: one to inform visitors about how to say safe and rights regarding cancellations and refunds, the other to support tourism businesses navigate obligations toward customers, employees, contractors and suppliers. You can find these factsheets and other information on the Destination NSW corporate website.

Destination NSW is working with industry and Government stakeholders to provide the most up-to-date information and advocate for industry in recovery planning.