During his address Mr Graham discussed the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 review, which is currently being currently undertaken by Destination NSW.
“The big change we’re working on is extending the focus beyond the big icons on Sydney Harbour and drawing more attention to the diverse range of experiences you can have right across this incredible state,” he said.
“That includes our food and beverage tourism, our outdoor and adventure tourism, along with cultural experiences and Indigenous cultural experiences.
“These experiences will mean our visitors keep coming back. The days of postcard tourism are behind us, visitors want to engage with the places and the people they visit.
“The refocus on experiences will build on the hard work that’s been done to promote our destinations. Now we’re moving on to give more reasons to invite visitors, and more reasons to come back again and again.”
Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox gave a keynote speech that highlighted visitor economy milestones and the importance of collaboration to maximise growth opportunities.
“For the first time in history, the NSW visitor economy surpassed $50 billion in expenditure in 2023,” he said.
“The impending opening of Western Sydney International and Newcastle International Airport represents further potential for the sector.
“Destination NSW offers a range of programs and support for stakeholders. Our NSW First Program, for example, is there to help businesses to develop, promote and sell their experiences.
“I encourage you to participate in our upcoming workshops and webinars. Your Destination Network is also a great resource for information about visitor trends and updates on NSW Government training programs and funding.”
Destination NSW also participated in a ‘Creating agritourism experiences’ panel discussion that explored the journey of farmstay Callubri Station to becoming an internationally-ready agritourism product.
Callubri Station has been actively involved in the NSW First Program, taking part in webinars and workshops and attending its first Australian Tourism Exchange earlier this month.
Callubri Station Co-director Angie Armstrong said: “I burst into tears when I talk about Destination NSW. The support has been incredible.”
“Trying to get a foot in the door with buyers and international agents without Destination NSW would have been difficult.
“When I first spoke to them about the concept for Callubri Station, they said it was a really great idea, helped to refine it and have been there through every step of our journey to becoming export ready.”
Tweed Shire Council will host the 2025 Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Destination and Visitor Economy Conference.
