Picture: ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
Almost nine million extra airline seats, 40,000 more hotel rooms and unique experiences are expected to create a $91 billion tourism windfall for NSW in 10 years.
That is the expectation of the NSW Government in its review of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy.
The government says a $91 billion revenue target by 2035 is a 40% increase on the previous goal with $44 billion (48%) of that target expected to be spent in regional NSW.
The government says a decade of tourism growth will be underpinned by a potential increase of 8.5 million airline seats due to the new Newcastle Airport international terminal (2025) and new Western Sydney International Airport (2026), more capacity at Sydney Airport and growth in cross-border arrivals through Canberra and Gold Coast airports.
NSW Premier Chris Minns says his state is “an unbeatable hotspot” for tourists.
“People coming to New South Wales for a holiday is at an all-time high but this review shows there are opportunities to grow it even more, partially due to more airports opening and more flight routes being secured,” he says.
“We are ready to put our shoulder to the wheel and attract even more travellers to NSW, boosting local business and creating thousands of jobs.”
The government is eyeing an extra 150,000 new jobs by 2035.
NSW Tourism Minister John Graham says the review intends to make an already strong sector even stronger.
“This review dares us to dream big but it also outlines the hard work needed to meet the opportunity,” he says.
“To reach this ambitious new target we need to build more hotel rooms, attract and train more workers and create and market the experiences that connect visitors with the culture, nature and people of NSW.
The NSW Government says it wants to move the NSW tourism focus away from Sydney Harbour. Picture: ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
MEETING THE CHALLENGES
The government review identifies key challenges such as:
- 40,000 extra hotel rooms, a 41% increase on current capacity;
- Significant worker and skills shortages in roles such as tour guides and chefs; and
- More business event facilities in Sydney, Western Sydney and priority regional areas.
The review sets out suggestions for achieving the new revenue target including:
- Base the visitor economy strategy around ‘experience tourism’ beyond Sydney Harbour;
- Incorporate First Nations culture and businesses through visitor experiences;
- Increase accommodation across regional NSW and Greater Sydney;
- Boost aviation capacity in key domestic and international markets;
- Leverage leisure events to grow seasonal visits and showcase NSW;
- Dominate Australia’s business events sector;
- Capitalise on NSW’s status to international students; and
- Foster a diverse, skilled visitor workforce.
The NSW Government has begun to attract more business events with a $1.5 million increase in funding for Business Events Sydney in FY25.
A summary of the visitor economy strategy review is available here.
