Twenty-one NSW businesses have showcased their visitor experiences to key domestic and international travel buyers at the annual Destination NSW New Product Workshop.
The New Product Workshop provided a platform for NSW visitor economy businesses to meet with buyers including inbound tour operators, domestic wholesalers and online travel agents.
The workshop is part of the NSW First Program, a capability-building program delivered by Destination NSW to help businesses in the visitor economy develop, promote and sell visitor experiences.
Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox said the New Product Workshop facilitated more than 500 buyer appointments.
“The New Product Workshop was a valuable opportunity to introduce new distribution-ready NSW visitor experiences to inbound tour operators and online travel agents from domestic and international markets,” he said.
Among the new visitor experiences showcased at the workshop were:
- 9 new stays and experiences less than two hours from Sydney
- 6 agritourism experiences and stays
- 11 new regional NSW accommodation options for international guests, suited for road trips
- 10 experiences and attractions in or close to NSW cruise ports
- 7 experiences operating in NSW National Parks
- 3 businesses eco-certified with Ecotourism Australia
- 6 accommodation providers and 6 experiences on the Sydney to Melbourne Coastal Drive
- 1 new multi-day rail journey experience provider
- New experiences at the Art Gallery NSW following the opening of its new building
All the businesses that participated in the workshop had attended NSW First Inbound Strategy and Seller Training workshops previously and received assistance from Destination NSW to prepare them to distribute the visitor experiences they offer through online and international travel distribution networks.
Navigate Expeditions owner Jess Taunton said: “Attending this one-day event has opened a whole world of possibility and opportunity for our small business in regional NSW.
“I couldn’t recommend this event more. Even if you have worked in tourism for years, you’ll still find new information and meeting the team at Destination NSW is vital to putting your product forward on the international stage.”
Callubri Station owner Angela Armstrong said: “The NSW First program provides an incredible platform for regions that are ‘off the beaten track’ to reach an international market that would otherwise be challenging to get a foothold in.
“As an outback business in a rural area this training has been instrumental not only for our own development but also to grow our regional tourism network. The collaborative approach to product development and support through this program has been a constant source of encouragement and invigoration for our team.”
Canyonleigh Retreat Director Kushhma Chand said: “The New Product Workshop has put NSW and Canyonleigh Retreat on the global stage and we can already see the growth spurt our business is likely to experience in future.”
