DNC Tools and Resources

The North Coast NSW Destination Management Plan 2022 – 2030 has been developed to guide industry on priority strategies and required actions that will drive the growth of the visitor economy at a regional level. The plan provides the foundations on which future local plans can be built and updated to provide a common vision. This document is an adaptable plan that will be reviewed annually by Destination North Coast in consultation with Destination NSW and industry stakeholders.

The North Coast is the number one region for tourism in regional NSW. We believe for this success to be sustained that we need to have a shared vision and understanding of the Value of Tourism to ensure that we continue to evolve the perception of the region whilst improving the visitor experience and maximising the visitor economy.

The 2021 Calendar Year data provides a timely reflection on the importance of the visitor economy to our region and what we need to build back towards in a post-bushfire and COVID-19 environment.

Review archived 2019 Value of Tourism Snapshot.
Review archived 2018 Value of Tourism Snapshot.

An exciting opportunity for businesses and communities across the Northern Rivers has recently been unveiled with the launch of the new Northern Rivers NSW Brand.

What is the Brand?
The Northern Rivers NSW Brand is the symbol of a new economic and cultural era for one of New South Wales’ oldest, diverse and alluring regions, representing the Northern Rivers of NSW, from the Tweed border to the Clarence Valley.

Why do we need a Brand for the region?
In an ever competitive world, businesses and their communities need a point of difference and scale. This region is famous for collaboration and co-operation, a point of difference demonstrated by the collective approach to developing this brand.

The Northern Rivers NSW Brand ties these communities together, connecting a population in excess of 250,000. Physically connected by the rivers of northern NSW, these communities are now connected by a common brand demonstrating tangible scale.

How was it developed?
The need for a Northern Rivers NSW brand was identified in the compilation of DNC’s Destination Management Plan. It was quickly established that the desire for such a brand was evident across industries. Originally funded by the NSW Government, the Northern Rivers NSW Brand has been developed by Northern Rivers Together (NRT), a collaboration of regional partners including – Destination North Coast, Regional NSW, Northern Rivers Joint Organisation, Regional Development Australia – Northern Rivers, Business NSW – Northern Rivers, Northern Rivers Food, NORCO, Southern Cross University and NCMC.

How is the Brand funded?
The NRT has developed extensive budgeting and business plans to oversee the implementation phase (2 years). Funding is being sought by contributions from Industry leaders (Founding Partners), local councils and State and Federal Governments. This funding model will enable free access to the brand for businesses and organisations across the region for a minimum of 2 years.

For more information and to register, go to the website at  www.northernriversnsw.com.au.

Destination North Coast, Bellingen Shire Council and Coffs Harbour City Council engaged the University of Newcastle to conduct a landmark study into Australia’s proposed first large national park dedicated to protecting koalas. The study has projected additional regional economic output of $1.2 billion over the next 15 years and $1.7 billion in biodiversity value. The proposed Great Koala National Park will add 175,000 hectares of native state forests to existing protected areas to establish a 315,000-hectare reserve on the NSW Mid North Coast. The site, which includes two koala metapopulations, would protect an area that is home to around 20 per cent of the NSW koala population habitat.

The research by the University of Newcastle examined the economic impact over the next 15 years estimating expenditure across three stages: park establishment, park management and visitor expenditure. The study predicts that over the next 15 years the Park is projected to generate more than 9,800 extra full-time equivalent jobs across tourism, infrastructure, and science and education, and inject $330 million in additional wages into the region.

The final report can be viewed/downloaded here

The Destination North Coast Business Accelerator & Mentoring Program currently being delivered by Sparrowly Group and is funded through Destination North Coast and the Australian Government through the Recovery for Regional Tourism Grant.

As part of the Business Accelerator & Mentoring Program a series of free business tools and resources have been developed specifically to support North Coast tourism businesses and comprise workshop-style webinars, factsheets and templates. Topics include: Business Planning Fundamentals, Maximising your ATDW Listing, Maximising your Distribution Plan, Knowing Your Numbers, Making Your Business Accessible and a bonus Website Marketing Masterclass.

Find Out More

The 2022 NSW Tourism Awards were presented in partnership with the NSW Government and Destination NSW and held at Luna Park on 17 November 2022. The North Coast was very well represented with a strong showing and we congratulate all WINNERS, place getters and finalists.

Major Tourist Attractions

(BRONZE) – Big Banana, Coffs Harbour

Tourist Attractions

(GOLD) – Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, Port Macquarie

(BRONZE) – Aussie Ark, Barrington Tops

Major Festivals and Events

(GOLD) – Bluesfest Byron Bay

Festivals and Events

(BRONZE) The Coffs Coast Food & Wine Festival

Ecotourism

(SILVER) – Vision Walks – Eco Tours, Byron Bay

(BRONZE) – Tweed Eco Cruises, Tweed Heads

Cultural Tourism

(BRONZE) – Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, Port Macquarie

Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism

(GOLD) – Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours, Coffs Harbour

(BRONZE) – Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation, Coffs Harbour

Tour and/or Transport Operators

(GOLD) – Tweed Eco Cruises, Tweed Heads

Adventure Tourism

(BRONZE) – Balloon Aloft, Byron Bay, Hunter Valley, Camden Valley & Mudgee

Tourism Marketing & Campaigns

(GOLD) – MidCoast Council – Destination Barrington Coast

(BRONZE) – The Tweed Tourism Company

Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services

(GOLD) – Potager, Carool

(SILVER) – Bent On Food, Wingham

Caravan & Holiday Parks

(GOLD) – North Star Holiday Resort, Hastings Point

Unique Accommodation

(BRONZE) – Berger Houseboat Holidays, Tweed Heads

Self-Contained Accommodation

(BRONZE) – Mt Warning Estate, Dum Dum

Excellence in Accessible Tourism* (state-based award)

(GOLD) – Riverside Holiday Resort Urunga*

(BRONZE) – Sea Horse Diamond Beach

Local Government Award for Tourism *(state-based award)

(GOLD) – MidCoast Council – Destination Barrington Coast

Find past Tourism Awards results here

North Coast regional visitors statistics are now available.

Get Connected is Destination NSW’s website membership program. Simple and easy to use Get Connected membership is free and is open to all tourism operators within New South Wales.

With Get Connected, Destination NSW gives you the opportunity to showcase your tourism products on Destination NSW consumer websites FREE of charge and tap into over 1.8 million potential customers a month, both domestic and international – that’s 22 million people a year who are looking for tourism products.

Details of this and other online opportunities offered by Destination NSW can be found here.

The industry network contact list has been produced to aid new and/or expanding tourism and events business operators. It serves as an introduction to the types of organisations in the marketplace that can help you.

Media and industry operators can search and download images for free from Destination NSW’s image library. The collection is constantly being updated and includes great images of city and regional destinations, experiences and events.