Resources

The DNC Destination Management Plan to guide industry on priorities 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 DNC 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.

North Coast Tourism Symposium

The 2019 North Coast Tourism Symposium, co-hosted by Kempsey Shire Council, was held on August 1^st at South West Rocks Country Club.

Bringing together more than 135 stakeholders from across the North Coast and beyond, the stimulating and packed program with the overarching theme of ‘Evolving Together’, was delivered by industry leaders and experts in sustainable and nature-based tourism, adventure and experience rich travel, cruise, education and much more.

The presentations delivered by our expert speakers are available here

With sincere thanks to our Symposium sponsors;

Macleay Valley Coast Holiday Parks
Akubra
Service NSW

2019 North Coast Regional Tourism Awards

Brought back to the region by the NSW Business Chamber, Destination NSW and Regional Tourism Awards Inc., and co-hosted by Destination North Coast and Kempsey Shire Council, the Awards ceremony and gala-dinner saw leading tourism businesses, events and visitor experience providers don their finest threads to come together to celebrate local success.

More than 150 industry representatives gathered in stunning South West Rocks to see who would take home the coveted awards and to witness the induction of two businesses into the Hall of Fame.

2019 Destination North Coast Regional Tourism Award winners

Festivals and Events
Gold: Eat the Street Lismore

Cultural Tourism
Gold: Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail

Specialised Tourism Services
Gold: Blue Ginger Picnics

Business Event Venues
Gold: Elements of Byron

Destination Marketing
Gold: Coffs Harbour City Council

Ecotourism
Gold: Vision Walks – Eco Tours

Adventure Tourism
Gold: Coffs Coast Surf Tours

Caravan and Holiday Parks
Gold: Reflections Holiday Parks Seal Rocks

Hosted Accommodation
Gold: Telegraph Retreat Cottages

Self-Contained Accommodation
Gold: Riverside Holiday Resort Urunga

Standard Accommodation
Gold: The Observatory Holiday Apartments

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism
Gold: Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours

New Tourism Business
Gold: Table Under A Tree

 Excellence in Accessible Tourism
Gold: Riverside Holiday Resort Urunga

Hall of Fame Inductees
Tourist Attractions – Sealy Lookout, Orara East State Forest
Ecotourism – Byron Bay Eco Cruises

Destination North Coast congratulates all winners, place getters and finalists (see full list) and look forward to the celebrations continuing at the NSW State Tourism Awards in Sydney in November. Well done to all.

Special thanks to the Economic Development and Tourism team at Kempsey Shire Council and the South West Rocks Country Club. Thanks also to award category sponsors NSW Forestry Corporation, Family Travel, Coastbeat, Tourism Accommodation Australia and Coffs Harbour Airport. The event was well supported by a colourful Welcome to Country from South West Rocks Figtree Descendants Aboriginal Corporation, our MC Debbie Spillane, Rowland Moye Entertainment, Alicia Fox Photography and band Alter Ego kept us dancing long into the night.

We are most appreciative of your support in ensuring the success of the evening.

View images from the evening.

The NSW Regional Business Event Development Fund is designed to help stakeholders create, attract and support exciting business events for regional NSW and to support new business event initiatives aimed at enriching the events with opportunities offered by iconic towns and regions while helping secure successful conferences and business events for their future.

The four streams of the program are:

1. Creation of a New Business Event – To encourage towns and regions to create their own new conferences and business events e.g: The Waste Management Conference initiative in Coffs Harbour which has become a major annual event.
2. Attraction of an Existing Business Event – To assist rural and regional NSW to secure conferences, business events and major expos. The business event should have previously been held in a capital city, interstate or overseas and funding is being sought to bring the event to a regional NSW location.
3. Support for an Existing Business Event – To support events that are held in regional NSW and may rotate between locations. Funds must be used to drive increased visitation for the event.
4. Support for a Business Event Project – To assist rural and regional NSW implement business event projects or initiatives aimed at driving growth in the visitor economy of regional NSW. This may take the form of a business event series or roadshow; a specific element of a business event where the main event is being held in a capital city or interstate; or a small scale infrastructure project specifically designed to support growth in business events.

The funding is open to local government, local tourism organisations, convention organisers, chambers of commerce, business events industry operators, associations, corporations and professional conference organisers looking to create or host a business event in regional NSW.

View full details here

Destination North Coast regularly organises or presents at industry networking and/or industry training events across the region. Please check back here frequently to view upcoming events or better yet, sign up to our Industry Newsletter and learn firsthand what events are on the horizon.

Sign up to our Newsletter

This guide showcases a range of partner opportunities; from cooperartive marketing activities to social media and webinairs.

The NSW Government has announced $13 million in regional tourism funding, between 2016 and 2019, to support the regional tourism industry in NSW. Funding is available through several streams.

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.

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.