Accommodation Australia NSW General Manager Stacey McBride said increased support for tourism, nightlife and major events in the state budget was welcome news for the Accommodation sector.
McBride said Destination NSW will receive AUD 324.5 million in funding and will prioritise the development of a ‘Foundation Events’ category, recognising and supporting the role that key events play.
She also said the new Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport will have a focus on growing the creative and tourism industries in NSW.
“Time and time again, we have seen the huge impact major events have on the wider accommodation and hospitality sectors,” said McBride.
“We saw it with one off events like World Pride, the Taylor Swift tour and the FIFA Women’s World Cup and we see it each year with recurring events like the Sydney Festival and Vivid.”
Included in the Budget are $1.66 billion in measures to support the arts and nighttime economy, including $26.9 million to support the development of nighttime precincts across the state.
AUD 5.5 billion has also been allocated to the Sydney Metro-Western Sydney Airport, including the delivery of Stage One of a Rapid Bus Project, which will link Penrith, Campbelltown and Liverpool with the new Airport.
“A big thank you to the NSW Government for recognising the importance of the tourism economy and listening to the needs of the industry,” said McBride.
“We look forward to working with them to further drive tourism's value to our sector and the broader economy of NSW.”
This has come following strong reporting in the first quarter of 2024 despite the current cost of living concerns, with holiday spending that exceeded 2019.
Tourism experts recently delivered what could only be described as a positive outlook for the industry, including a significant boost to business travel, as announced by Accommodation Australia’s NSW market update and economic outlook.
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