Newcastle’s reputation as a destination city has been further cemented, being hailed as the Top Tourism Town in New South Wales.
The auspicious honor was bestowed on the city by Business NSW at the recent Local Government NSW Destination & Visitor Economy Conference in Sydney.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the award, presented to City of Newcastle by NSW Tourism Industry Council Executive Director Paula Martin, was a tacit acknowledgement of the city’s collaborative approach to boosting the local visitor economy.
“Cementing our city’s status as a premier tourism and major events destination, we partnered with Venues NSW to secure Newcastle as the first stop on Sir Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Australia under a strategic Major Events Partnership and has since secured a coveted spot on the upcoming world tour of American pop powerhouse Pink in February 2024,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Major events are a key part of our Destination Management Plan as a primary driver of the local tourism visitor economy, delivering both an immediate and ongoing benefit for the community and economy, with greater visitation, investment and liveability outcomes.”
With the expansion of Newcastle Airport on the horizon, and with international brands such as Crystalbrook and QT investing millions of dollars to open five star hotels in the city, Newcastle’s appeal as a destination city is set to grow.
“To help attract more leisure visitors, a key action in Newcastle’s Destination Management Plan has been to work with the business sector to increase the number of bookable visitor experiences on offer,” Cr Nelmes said.
“By continuing to leverage our city's unique offering in a way that appeals to visitors from outside the region and abroad, Newcastle’s future as an international tourism and major events destination is bright."