In April 2024, Destination NSW was directed by Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham, via a letter to the Destination NSW Board, to undertake a review of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030. The original strategy, launched in 2021, was designed to provide a roadmap for growing the NSW visitor economy and included a commitment to review it after three years.
In 2023, NSW surpassed $50 billion in visitor expenditure for the first time in history. The NSW Government has ambitious plans to drive that economic growth even further. To unlock the state’s full potential, the Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 is being refreshed to showcase the best of NSW to the world, with a focus on experience tourism.
The new strategy will drive job creation and sustainable growth opportunities for businesses across the state, ensuring NSW reclaims its historic market share and becomes a leading global travel destination by 2035.
The review presents a pivotal opportunity to shape the future of the visitor economy in NSW and enhance the social wellbeing of its residents. It will formalize the NSW Government’s focus on experience tourism and ensure alignment with the Creative Communities policy, the NSW 24-Hour Economy Strategy, and the regulatory environments that support them.
Between April and June 2024, the Visitor Economy Strategy Review Steering Committee conducted a consultation process that included 40 roundtables, a “Have Your Say” survey, and engagement with more than 600 visitor economy stakeholders.
This feedback is being used by the Minister-appointed Steering Committee to identify barriers to growth and, most importantly, the opportunities and strategic initiatives that will accelerate the visitor economy’s growth through to 2035. The NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 is expected to be delivered in the 2024/25 financial year.