Tourism News

Central Coast Tourism wins in State Tourism Plan

The NSW Government has just released the draft strategy for NSW tourism through Tourism Minister Matt Brown and Central Coast Tourism’s input into the strategy is not only paying off for CCT but for all 13 Regional Tourism Organisations, with increased funding from the State Government.

Under the leadership of CCT Chairman Peter Hale (who was elected the official spokesperson for all regions) the 13 regions developed for the first time ever, a united strategy which ensures that the regions can take charge of their own destiny – a strategy now accepted in the draft paper and recommended to the Government.

“In the past, regional tourism was the step-child of the tourism industry as a whole when it came to funding, even though over 70% of the tourism expenditure and overnights in the domestic market takes place in Regional NSW, and most of the marketing dollars were spent on Sydney.” said Mr Hale. “No-one understands regional tourism better than the people who work and live in the regions – that’s why we have formed FORTO (Forum of Regional Tourism Organisations) and developed strategies which will increase tourism performance in NSW.”

“The new Tourism strategy for NSW will fund and establish two new units to look after Sydney (Visit Sydney and Brand Sydney), and also FORTO, who will look after the interest of the 13 regions. The additional money provided by the NSW Government has to be matched with industry dollars and in the case of the Central Coast Tourism funding can increase from $111,000.00 to $740,000.00, with a chance to raise another $740,000 from private enterprise giving a possible budget of up to $1.48 million,” Mr Hale said.

In talking of the Minister for Tourism Matt Brown, Mr Hale said in a speech to the Tourism Industry in Sydney, “In my fifteen years experience this is the first time we have had a Minister with such a passion for the industry and a commitment for change.” He also said, “It is the first time that we have had a Director General for State and Regional Development, Barry Buffier, who has recognised Tourism as a Serious Economic Driver.”

Under the new initiative, ‘FORTO’ will also work directly with Tourism New South Wales to assist with the strategy of directing the further $3,000,000 in tourism funding. “This is the biggest achievement in the last 15 years in regional Tourism” said Mr Hale.

Tourism development stall will cost young people jobs

The Central Coast has the highest rate in NSW of young people (aged 20 - 35) leaving to find work and live in other regions. That trend will only increase as tourism development in Gosford City stalls when compared to our traditional tourism rivals, warns Central Coast Tourism Chair Peter Hale.

“Tourism is a major employer of young people and, as cities like Wollongong and Newcastle race ahead of us in developing their tourism offer, revenue and therefore jobs will leave the Central Coast,” said Mr Hale.

Wollongong and Newcastle are two of the Central Coast’s biggest competitors for lucrative Sydney weekender and short-break revenue. “Newcastle is in the process of having 500 new rooms injected into its tourism offer from operators such as Grand Mercure and Chifley,” said Mr Hale. “By the end of the year, Wollongong will have had just over 300 new rooms in 2008 alone, with another 200 planned for the next four years,” Mr Hale continued. “The Central Coast has the potential to add several thousand rooms to its tourism stock. We just need our Councils to pull together to support approvals.”

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