Sydney was Voted the World's Number One City

Sydney was voted the world's number one city in the Conde Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards held last night in New York.

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris said Sydney has beaten tough competition from cities such as New York, Paris and Cape Town to take out the influential award.

It's the second major international award for the Harbour City with Sydney having been named the world's best festival and major events city by the International Festival and Events Association just last week.

"Winning this latest award demonstrates Sydney's position as a world leading destination and the gateway to Australia. It's a vote of confidence not by travel writers or agents, but by ordinary travellers.

"By definition, this makes us Australia's leading tourism and events city and will help the Government in its quest to restore NSW to its position as the nation's premiere state," Mr Souris said.

More than 8 million votes were cast in the Awards with readers rating cities according to ambience, friendliness, lodging, restaurants, culture, sight-seeing and shopping. "The many readers of Conde Nast Traveler have given Sydney the top spot in their Awards with a score of 85.1, ahead of the next highest scoring city - Florence (85.0).

"With its mix of world class events, cultural activities, stunning natural attractions and top-end food and shopping, Sydney and NSW continues to satisfy its visitors.

"NSW is Australia's number one destination for international and domestic visitor numbers, visitor nights and visitor expenditure," Mr Souris said.

Sydney hotels have also received award accolades at the ceremony, with 11 of the top 15 hotels in the Oceania region being from Sydney. The top hotel in Oceania goes to the Observatory Hotel Sydney (scoring 91.1) with another - the Sydney Harbour Marriott in Circular Quay, The Westin Sydney and Establishment Hotel Sydney also in the top five.

"It's encouraging to see so many of our excellent hotels recognised by world-wide travellers. They certainly deserve recognition and have helped to put Sydney in the top spot," Mr Souris said. He pointed out that Conde Nast Traveler readers are mostly based in North America.

"As one of our largest international tourism markets, North America is worth more than $516 million to the NSW economy. This expenditure includes overnight and day trip expenditure.

"Recognition at these awards will further raise our profile among potential travellers and will help the Liberals and nationals Government fulfil its pledge to significantly boost the State's economy," Mr Souris said.

Mr Souris said the Conde Nast Traveler poll follows a number of recent global awards for Sydney, reiterating its status as one of the world's best cities.

These include:

- International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) Sydney was declared the world's best festival and event city for the second year in a row, winning the IFEA World's Best Festival and Event City Award 2011

- TripAdvisor has listed Sydney at number two on its annual Travelers' Choice Destination 2011 awards - ahead of global cities including Paris (4), New York (6) and London (8)
- Cruise International Awards Sydney was recognised as the Cruise Destination of the Year in 2011

- Lonely Planet's 700,000 Facebook and Twitter global followers named Sydney as one of the world's best summer cities.

(Source: travmedia.com)

NSW Welcomes ‘Outstanding’ Growth

Withstanding the strong Aussie dollar, domestic tourism into NSW experienced strong growth for the month of June compared the corresponding month last year, the first time in eight years.

The state welcomed an 11 percent increase in domestic visitors while the number of nights stayed also rose by up to 12 percent and doubled the national average, according to figures released by Tourism Research Australia.

Boosting the state’s domestic arrival growth for the year ending June 2011 to 24.1 domestic overnight visitors, Minister for Tourism George Souris described the growth as “outstanding” and a relief to achieving planned goals.

“This bodes well for the NSW Government’s target of doubling overnight tourism expenditure by 2020,” Mr Souris explained.

“NSW has increased its share of total domestic visitors to 35 per cent with Victoria and Queensland recording a 24 per cent share.

“This strong performance has meant an additional 4.2 million nights to NSW in the year ending June 2011, injecting an additional $782 million into our State’s economy.

According to the Minister, Sydney saw the strongest growth for the period with a rise of up to 21 percent in visitors and 19 percent in visitor nights.

Regional NSW also welcomed a rise with a three percent increase in visitors and an additional $273 million in spending.

(Source: etravelblackboard.com)

Hall & Oates - Dinner Show Package at the Sydney Entertainment Centre

HALL & OATES

Featuring Special Guest ICEHOUSE

DINNER & SHOW PACKAGE

WEDNESDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2012 5:45pm

HALL & OATES, the pioneers of rock 'n' soul, return to perform at the

Sydney Entertainment Centre.

These two legendary trail-blazers will be joined for this show with Australia's beloved

and most revered act, ICEHOUSE.

Racking up a phenomenal 34 American Billboard chart-hits during their peak success, the Hall & Oates hit making machine will be attuned to firing up their long-time fans on the night. And where to even start with all those hits.... Rich Girl, Kiss On My List, Private Eyes, I Can't Go for That (No Can Do), Maneater, Out Of Touch, along with Sara Smile, One On One, You Make My Dreams and She's Gone are just some of the timeless classics from their comprehensive career.

The Sydney Entertainment Centre will be offering a pre-dinner show package consisting of a 3 course dining experience along with premium seating to compliment this double headlining concert. This package will provide you with access and exclusive use to a private function room featuring live music entertainment on the night.

Also included is a beer, wine and soft drink package, souvenir lanyard, along with your

GOLD ticket for $240.00 per person.

Click here to view the seating chart
* Reserved seats are in the first few rows of Sections 8, 9 or 10

to book call 02 9320 4200 or email

concertplus@sydentcent.com.au

See a Different Side of Taronga Zoo

Taronga has recently opened an exciting new boardwalk putting visitors eye to eye with the Himalayan mountain goats while providing spectacular views of Sydney Harbour.

This once hidden corner of the zoo has been fully transformed to create a seamless journey stretching between the African Safari and Carnivore Trail incorporating many stunning view points along the way. The boardwalk, accessible by both stairs and ramps also provides a unique 360 degree view of the Himalayan mountain goats that once had this prime position all to themselves.

Why not spend the night? Camp in safari tents in the heart of Australia's most famous zoo, and wake to spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

Roar & Snore is a fully hosted experience that includes architecturally designed tents, a sumptuous roast feast, drinks in the main tent and up-close animal encounters. It offers a unique opportunity to stay in the campsite with views of Sydney Harbour on one side and Lions, Snow Leopards and Meerkats on the other.

For more information visit www.taronga.org.au

Sydney Tower Eye - Relaunching on its 30th Birthday

Did you know that it's Sydney Tower's 30th birthday this year? This iconic building will celebrate its 30th birthday on September 23rd - the day the amazing viewing experience re-launches as Sydney Tower Eye. Come celebrate this fabulous achievement by visiting, and experience the newly refurbished Sydney Tower Eye from 23rd September onwards.

Starting from the bottom, the new Sydney Tower Eye will bring a brand new 4D cinema experience! The engaging film experience is taken to the fourth dimension with evocative in-theatre effects including wind, bubbles and fire.

The best views in Sydney have been brought to new heights. On the Observation Deck visitors will be able to admire 360 degree panoramic views of Sydney and its surrounds with state-of-the-art technology, including high powered binoculars and discover interesting facts about famous Sydney landmarks via the newly installed multilingual interactive touch screen panels.

And if you thought you couldn't go any higher join the SKYWALK, this premium experience allows visitors to soak up exhilarating, outdoor, open-air views, 260m above ground level on the roof of the Observation Deck.
www.sydneytowereye.com.au

THE DETAILS:

What: Sydney Tower Eye opening in September 2011

When: Friday, September 23rd

Opening hours: 9.00am-10.30pm

Price: Adult $25 and Child $15 for the SKYWALK premium experience add $40.
Combo tickets also available combining entry to Sydney Tower Eye with Sydney Aquarium, and/or the new WILD LIFE Sydney experience, and/or Oceanworld Manly starting at $50 for an adult and $30 for a child.

Enquiries: 9333 9222

How Visitors Find Their Way Around Sydney (Study Findings!)

Destination NSW and the University of Technology, Sydney have conducted new research on visitor wayfinding in Sydney. Among the findings were that only 20% of visitors used a GPS or app to find their way around Sydney. More than half encountered problems because of high international roaming charges and unreliable guidance amongst tall buildings.

A summary of the research is available on the Corporate website. (http://corporate.tourism.nsw.gov.au/Sites/SiteID6/objLib40/Visitor-Wayfinding-in-Sydney_ResearchFS.pdf )

Other findings included:

Most visitors used landmarks for orientation. The Opera House, Sydney Tower and the Harbour Bridge were the most common, followed by the Queen Victoria Building, Hyde Park and the Art Gallery.

George Street is the main route used to access the key tourist areas of Sydney city.
Walking was the most preferred method of getting around.

Sydney’s Underbelly Uncovered - Kings Cross

The Underbelly TV series has put the spotlight firmly on one of Sydney's most vibrant and colourful areas – Kings Cross.

And now. thanks to Bounce Walking Tours you can experience a guided expedition through the 'underbelly' of Kings Cross.

This fascinating tour takes you through the colourful history of Kings Cross with its mobsters, murders, moles and mysteries as you follow in the footsteps of notorious criminals, prostitutes and crooked cops. With the Underbelly series currently screening, the tour is a great opportunity to hear the real stories behind characters such as Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh. You will stand on the site of unsolved mysteries, uncover the secrets of the sly grog trade and the now infamous razor gangs and visit the original bar that started the Ibrahim empire.

The Kings Cross 'Golden Mile' has undergone an immense gentrification program with trendy restaurants, boutique wine bars and upmarket clubs creating a sophisticated setting for the modern tourist, so you will need to scratch the surface to uncover the street's notorious past.

Sydney Harbour Ferry - Sydney Tourism News and Information

If you're in Sydney and are looking for a way to capture some spectacular pictures of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and Garden Island then jump on the Manly Ferry which departs from Circular Quay and you will be guaranteed some amazing photo opportunities.

Celebrity Cruises’ Australian preview

The countdown is on for Celebrity Cruises’ first ship to hit Australian waters this November.

Celebrity Century will home port in Sydney for the Australian summer before making way for her big sister Celebrity Solstice in the summer of 2012-13.

“There’s no greater substantiation for the interest in this market than the investment the company’s (RCI) making in the largest and most modern cruise ship ever to call Australia home which will be in the summer of 2012-2013,” said Gavin Smith, managing director Celebrity Cruises Australia.

President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Dan Hanrahan, flew into Sydney last week ahead of the deployment to speak with Australian media and agents about the Celebrity offering and sang the praises of the land down under.

Mr Hanrahan expressed his long-term goal to have more than one ship home port in Sydney during the summer but recognised that improvements need to be made to the Sydney port situation in order to achieve this.

Highlighting the economic benefits to NSW as a whole, Mr Hanrahan expects over $1 million in revenue to be generated per day that a Celebrity ship visits Sydney.



“The port has some interesting opportunities ahead of it…if the port can figure out how to accommodate large ships as well as small ships, the beneficiary of that will be the greater Sydney area and NSW in general.”

Whilst having a good port infrastructure is important, Mr Hanrahan explained that something simple can always be effective. He cited the port in Hamburg, Germany as an example which was constructed out of shipping containers for the recent inaugural sailing of Celebrity Silhouette and reiterated that the line can work within the conditions provided to them.

Taking time out to speak with e-Travel Blackboard prior to his Sydney media briefing, Mr Hanrahan cleared up the confusion recent comments caused regarding tipping on board.

With tipping included as a line item when booking a cruise, Mr Hanrahan explained that his comments were in relation to educating Australian cruisers about the amounts allocated per staff member, not about how to tip in general.

“When I saw that article I was mortified. I would have to be really dumb to say something like that, or very arrogant and I’d like to think I was neither.”

(Source: eTravelblackboard, August 2011)

SYDNEY SECURES ANOTHER WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL - AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell today announced the stage musical of the Academy Award- winning film An Officer and a Gentleman will have its world premiere season in Sydney in 2012.



Mr O’Farrell made the announcement aboard HMAS Sydney at Garden Island with Minister for Major Events George Souris and Producer John Frost.



“It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce another world premiere musical for Sydney, An Officer and a Gentleman, opening at the Lyric Theatre on May 24 next year,” Mr O’Farrell said.



“This is another major theatrical coup - Sydney was chosen over London and New York for the world premiere of this new stage production.



“Sydney is now officially the number one city for first run musicals in Australia.



“The NSW Government is getting on with the job of securing and hosting major events as part of our plan to rebuild the State’s economy – and there is no doubt with this most recent addition, the NSW Events Calendar is stronger than ever before.”



Minister for Major Events George Souris said pursuing major events, including blockbuster musicals, forms a key part of NSW Government’s strategy to rebuild the NSW economy.



“The Events team at Destination NSW estimate that internationally renowned musicals can generate close to $20 million over a six month run in direct economic impact,” Mr Souris said.



“With our list of musicals just getting longer, this is great news for the NSW economy. We expect people to travel from across Australia and the Asia Pacific to see these shows.



“Let’s not forget Sydney was chosen for the world premiere of Strictly Ballroom – The Musical over London and New York, the world premiere of Doctor Zhivago held earlier this year and the Australian Premieres of The Addams Family and Legally Blonde coming in 2012.



“This is in addition to the outstanding success of Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys and Hairspray and the highly anticipated upcoming productions of Rock of Ages and Annie.”



The 1982 film was recently listed by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten love stories of all time. This new production has been adapted for the stage by the original screen writer, Douglas Day Stewart, and co-writer Sharleen Cooper Cohen, with music and lyrics by Ken Hirsch and Robin Lerner.



It will be produced by Sharleen Cooper Cohen and John Frost, and directed by Simon Phillips (Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical).



Producer John Frost said he is thrilled to be able to bring this classic tale to life in musical theatre form.



“When we held a workshop of the musical in 2009, I knew instantly that I wanted to produce this wonderful show. It is a timeless tale of struggle, success, friendship and love, based on one of the most popular films of all time. We had offers to produce the show in London and in New York, but I’m very thankful that with the assistance of the Events team at Destination NSW, I can produce the World Premiere right here in Sydney,” Mr Frost said.



“After the success of the premiere of Doctor Zhivago earlier this year, Sydney has proven its credentials as the theatre capital of Australia and the ideal city to premiere Broadway bound musical productions.”



Sharleen Cooper Cohen said she was excited her musical is opening in Sydney.



“The fact that Sydney is home to Australia’s most beautiful naval base is only one of the reasons that’s it’s a perfect place to premiere the show that celebrates a Navy officer,” she said.



Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said Sydney is again establishing itself as Australia's centre of musical theatre.



"Apart from the delights such shows offer, they encourage local, interstate and overseas visitors to Sydney, providing support to the City's hospitality, accommodation, retail, transport and fine dining industries.”

Step up to fight the slump - Sydney Fashion Festival

On the front foot … the Fashion Festival Sydney media moment showcased Toni Maticevski designsPhoto: Marco Del Grande Photo: Marco Del Grande

With high street sales tumbling, retailers are looking to a fashion festival for a lift, writes Georgina Safe.



As commuters made their way to work yesterday morning, those passing the Town Hall steps saw five willowy models wearing flowing gowns by Melbourne designer Toni Maticevski. The stunt was aimed at spruiking Fashion Festival Sydney, which opens on Tuesday as a week-long event aimed at driving retail sales throughout the central business district and beyond.



The festival could not come at a better time. Earlier this month, the Herald revealed retail sales had collapsed in NSW in a year in which the rest of Australia had inched forward. While Australian sales rose just 2.6 per cent during 2010-11, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures obtained by the Herald showed the volume of food bought in NSW over the year fell about 1 per cent, patronage of cafes and restaurants dropped 8 per cent and the volume of clothes and shoes bought fell 6 per cent.



For dwindling apparel sales, the general manager of IMG Fashion Australia, Daniel Hill, says the festival is part of the answer.



''The whole purpose of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney is to bring fashion retail to the forefront of people's minds at a time when the spring-summer collections are going in store,'' Hill says. ''They are fully priced and they are new season clothes.''



Unlike Australian Fashion Week, which is industry-only, the festival is a consumer event to which any member of the public can buy a ticket. Runway shows featuring some of the best collections from fashion week by designers such as Dion Lee, Alex Perry, Josh Goot and Therese Rawsthorne are the lynchpin of the event at the Town Hall, as IMG owns both fashion week and the festival.



''We are trying to give the public an experience of Australian Fashion Week, which they can't ordinarily attend,'' Hill says. ''We like to reproduce a little bit of that magic and give it back to the public but we do it in a such a way that the clothes are styled to be more wearable, rather than the creative spikes that you see during AFW.''



Camilla, Speedo and Peter Morrissey will also stage shows, along with Myer, which will present its new plus-size labels Big is Beautiful and Leona+ by Leona Edmiston. Jennifer Hawkins and Kris Smith will also take the runway for Myer to showcase collections from its labels including Sass & Bide, Ellery, Aurelio Costarella and Fleur Wood. After the show, ticket holders will be invited back to Myer's city store for a VIP shopping event with Hawkins, Smith and some of the featured designers.



''It's only 200 metres from the Town Hall to our store, so shoppers will be able to see the clothes … and then go back to the store and immediately purchase them,'' Myer's general manager of marketing and brand development, Megan Foster, says.



It will doubtless all be sweetness and light on the runway but behind the scenes, much like the rest of Australian retail, this year's fashion festival is at a critical juncture.



The inaugural event was launched with much fanfare and three years of funding from Events NSW in 2008 but this time around Events NSW committed just one year of financial support, pending a review of its ongoing support.



''We are investing this year and will review the arrangement after that, pending results,'' an Events NSW spokeswoman says. ''The media impact is very strong for this event, given the calibre of celebrities that appear, but we don't measure the local retail impact. We are looking at how we can better link retail into major events.''



Hill welcomes the review and says he is in discussions with the NSW government about a longer term strategy. ''The timing is right because retail is down and we have the opportunity to do something about it,'' he says. ''We have a one-year deal now and our ambition is to grow that because, ultimately, fashion is about more than selling summer dresses. It helps the economy and it helps drive tourism … it is about lifestyle and how people view themselves.''



Almost every capital city in Australia now has a retail fashion festival to promote itself as a shopping and lifestyle destination. Founded in 1996, the Melbourne Fashion Festival is by far the oldest and most pre-eminent and has been the template for the introduction of similar events around the country. It now has a new creative director - former IMG Fashion marketing and communications director Graeme Lewsey - but Hill insists it and his event are not in competition.



''We are absolutely complementary,'' Hill says, singling out two key differences. ''With IMG we are in a unique position because we help Australian designers from creation to consumption. First, we show their new ranges at AFW, then we go right through to helping them sell their clothes at retail - and that product cycle is pretty unique.''



Another selling point of Fashion Festival Sydney is its central location, while Melbourne's festival takes place in the suburb of Docklands.



''Our showroom is in the middle of the city's retail precinct,'' Hill says. ''You buy a ticket to our event, you walk into a show and then you walk out and can buy the clothes.''



This is why City of Sydney council is sponsoring this year's FFS to the tune of $50,000.



''Supporting retail and local businesses is important to the city and the festival helps our fashion industry reach new customers and attract people from all over Sydney to the CBD to shop,'' Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, says.



Her sentiments are shared by Don Grover, chairman of the Sydney Retail Advisory Panel, which promotes retail activity in the CBD.



''The Sydney retail environment has had an enormous amount of capital injected into it recently, not just with the Westfield development but also by all the retailers moving into it,'' Grover says. ''What the fashion festival offers is a chance for all those groups to benefit from a coordinated approach to marketing and promotion.''



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/step-up-to-fight-the-slump-20110817-1iy2k.html#ixzz1VL3t0uTW

Melbourne Tourism News: Tiger Airways Resumes Services With Flights Between Melbourne and Sydney

Tiger Airways Australia has resumed domestic services with the return of flights between Melbourne Airport and Sydney.

Following the reinstatement of Tiger's Air Operator's Certificate by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the airline will now focus on reassuring the Australian public that safety is the airline's highest priority, whilst providing Australia’s most affordable airfares along with an enhanced focus on reliability.

Melbourne Tourism News: Tiger Airways Resumes Services With Flights Between Melbourne and Sydney

Latest Events News for Sydney

Over the past few weeks, a range of event-related announcements have been made for Sydney, highlights include:



The second annual Sydney International Art Series was launched today. The Art Gallery of NSW will present the biggest Pablo Picasso exhibition to ever come to Australia (November to March) and an exhibition by Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art (December to February).



Football Federation Australia announced a four-year partnership with the NSW Government that features the hosting of three 2014 FIFA World CupTM Asian qualifiers in Sydney.



The first game under the new agreement will see the Qantas Socceroos play Oman on 11 October 2011.



Royal Sydney Golf Club at Rose Bay will host the Davis Cup World Group Play-off between Australia and Switzerland from 16 to 18 September 2011.



Tiger Woods will head to Sydney in November to play in the Australian Open. He will join defending champion Geoff Ogilvy and Greg Norman at the event which is on 10 to 13 November at the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney.

Sydney Aquarium - CLAWS! What's On Sydney

In September 2011, the world's largest and most intriguing crabs will crawl into town to take centre stage in a spectacular new exhibition. Currently the largest crab at Sydney Aquarium is Bruce, he's a Giant Tasmanian Crab, clocks in at a hefty 10kg!

While Bruce has enjoyed the recognition that comes from being the biggest, this is all about to change. Bruce will be handing over his reins in September 2011 when Japanese Spider Crabs arrive for the highly anticipated CLAWS! exhibition at Sydney Aquarium.

Don't worry though, Bruce will continue to thoroughly enjoy visits from children and adults alike, and will still be keen for fun activities including sourcing tasty morsels on the floor of his tank with his enormous pincers, all to the delight of Sydney Aquarium visitors.

For more information and tickets visit www.sydneyaquarium.com.au

Fennec Foxes make a new pair at Taronga

Taronga Zoo has welcomed a new Fennec Fox pair, with a female from Adelaide and male from Germany taking up residence in Sydney. The tiny foxes, which grow to just 20cm tall, have huge ears that are so sensitive they can hear insects walking on the sand of their North African and Arabian desert homes.

‘Sha’ the female arrived at Taronga from Adelaide Zoo about 12 months ago but has recently been introduced to ‘Zinder’ a male which made the journey from Augsburg Zoo in Bavaria, Germany, recently. The international coupling was planned to create a new genetic bloodline in the Australasian breeding program for this small canine species.

They’re a nocturnal animal and visitors to the Roar and Snore sleep-over program have said that Zinder turns into a little wild thing at night, pouncing and exploring all the areas of his desert-themed home.

Of Mice and Men - Opera Australia

Of Mice and Men - Opera Australia Overview The praise just keeps coming for award-winning tenor Anthony Dean Griffey. Now, at last, he makes his Sydney debut in a signature role, Lennie, in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men. George and Lennie are migrant farmhands during the Great Depression. Their only home is a communal bunkhouse under the lonely prairie skies. But they are different to their fellow workers. They have a plan, a dream of buying a farm and making a life. If, that is, George can keep Lennie, who has the strength of a giant, but the mind of a child, out of trouble… Legendary film director Bruce Beresford continues his exploration of New World opera with the Australian premiere Of Mice and Men, based on John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella.

Contact (+61 2) 9318 8200
Website www.opera-australia.org.au
Location Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW 2000

Sydney Named ‘Most Efficient Airport’

Sydney Airport has welcomed a four percent increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the first six months ending 30 June 2011.

The $381.8 million in earnings was lead by the 1.9 percent increase in traffic growth for the period, despite natural disasters disrupting the first and second quarters of the year.

Sydney Airport chief executive Kerrie Mather said the outstanding performance for the first six months was recognised by the Air Transport Research Society, which named Sydney Airport the most efficient airport in the Oceania region as part of a global airport performance benchmarking and excellence awards.

“I am delighted to have commenced in my new role as managing director and chief executive officer of Sydney Airport. I look forward to working with our valued airline partners to deliver the products and services they need to serve their passengers and ensure Sydney Airport continues to be Australia’s premier gateway,” Ms Mather added.

The total revenue from all areas of the business increased by 4.4 per cent over the previous corresponding period (pcp) to A$472.4million, this was assisted by the domestic capacity additions by Jetstar, the commencement of wide-body A330-200 services to Perth by Virgin Australia, and the upgrade of six weekly services to Perth with B747-400 aircraft by Qanats.

(Source: eTravelblackboard, 21st July 2011)

Travel Leaders Summit Provides Sydney boost

Travel Leaders and Qantas Vacations in the United States have reported strong results to date following the Travel Leaders Group 2011 International Summit held in Sydney last month.

Travel Leaders Associates is one of the largest leisure and corporate travel agency networks in the world. Destination NSW assisted in hosting 88 leading travel agents, agency owners and managers for the summit which included activities such as a tour and gala dinner at the Sydney Opera House, BridgeClimb, Sydney Wildlife World an Aboriginal walking tour and a visit to the Blue Mountains. Travel Leaders and Qantas Vacations have reported significant increases in quotes and bookings for travel to Sydney and NSW following the summit.

(Source: Insights, 20th July 2011)

More Tourists Heading to Sydney

The latest figures from the Tourism Forecasting Committee were released today. The figures show NSW receives the lion's share of both the international (33%) and domestic (30%) visitor nights in Australia, with 65.2 million international visitor nights and 78.3 million domestic visitor nights in 2010. A large proportion of the visitors to NSW also stop over in Sydney.

Total visitor nights (international plus domestic) are forecast to increase by 18% by 2020 and NSW is forecast to maintain its market share. The bulk of the growth (85%) will come from the international market that is set to climb from 65.2 million nights to 87.1 million nights by 2020.

Visitor nights to regions are forecast to increase by 8% by 2020 and the regions are expected to continue to dominate the holiday market.

Luna Park Visitors Get a New Reason to Smile

Visitors to Sydney’s iconic Luna Park are about to become engaged on a whole new level, with the amusement park adding a new social media experience for its guests.

The new “My Experience” initiative uses a high-tech integrated solution to automatically add real-time social media interaction to the guests' experience.

The service allows guests at Luna Park to easily share their experience through automated updates on Facebook including instantly posting ride photographs, status updates and their Extreme-O-Meter rating out of ten (which is based on how many rides they go on).

Jeremy Nance, Marketing Manager at Luna Park Sydney said, “We now consume information at an incredibly fast pace. We don’t want to know what happened, we want to know what’s happening."

“'My Experience' is all about capturing content for guests and allowing them to share that content with their Facebook Friends easily and in real time.”

The “My Experience” technology solution incorporates near field communication, multi-channel campaign and mobile technologies to deliver “My Experience” across SMS, email, web and Facebook.

The access layer uses RFID inlays and proximity readers to track when a guest goes on each ride. Originally the domain of logistics management, RFID provides a simple mechanism to link a guest’s actions in the Park, such as photos taken, status updates and the number of rides they go on, to the orchestration and execution layer.

The orchestration and execution layer is powered by Portrait Dialogue from Pitney Bowes Business Insight, and follows months of consultation between Luna Park itself and Centryc.

Portrait Dialogue is provided in a hosted, on-demand model to enable the elasticity to handle the peaks and troughs of demand and uses preconfigured rules to track and monitor each guest’s progress through Luna Park.

Triggers based on items such as activity, location and time of day initiate interactions through SMS, Facebook and email.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The interaction layer physically delivers ride photographs, status updates and the Extreme-O-Meter rating to the guest’s Facebook news feed where their friends can like and comment on them.

It also delivers SMS offers to the guest based on pre-defined triggers, as well as an end of day email which provides a summary of their entire experience so they can relive their day’s fun anytime they want to.

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