The NSW Government’s bold new roadmap for visitor economy growthwas brought to life this week at the NSW Visitor Economy Forum 2025.

Featuring the theme 'NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 – Vision to Action', the pivotal day of insight, collaboration and action was attended by more than 450 industry leaders, government partners and innovators.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said: “Collaboration will play a key role in achieving the NSW Government’s ambitious goal of $91 billion in annual visitor expenditure by 2035.

“Thank you to everyone who took part in the NSW Visitor Economy Forum as we work together on moving from strategy to implementation and industry stakeholders throughout the state for everything you do to make NSW shine.”

Hosted by award-winning STEM journalist and ABC Radio presenter Rae Johnston at ICC Sydney, the Forumprovided an opportunity for the Destination NSW leadership team and industry expertsto share insights on the five pillars supporting the Strategy:

  • Make it easy for more people to visit– growing aviation capacity by 8.5 million seats, unlocking more than 40,000 new accommodation rooms and expanding the tourism workforce.

Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones said: “Our three new advisory committees across accommodation, aviation and jobs will bring together Board members and industry leaders to provide expert advice, drive collaboration and ensure strategic alignment with the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035.

“They will ensure we have thriving regional economies, vibrant communities and a visitor economy that supports almost half a million jobs.

“Our aim is to provide a seamless, welcoming experience for every visitor – whether they’re here for a weekend or a month. This will position NSW not just as Australia’s leading visitor destination, but as a global benchmark for sustainable, inclusive tourism.”

  • Focus on attracting visitors – elevating the NSW and Sydney brands through bold storytelling and data-led marketing, showcasing Sydney as a destination beyond well-known postcards.

Destination NSW Acting General Manager Consumer Marketing Stephen Mahoney said: “Travel is changing. The rise of new experience seekers – people who crave authenticity, immersion and meaning – has reshaped the visitor economy.

“In a world where every destination is competing for attention, we can’t just open the door. We have to make people want to walk through it. 

“Our brand narrative will spotlight what makes NSW truly distinctive: Aboriginal culture, world-class food and wine, adventure that pushes boundaries and wellness experiences that restore the soul.”

  • Drive growth through events – locking in a nation-leading calendar of major sport, culture and business events to draw visitors year-round.

Destination NSW Acting General Manager Events Sarah Lovell said: “Events are powerful economic drivers. They stimulate visitation, extend stays and create repeat travel.

“Among our areas of focus will be securing events that activate the fast-growing Western Sydney region; embedding Aboriginal culture into our events strategy as a central narrative; and expanding our major events calendar – securing and retaining high-impact events across sport, culture and business and ensuring they’re distributed across Sydney and regional NSW.”

  • Focus on experiences – delivering immersive, high-quality and culturally rich visitor offerings across metro and regional NSW that highlight our stunning landscapes and world-leading produce.

FiftyFive5 Director Peter Firth explored the state of play in domestic experiences, including the growth in areas such as nature-based tourism, road trips and food and wine; while Droga & Co founder Katherine Droga highlighted surging interest in wellness and how businesses can incorporate them into their visitor experiences.

  • Leverage data and insights – improving access to real-time data and consumer insights to enable agile decision-making across the sector.

Roy Morgan Head of Travel and Tourism Adele Labine-Romain discussed howthe new Domestic Tourism Statistics collection (DoTS) solution is combining survey data with mobility data to provide richer insights into domestic travel.

Destination NSW also recently partnered with CommBank iQ to harness de-identified transactional data from millions of consumer purchases across the state to unlock even more granular data.

CommBank iQ CEO Makenna Ralston said: “We see the spending decisions of 17 million people every day and their decisions are building the future of the visitor economy.

“Tourism is not recovering, it’s reinventing itself - the way visitors experience destinations, the way they connect with them. Putting real-time data into the hands of decision makers will help them make faster and more confident decisions.”

View the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 here.