TTF Media Release

Wednesday, 20 May 2020

NSW TRAVEL TO RESUME & REGIONS ROLL OUT WELCOME MAT

Travel within NSW is set to resume from June 1 and regional communities are ready to put out the welcome mat according to research commissioned by the Tourism and Transport Forum.

The survey of the travel intentions of 1,500 Australians (20 per cent of them NSW residents) was conducted by Newgate Research for TTF last week.

The results showed strong support among regional communities for an increase in domestic visitors with 70 per cent of respondents saying it would have positive impacts.

TTF CEO Margy Osmond welcomed the NSW Government’s announcement saying it would provide much needed hope for regional tourism businesses suffering from the double whammy of the summer bushfire crisis and the COVID 19 global pandemic.

“Intrastate travel is now open for business and New South Wales citizens are ready to hit the road and to pack their bags and head to some of our most popular regional tourist destinations many of which were devastated by the bushfire season.

“Apart from the positive sentiment about visitors returning and injecting much needed money into struggling regional communities it is also pleasing to see that almost one in four respondents (23 per cent) to our survey expressed interest in travelling to bushfire affected areas.

“While Sydney was the most popular destination with people planning trips within NSW at 30 per cent it was closely followed by regional destinations the South Coast (27 per cent), Central Coast (26 per cent), Hunter/Mid North Coast (25 per cent) and Regional NSW (21 per cent ).

“North Coast/Byron was the choice of 13 per cent and respondents are also ready to take to the slopes with 15 per cent planning a trip to the snowfields.”

“2020 so far has really been the tourism industry’s annus horribilis but this is a clear sign that we are now on the path to recovery.”

ENDS

Media Contact:           Graeme Moses at gmoses@ttf.org.au or 0434 569 470