Government Launches Accelerator to Make Tourism Businesses More Competitive

Government Launches Accelerator to Make Tourism Businesses More Competitive
The Adina Apartment in Bondi Beach, Sydney, July 24, 2013. (AAP Image/Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach)
Jessie Zhang
5/12/2022
Updated:
5/12/2022

The New South Wales (NSW) government has launched a digital skills accelerator to help tourism businesses market their services with more success in the contemporary tourism landscape where websites, online listings, and social media channels reign supreme.

Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Tourism and Sport, and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said this new initiative will ensure tourism businesses, including accommodation, tours, and attractions, are up to par with their online presence.

“The Digital Skills Accelerator for Tourism program is part of the NSW First Program to assist businesses around the state to develop and sell great visitor experiences,” Ayres said in a release.

People in front of the iconic Sydney Opera on Sept. 8, 2017. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)
People in front of the iconic Sydney Opera on Sept. 8, 2017. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)

NSW First Program is an initiative that helps businesses promote their tourism products via in-person and online workshops.

“Helping businesses in the visitor economy to improve their digital competency is a key pillar of the government’s strategy, which aims to make NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific,” Ayres said.

The tourism industry is a driver of growth for the Australian economy, with domestic and international tourism expenditure totalling $122 billion before COVID-19 hit. The sector also directly employed 666,000 people and supported tens of thousands more jobs in other sectors.

Successful applicants will not only receive a customised digital health check report, but also two, one-hour consultation sessions with an advisor that will give them the know-how to digitally transform their marketing.

Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours owner Clark Webb said the NSW First Program has played a crucial role in helping him identify his business product and launch it into the market.

“The support that we received helped get our business to where it is today. We have really valued the opportunity to take part in the NSW First Program,” Webb said.

“Most small business owners run both the operational and the digital side of their business. Improving the digital skills of tourism operators will ensure better outcomes for the entire visitor economy. I always feel we can learn more in this area as it’s so vast.”