Regional NSW is bustling with tourist attractions from rainforests to mountains, beaches to country landscapes, and the Regional Tourism Activation Fund will not only highlight these natural attractions but also increase visitation, expenditure, and accessibility for tourists to enhance their experience and boost local communities.

This $30 million project will provide regional NSW with increased tourism opportunities that will encourage people to travel throughout NSW while overseas travel is still restricted. This economic boost will be beneficial in ensuring local businesses and regional communities are supported and thriving while providing unique tourism, creating job opportunities and improving infrastructure.

These outcomes showcase the strengths of regional NSW and facilitate growth and diversification of the visitor economy and as such aligns with strategic pillars three and five of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 and the 20-year Economic Vision for Regional NSW.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Mr John Barilaro stated that “we have an opportunity to showcase regional and rural NSW and take advantage of the pandemic influenced boom in tourism, and to upgrade our infrastructure and give people a reason to come off the highway and holiday.”

The types of projects that are eligible for funding include:

• Construction of new tourism infrastructure and/or significant enhancements to existing infrastructure to create unique and high impact visitor experiences
• Upgrades and extensions to existing infrastructure to improve accessibility and inclusion linked to unique and high impact visitor experiences

This funding will be available through two funding streams based on these types of projects and applicants can apply to both streams if their project includes specific accessibility and inclusion enhancements as part of a broader visitor experience project. Applicants who are eligible to apply include councils and Joint Organisations, non-government organisations, community organisations registered as incorporated associations and Local Aboriginal Land Councils.

Mr Barilaro said this tourism fund provides an exciting opportunity for regional NSW, including the Upper Hunter, to promote and boost visitation to their tourist attractions, local communities, and unique landscapes. “Regional NSW already offers a fantastic variety of visitor experiences and this fund will accelerate the development of new iconic tourist attractions such as cliff-top walks or unique major event spaces, boosting the profile of regional NSW towns and giving tourists even more reasons to take a holiday in the regions."

"We are also supporting improvements to accessibility and inclusion for people with disability such as accessible toilets, elevators and hearing augmentation, which will give more people the opportunity to experience everything our regions have to offer.” Mr Barilaro said.

For more information about the Regional Tourism Activation Fund click HERE.