‘Live like the locals’: Destination NSW revamps Feel New campaign

Bondi Beach and the Opera House are out and the Blue Mountains and Burwood Chinatown are in under a major shake-up to NSW’s domestic tourism campaign.

Bondi Beach and the Opera House are out and the Blue Mountains and Burwood Chinatown are in under a major shake-up to the Minns government’s domestic tourism campaign.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal homegrown tourists will be inspired to “live like the locals” according to the first look at the revamped Feel New campaign from Destination NSW, in a bid to lure travellers beyond the predictable sites.

It comes after the harbourside city slipped behind Melbourne and the Gold Coast for planned trips in the next year, with research showing Sydney’s famous landmarks aren’t enough to tempt domestic visitors to the city.

Although 79 per cent of all Aussie travellers have visited Sydney before, most people don’t know about the hidden gems behind the bucket list items, such as hiking through the Blue Mountains, learning to sail on the harbour and eating oysters waist-deep in the Hawkesbury River.

Out: The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach. Pictures: NSW Government/Gaye Gerard

In: The Blue Mountains and Burwood Chinatown. Pictures: NSW Government

Tourism Minister Steve Kamper said the campaign will target travellers from across the country who want to seek out new experiences, from world-class food offerings to international sporting events and natural wonders.

“Our icons alone are not enough to get people to visit and revisit Sydney. We need to do a better job at showcasing all our city has to offer,” Mr Kamper said.

“We have the Blue Mountains, beaches, reefs, and vineyards all within a couple hours. We have world-leading restaurants, an exciting blend of food cultures, stunning natural beauty, the largest sporting events and a vibrant arts and music scene … which is why we are inviting Australians to come to Sydney and dive deeper, explore more of what Sydney has to offer.”

Not all our picture-postcard sites have been given the flick – the Harbour Bridge has proven too hard to sideline but will encourage tourists to rediscover the landmark through early-morning kayaking and harbourside runs.

As part of the campaign overhaul, the government has confirmed Karen Jones as the chief executive officer of Destination NSW from June 2.

Ms Jones has been the ­acting head of Destination NSW since January and served as the CEO of the Office of Sport in her previous role, driving the Play Her Way and 10 World Cups in 10 Years initiatives.

Since she stepped into the role five months ago, NSW has recorded its highest-ever visitor spending and Ms Jones claimed there “really is no better destination than NSW”.

Among the local legends partnering with Destination NSW are, clockwise from top left, chef Dan Hong, Olympian Jess Fox, ultra-marathon runner Nedd Brockmann and comedic duo The Inspired Unemployed. Pictures: NSW Government

Destination NSW has also partnered with six local legends who have created their own itineraries visitors can follow, including Olympian Jess Fox, chef Dan Hong, ultra-marathon runner Nedd Brockmann and comedic duo The Inspired Unemployed.

The campaign will launch on Monday, inspiring Aussies to head to NSW and try something different such as a drink at a rooftop bar, visiting galleries and more.

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Originally published as ‘Live like the locals’: Destination NSW revamps Feel New campaign