Nature in Tourism
New South Wales is rich in natural heritage. It has a wealth of natural attractions including four of Australia’s sixteen World Heritage Areas.
It is possible to experience almost every kind of environment that Australia offers, without leaving NSW. The state’s diverse areas of natural beauty range from off-shore islands and marine parks to rainforests and deserts.
Sydney’s spectacular harbour, beaches, national parks and climate are an intrinsic part of the city’s charm. Without these it would be just another international city.
Some natural assets, such as Sydney Harbour and the Blue Mountains, are well known but there is much more that should be done to promote all the state’s natural attractions. These attractions must also be developed in ways that are sustainable and which conserve the very qualities that visitors are seeking.
Nature in Tourism Plan
Tourism NSW published a Nature in Tourism Plan in 2004, which provides vision and leadership for the development, management and marketing of nature in tourism in New South Wales. Our Natural Treasures: a shared vision for NSW (PDF file, 3.2mb) is a summary of the plan.
The Plan is a subset of the 'Towards 2020: New South Wales Tourism Masterplan' and complements regional marketing and development plans. The Nature in Tourism Plan will play a vital role in increasing the number of visitors to regional NSW.
The Nature in Tourism Plan:
- explains what nature in tourism is and its value to NSW
- stresses the importance of sustainable practices
- promotes integrated planning and development
- encourages a cooperative partnership between government and industry
The plan identifies opportunities in:
- product development and visitor experiences
- tourism facilities and services
- market research
- marketing
- business and industry development
It also provides:
- strategic direction for Tourism NSW
- a guide for industry-initiated action
Nature in Tourism Fact Sheets
Tourism NSW's nature in tourism fact sheets are designed to assist existing and potential operators with the important relationship between nature and tourism. The fact sheets are the result of extensive research undertaken as part of the development of the Nature in Tourism Plan.
- What Visitors Want (PDF file, 156kb)
- Making it Work For You (PDF file, 68kb)
- Telling the Story (PDF file, 160kb)
- Nature-based Visitors to NSW year ended December 2010 (PDF file, 328kb)
In order to download the Fact Sheets you need Adobe Acrobat Reader