Why I remain New England New Stater 6 - conflicts in NSW tourism branding

Note to readers: This post is one in a series using personal examples to illustrate why I continue to support both agitation for New England self-government and self-government itself. Agitation, because its very existence forces forces the Sydney Government to consider New England interests. Self-government, because there are some things that we cannot achieve without this.

In my first post on tourism, the strange case of Cockington Green, I set out my frustrations at our inability to get proper visitor data as compared to, say, the ACT. This post extends my argument by looking at Tourism NSW.

NSW's size and variety, it's lack of cohesion, makes it hard to promote as a tourist destination. To manage this, Tourism NSW (we are all very much into business speak) has two defined brands, Brand Sydney and Brand NSW.

Tourism NSW describes Brand Sydney in this way:

Sydney is a world city – outward looking, influencing and interpreting global trends. Yet it’s clearly distinct from other global cities, and it epitomises Australia’s exuberant spirit. Sydney’s image is a virtual “brand”, offering powerful benefits for tourism, for business and for attracting investment not just to NSW but to Australia as a whole. While many private and government organisations contribute to the development of Sydney’s image, the custodian of Brand Sydney is Tourism NSW.

At another point Tourism NSW says:

Tourism NSW implements two Brand Sydney campaigns each year, supported by ongoing publicity for the city and its precincts, products and events. These brand campaigns offer tactical promotion and publicity opportunities for the tourism industry and other partners.

It adds:

Tourism NSW promotes Sydney with multi-million dollar marketing and advertising campaigns. The tagline - There's no place in the world like Sydney - sums up the core advertising proposition.

The second brand is Brand NSW. Brand NSW is described in this way:

The proximity to Australia’s biggest city, and the extraordinarily varied experiences a visitor can find in regional NSW, make this an appealing holiday destination. Furthermore, a holiday in regional NSW abounds with opportunities to connect with nature, history and heritage.

What a second run thing. Operators across regional NSW complain, mainly in private, about the focus.

Think I am being unfair? Please visit the Tourism NSW web site and tell me what you think.

My view is that New England needs its own brand if it ever going to attract visitors in its own right. Otherwise, it is just too fragmented.

Best results would be obtained through statehood. But even a revived New State Movement would help by forcing Sydney to listen.

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