Top (3) tourism goals met in our new Pittwater Discovery Tours
“Establish a world-class journey on Pittwater” was identified as a Priority 1 project in the Sydney Harbour National Landscape Experience Development Strategy developed by Tourism Australia and Parks Australia. Through identification of the Experience Seekers as the ideal tourist profile for Sydney, it was found that “nature”, “Aboriginal” and “journeys” was nominated as the greatest opportunity for Sydney to deliver spellbinding visitor experiences for the international market. (Source TRC Tourism 2013). Paddlecraft successfully met these visitor objectives in their new 2022 tour packages and was selected to receive a grant for small tourism business operators from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The Visitor Economy Taskforce Report (2012) from Tourism Australia suggests that Sydney has lost its number one status across a range of measures. It has been outperformed by competitor destinations in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region over recent years. Over the last decade, Sydney’s market share of international visitors has declined from 53.6 % to 47.7 %. Sydney is Australia’s major gateway, receiving 2.6 million international visitors in 2012-13. This represents 42 per cent of all inbound arrivals. However, this share has declined over time, down ten points from 57 per cent in 2000, with Sydney losing market share to competitors such as Melbourne. This is reflected in the city’s average inbound visitation growth rate of 0.3% per annum, lagging behind the national average of 1.9 per cent 11. (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS, 2013) – Overseas Arrivals and Departures, June 2013)
Pittwater Discovery Tours are guided tour offerings that combine one day and multi day bushwalking and kayaking journeys in a spectacular national park and marine landscape located within an hour’s drive of Sydney. Traversing bushland to beaches on a kayak, these tours allow visitors to experience varied ecosystems, Aboriginal artwork & artefacts and bushland & aquatic wildlife first hand in a natural environment. By providing a range of nature based experiences through the uniquely aquatic perspective of kayaking, these tours meet the visitor’s desires for an authentic and distinctive Australian experience of nature, promote education and conservation values and broadens Sydney’s appeal by highlighting her natural attributes.