Australia’s renewed romance with the road trip is behind a tourism boom that is flooding New South Wales operators with bookings and driving job creation. According to Destination NSW, tourism supplies 9.4 per cent of the region’s employment – and as Aussies continue to explore their own backyard, tourism operators in NSW are creating new roles to keep up with demand.
Ingenia Holidays General Manager, Ben Hesketh said that 35 jobs have already been created to help parks keep up with demand, with the majority of these jobs in Ingenia Holidays’ NSW parks. “Since the restrictions for intrastate travel in NSW eased on June 1, we’ve seen significant bookings and inquiries at our parks around the state,” said Mr Hesketh.
“The school holiday period usually represents our ‘busy season’, but bookings aren’t slowing down – we’re actually seeing increased mid-week bookings, which for this time of year is unusual. “It’s a really strong indicator that Aussies are looking for any opportunity to get away and satisfy their travel bug with short-stay holidays.
“To know that off the back of these numbers we can now offer employment to an additional 35 people is a great sign that the industry is starting to recover from what has been a really challenging 12 months. “Tourism has always employed a significant number of Aussies, and to see such strong activity is a positive sign that the industry is not only getting back on track, but that there are already opportunities for those in NSW tourist communities who are looking for work.
The Federal Government’s announcement that more than $250 million will be devoted to a Regional Tourism Recovery Package is expected to further support recovery and job growth in the sector as the summer holiday season approaches. Ingenia Holidays Lake Conjola Park Manager Krystal Bourke said that after the massive impact of bushfires and COVID-19 in the region in the past year, they are now in a position where every weekend is fully booked until the end of the year.
“We’ve always been a popular weekend destination for people living in and around Sydney and Canberra, but we’re also seeing a huge rise in mid-week bookings,” Ms Bourke said. “Some of our staff have been here for ten years and have never seen so many new guest arrivals during the middle of the week. People are just keen for a break; they don’t seem to mind when they come.
“We also have a lot of people who are visiting because they want to support our community as we continue to recover from the bushfires. It means a lot to us that people have kept us in mind. “Keeping up with demand has certainly kept us busy – it’s a great problem to have, but we’re definitely on the hunt for extra staff to help support the demand.
“At the moment there are four roles available here in Lake Conjola, so it’s actually a great time to get into the industry.