A new five-year plan for improving visitor experiences in Parramatta

In March 2019, Council invited the community to provide feedback on the Draft Plan and to let us know if we missed anything. Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts.

You told us it was important to balance opportunities for growth and development with the needs of residents and workers, and to preserve our beautiful heritage sites. Improving accessibility and transport connectivity across the City was also identified by you as a key concern. Click on the tile below to find out more about what we heard.

Research about global tourism and trends in visitor experience formed the foundation for a series of roundtable conversations with government and industry stakeholders.

Do you know about the global trends that are changing the way visitors experience the world? Some of them include:

• Travellers seeking unique experiences. Individuals are happy to explore the little-known local gems of places to catch a glimpse of the day-to-day of the places they visit. Increasingly, they are spending money on experiences that make a place unique, rather than on products.
• Share economy. Being able to live like a local in an Air BnB and be driven around by a local Uber driver adds a touch of authenticity to the local experience.
• Solo travellers. From mixed accommodation styles to experiences that suit a single traveller’s budget, going solo on adventures is on the rise globally.
• Intergeneration experiences. Increasingly, grandparents are seeking out experiences they can share whilst travelling with their grandchildren.
• Technology on the go. From navigation and planning experiences, to sharing travel experiences with friends on social media, or uploading a review of accommodation, digital tools are collecting information about the quality of holiday experiences.

The Draft DMP outlines five objectives to improve visitor experiences and grow tourism in Parramatta.

To achieve these objectives, three focus areas have been identified (Destination Experiences, Industry Development, and Destination Positioning and Promotion). Strategic directions have been set out for each focus area. These are broken down into a series of actions to be implemented across three years from 2019-2022. Actions will be shared by Council, business and industry partners and government agencies who will work together to meet the overarching objective of making Parramatta a unique destination that travellers want to visit.