Record numbers of visitors flocked to Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures over the Easter long weekend.
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The adventure company’s senior operations manager Lachlan Stevens said during the four trading days over Easter the Illawarra Fly enjoyed a 33 percent increase in total guests and a 59 per cent increase in zipline volume compared to the Easter trading period in 2016.
Mr Stevens said the that attraction in the Kiama local government area near Robertson also experienced an unprecedented number of Sydneysiders who made up 62 per cent of the visitors.
The result is seen within the local tourism industry as reinforcing the region's rising popularity as an easily accessible weekend getaway destination.
“We pride ourselves on providing an amazing experience in nature for our guests thanks to our Treetop Walk and Zipline Tour. It is great to see so many people love the region as much as we do," Mr Stevens said.
The increase in visitor numbers at the Illawarra Fly is also seen as a tourists are embracing the wealth of different experiences on offer in the Illawarra.
Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh said it was a trend that was set to grow with the help of a targeted digital marketing campaign for Grand Pacific Drive.
Visitors to the South Coast are being encouraged to enjoy the view and expand their understanding of the region through a new online campaign for the iconic and internationally recognised coastal road.
Mr Sleigh said Destination Wollongong was inviting tourists to make it the start of a wonderful journey of exploration of the city and surrounds.
He said major tourism operators and accommodation suppliers have joined the campaign and are offering an array of special deals that highlight the activities and opportunities available in the region, including up to 50 percent off attractions along Grand Pacific Drive.
Since April 4, Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures has been offering 30 percent off admission as part of the initiative.
The Grand Pacific Drive online campaign runs until the end of May to help showcase the wealth of tourism experiences on offer and drive more overnight visitation.
“Many visitors use Grand Pacific Drive to access the region and we would like to encourage them to take a little more time to fully explore the South Coast. With today’s travellers being increasingly digital savvy, the way they disseminate visitor information while in regions is constantly changing and the opportunity to influence their short term decision making is greater than ever. Grand Pacific Drive literally has something for everyone, whether that be the adventure seeker jumping out of a plane, the arts lover coming to town to experience the Speigeltent or a bush walker coming to experience the beauty of the Illawarra escarpment. This campaign has been designed to get them to travel that little bit further and stay that little bit longer,” Mr Sleigh said.
“If we can engage well with our visitors and create exposure for the activities and offerings along the coast, that will translate into longer stays and a stronger, more vibrant visitor economy.”
Destination NSW is helping deliver the campaign that is targeting Facebook, digital display and video avenues, and includes deals for tours and activities as well as attractive accommodation deals.
Bookings can be made on the online booking engine http://bit.ly/2nWLCd5.