NSW wants digital edge

STRUGGLING NSW tourism businesses are set to be offered free training opportunities by the NSW Government to help them be as prepared as possible for the full-scale return of travel.

The newly-unveiled Digital Skills Accelerator program will attempt to polish up the digital effectiveness of accommodation providers, tour companies and visitor attractions in the state, focusing on the key areas of website optimisation, SEO and social media management.

“Digital innovation is crucial to success in the contemporary tourism landscape,” NSW Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Tourism and Sport and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said.

“Helping businesses in the visitor economy to improve their digital competency is a key pillar of the NSW Government’s Visitor Economy Strategy 2030, which aims to make NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific,” he added.

In addition to providing a specialist digital health check for tourism businesses, successful applicants to the program will also receive two, one-hour sessions with a digital advisor, as well as access to a course library to help improve digital skills.

Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours owner Clark Webb praised the launch of the new program, stating small businesses in particular are often too busy to brush up on the skills needed to keep up with the dynamic digital environment.

“Most small business owners run both the operational and the digital side of their business and improving the digital skills of tourism operators will ensure better outcomes for the entire visitor economy,” he said.

View eligibility criteria HERE.