Tourism Toolkit

TOURISM IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS

When people visit the Sutherland Shire, they bring with them new money. The flow on effect is great for everyone and every business benefits directly or indirectly: be it a hotel, restaurant or retail strip. 

MAKE TOURISM YOUR BUSINESS

To spread the word about the many experiences within the Sutherland Shire we encourage local businesses who cater to visitors to 'make tourism your business'. By doing so you can:

• connect you with other like-minded businesses and organisations  
• expand your marketing reach and potentially attracting new customers and revenue streams 
• gain valuable insights into current and future trends of the local economy 
• participate in educational programs and seminars 
• work together to support the growth of a proactive, diverse and sustainable economy and to stimulate local business and create local jobs

STEP 1: Get Connected

Our aim is to help visitors and locals alike plan a day, weekend or extended holiday in the Sutherland Shire. To help us do so, we encourage you to list your business for free through Get Connected. 

Attractions, Tours, Events, Restaurants & Cafes, Bars, Breweries, Cooking Schools, Products and Services:

Tourism operators in New South Wales have the opportunity to list their product or service through the Get Connected service – the NSW branch of the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse. This is free of charge, reaches millions of domestic and international travellers and will help your business reach its full potential.

After listing your business on ATDW the information will be distributed to a number of Australia’s most visited tourism websites including but not limited to: Australia.com, VisitNSW.com, Sydney.com, Visitsutherlandshire.com.au and Google Maps. Get Connected here.

Events:

If you are an event organiser holding an event on Sutherland Shire Council land you will require a permit. Please visit the Event Application page on Council's website to find out more information and to submit the online form.

STEP 2: GET IN THE KNOW

Access our free planning tools - What do our local industry statistics show? What does our local community look like? Having a thorough knowledge of this will help you with business planning and will give you a competitive edge. Sutherland Shire Council has partnered with .id to give local businesses access to a free planning tool to help you with business planning, forecasting and finding business opportunities. Access the .ID tools to find your next opportunity here.

Subscribe to our e-newletters to stay up to date;

1. The Sutherland Shire Tourism Industry e-newsletter is a dedicated newsletter to all local businesses that make up our tourism industry (hotels, accommodation, restaurants & cafes, experiences, transport operators etc). It includes links to resources from Council, Destination NSW & Tourism Australia, as well as courses, resources and opportunities. Click here to subscribe.

2. Business Now e-newsletter is our main tool for Council to communicate with all local businesses. These newsletters are sent monthly and outline the latest business news, events, grants and workshops. Sutherland Shire Council supports local business by providing an environment that stimulates and supports sustainable economic growth and resilience for local business. Click here to subscribe.

 
Visit Sutherland Shire e-newsletter is our monthly consumer e-newsletter that highlights all the latest local events, places to explore, hidden gems and tips for an adventure in the Sutherland Shire. We encourage you to list your tourism business and/or event through 'Get Connected'.

Subscribe to e-newsletters here

STEP 3: GET SOCIAL

We invite you to engage with us on social media and where relevant, join in the conversation through the following options:

Visit Sutherland Shire has over 16,000 followers on Facebook. We use this page to entice and motivate people from outside of the Sutherland Shire to come and spend the day, night or week in the Shire by promoting and telling the story about all there is to see, do and experience in our beautiful area. Follow us and connect by using @VisitSutherlandShire. On Insta tag us in your posts and include the hashtags #lovetheshire and #visitsutherlandshire.

Shire Business has over 2,000 followers on Facebook. This page is for all local Sutherland Shire businesses to follow to find out the latest news, opportunities and advice relevant to local businesses. Connect by using @ShireBusiness and #ShireBusiness in your photos and updates.

STEP 4: GET THE RESOURCES

Destination NSW (DNSW) has an extensive range of business development resources available to assist tourism operators and related businesses in the tourism and events industry. Destination NSW also delivers the NSW First Program to assist tourism businesses around the State to develop, promote and sell their tourism products. 

Each of these guides within the program offer easy to read information and resources to help you improve your tourism business. The Program also includes face to face workshops and online webinars that offer ‘how-to’ insights on a range of topics for the tourism industry.

Tourism Australia also has a range of resources - these are predominately focused on attracting the international markets, however some tips and advice apply whether it's for domestic or international visitors you want to focus on. Learn more about;

STEP 5: GET IN TOUCH

If you're a new business, have a new product or have a great story to share, please get in touch to introduce yourself. 

Email tourism@ssc.nsw.gov.au or phone 02 9710 0972 to talk to one of the team.