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Workshop Snapshot: Positioning Your Business for International Success

Thank you again for joining us at our final workshop of the year and what a session it was!

As mentioned at the beginning, this workshop took a slightly different direction from our July event at Bundanon and it was fantastic to welcome so many new faces, along with a handful of familiar ones.

Your turnout and engagement really reinforced the growing appetite across our region for insights into tapping into international markets.

Key Takeaways

Aviation Update from Sydney Melbourne Touring: Understanding air access is critical and hearing what’s coming down the pipeline helps us prepare.
Collaboration is key: Working together strengthens the visitor experience and creates more compelling itineraries for global buyers.
Buyers want more: There is real demand for new, unique, trade-ready products across our region and we’re in an exciting position as an emerging destination.
A relationship-driven market: International trade is all about long-term relationships, trust and consistency.
Strong industry support available: From Destination NSW and Tourism Australia’s resources to ATEC’s Trade Ready Program, there is a huge amount of guidance available to help you build capability and confidence.
Online distribution is shifting fast: OTAs and digital buying behaviours are evolving rapidly. Staying informed will be essential to staying competitive.
Lean into the NSW First Program. This is your gateway to free training, resources and coaching through Destination NSW. Every speaker highlighted it as the first step for new-to-trade businesses.

Below you’ll find all resources from this workshop, along with materials from our previous Bundanon session and the Distribution Workshop, in case you were unable to attend or would like a refresher.

Presentation & Video Links

Deep Dive into International Markets - DSSS, including Tourism Australia distribution snapshots, Destination NSW insights and Matt Cross (Discover Jervis Bay)

Presentation Link >>

Aviation Update & Market Insights – Presented by Paul Cooper, Sydney Melbourne Touring

Presentation Link >>

Tourism Australia: Deep Dive into Distribution (November Workshop) - Presented by Dominic Mehling, Tourism Australia

Presentation Link >>

Presentation & Video Links - From July Deep Dive Workshop

Deep Dive into International Presentation - Shannan & Kylie + Tracey – DSSS & GPD
Sydney Melbourne Touring - Paul Cooper
Operator Case Study Videos:
ATEC – Aaron Matis

Helpful Links & Resources

Destination NSW, NSW First Program

Share your product and experiences with DNSW via the Experience update form

Key resources to get trade ready:

Export Ready 101 – Getting Started

Finding the Right International Market

Selling Products to International Visitors

Refining Your Product

Putting Systems in Place

Creating a Sales Kit

Pitching and Presenting to Trade

ATEC & industry training:

Tourism Trade Ready Program

Young ATEC

Other useful insights:

Destination NSW Inbound Opportunities

International Market Profiles

Destination NSW Market Segments

Tourism Australia Industry Webinars

Working with Tourism Australia

Tourism Australia Future of Distribution and Market Insights

Tourism Trade ready and Australian Tourism Toolkit

Tourism Australia Consumer insights by market

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Next Steps for your Business

From the discussion in the room, we identified two clear streams of operators:

1. New to Trade - Getting Started

If you’re at the beginning of your international journey, now is the time to start building strong foundations. Connect with Kylie from DSSS for guidance on the NSW FIRST Program and support to help you navigate the early stages of international readiness.

2. Trade-Experienced or Ready to Expand

If you’re already working with trade, or looking to deepen your international engagement, there are great opportunities to build momentum.

Connect with the Destination NSW Product and Distribution Teams, Tourism Australia, Paul Cooper (Sydney Melbourne Touring), Aaron Matis (ATEC) and Matt Cross (Discover Jervis Bay) to explore programs, distribution models and partnership opportunities.

3. Coming Early 2026 - Help Shape Our Market Focus

Keep an eye out early next year for a short survey where we’ll ask a few quick questions about your business priority markets and distribution goals, across both domestic and international markets.

Your input will help us better understand where your business is currently active, where you’d like to grow and how we can best support you. The insights will allow us to cluster products and experiences across the region and help shape future opportunities and initiatives.