Relaxation, adventure, wellness, environmental sustainability and how to capture these experiences for visitors is being unpacked at this week's 2025 North Coast Tourism Symposium being held at the Byron Community Centre.
The Symposium is jointly hosted by Byron Shire Council and Destination North Coast.
The theme of the conference is Inspire! Shaping Tomorrow's Visitor Economy.
"Byron Shire is fortunate that we are a destination people want to come to, and while the industry is still rebuilding after COVID and the floods, the most recent official figures have us hosting some 1.8 million visitors a year," Byron Shire Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye, said.
"For me, shaping tomorrow's visitor economy is about acknowledging that when community life is thriving and we have a well-protected and biodiverse environment, then we have something real to offer visitors.
"The opportunity and the challenge we have before us is to shape a visitor economy that has depth and reflects our strength and resilience as a community," Mayor Ndiaye said.
"This Symposium is about sharing information and it's an opportunity for us to hear and learn what other regions of NSW are doing well, what's working and what's not," she said.
The Symposium will culminate with an evening event on 31 July, the 2025 North Coast Regional Tourism Awards.
The annual awards recognise exceptional tourism businesses and initiatives from the Tweed to Hawks Nest and out to Lord Howe Island.
