Destination Southern NSW (DSNSW) has launched a new tourism initiative called the Great Southern Trails, aiming to position the region as Australia's premier mountain biking destination. However, the Illawarra area has been excluded from the promotion despite having its own mountain bike trails.
The campaign connects 10 trail networks and towns, offering over 550 kilometers of dedicated trails across the south coast, alpine region, and the capital. Trails can be broken into shorter segments for two, three, or four-day adventures.
Rocky Trail Entertainment founder Juliane Wisata praised the diversity of trails in Southern NSW, including Stromlo Forest Park, Thredbo Resort, Mogo Trails, Gravity Eden, Narooma MTB, and Mount Tumbarumba. She said nowhere else in Australia offers such quality and diversity.
The Illawarra's exclusion may be due to its classification under Destination Sydney Surrounds South in NSW government tourism boundaries, rather than Destination Southern NSW. However, DSNSW general manager Richard Everson said the area hasn't been permanently excluded.
Everson noted that Mount Kembla, with its recently developed trail network, is a standout candidate for future inclusion. He commended the team behind Mount Kembla and said they look forward to collaborating to grow the sector.
Cycle tourism brings an estimated $1 billion to the visitor economy annually, according to Tourism Research Australia. Everson said mountain biking is one of the fastest-growing tourism segments in regional Australia, and the initiative aims to inspire longer stays and higher visitor spending.
