You can contact us by phone on

+61 2 42 275545
or 1800 240 737

Let a friend know about Tourism Wollongong.

Welcome to Spring, with this lovely weather we've recently been enjoying in Wollongong it looks set to kick off a great lead up to Summer 2009!

And speaking of enjoyment, a great night was had by all at the 2009 South Coast Tourism Awards last month. It was wonderful to see so many operators attending and a big congratulations to all the winners and finalists.

The new Southern Gateway Centre is now open for business. The doors opened on August 24, and it’s creating quite the buzz as we head into a new era for the Wollongong and South Coast tourism industry.

Here’s to a wonderfully warm and productive September.

Until next month
Greg Binskin
General Manager

The NEW Southern Gateway Centre is now open

On Monday August 24, we opened the doors to our new state of the art Visitor Information Centre, the Southern Gateway Centre. Tourism Wollongong celebrates a new era in tourism, after many years of planning the Southern Gateway Centre opened last week as the "shopfront" for the City of Wollongong and will welcome visitors to the South Coast.

Coinciding with the opening of the new Information Centre is the launch of www.visitwollongong.com.au with more information, interactive maps, hot deals and offers, more promotional opportunities and more visitors.

To further celebrate, the tourism industry has come together in the development of Wollongong's first "Tourism Passport" with the booklets available from the Southern Gateway Centre for local residents and their visiting family members to take advantage of the great offers.

The Board of Tourism Wollongong encourages you to visit our new Visitor Information Centre, learn about the local Aboriginal community at Jumbulla Aboriginal Discovery Centre, enjoy a snack at Altitude 1148 and take in the magnificent views from the Southern Gateway Centre.

Winners are grinners!

A hearty congratulations to all those winners at the 2009 South Coast Tourism Awards held at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach on August 12 and in particular a special congratulations to our Tourism Partners; Skydive the Beach , Lagoon Seafood Restaurant, Ibis Wollongong, Bellachara Boutique Hotel, Coolangatta Estate and Dolphin Watch Cruises - Jervis Bay . A wonderful evening was enjoyed by all participants, although the winners did have that extra special glow! These awards recognise the contribution and dedication shown to the regions tourism industry by our operators, and it was fantastic to see such a good turn out.

Good luck to those entered in the NSW Tourism Awards which will be announced at a gala event on November 19.

2010 Wollongong Official Pocket Guide

Are you a financial Tourism Partner? Do you want a solution to getting your product out to 100,000 qualified potential visitors? The Wollongong Official Pocket Guide is your answer. The new look Wollongong Pocket Guide proved a valuable and successful tool this year so make sure you don’t miss out!

Don’t forget to get your payment in for the 2009/10 Partnership Program. The Tourism Wollongong Partner Program focuses on marketing activity and especially expanding our online presence.

If you require any further information about either of these initiatives, please contact Vera Cvetkoski.

Lagoon wins gong!

Isn’t it great when the rest of the country gets to discover what we’ve always known – that the Illawarra is right up there with the best when it comes to fine food!

The results for Australia’s biggest “people’s choice” food awards are in, and our very own Lagoon Seafood Restaurant took out the top spot for best Seafood Restaurant in Australia! The “I Love FOOD” Awards are unique in that they are chosen entirely by the Australian public. From the results of this year’s awards, LifeStyle FOOD will compile the country’s largest ever viewer voted online eat out guide. Featuring places that are tried and tested by fellow food lovers and not those in the industry, you’ll know it’s on the money!

Find out more at www.lifestylefood.com.au

2009 Integral Energy Illawarra Business Awards

Entries are now open to organisations operating a business located in the Illawarra Region for the 2009 Integral Energy Illawarra Business awards. Local businesses now have just 1 week to lodge their entry with the closing date being Monday, 7th September 2009.

Entering the Business awards has never been easier! Simply go to the events centre of www.illawarrabusiness.com and download the entry form relevant to your industry. Questions on the entry form are set out for you to fill in information.

If you have any questions regarding the 2009 Integral Energy Illawarra Business Awards, contact Branka Zugnoni on 42294722.
 

What's on..

What: Seniors Baseball Tournament
When: Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 September 2009
Where: Fred Finch Park, Hooka Creek Road, Berkeley
Contact: http://www.sportslive.com.au/

What: 2009 Illawarra Homes and Leisure Show
When: Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 September 2009
Where: Kembla Grange Racecourse, Princes Highway, Kembla Grange
Contact: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110588136263&ref=mf

What: Spring into Corrimal 2009
When: Sunday 13 September 2009
Where: Corrimal Central Business District, Corrimal
Contact: http://www.springintocorrimal.com.au/ 

What: The Monster Tour of Destruction 2009
When: Saturday 19 September 2009
Where: Dapto Showground, 89 Princes Highway, Dapto
Contact: http://www.kcsfireworks.com/eventinfo/dapto09.php

What: Towradgi Blues and Roots Festival 2009
When: Sunday 20 September 2009
Where: Towradgi Beach Hotel, 170 Pioneer Road, Towradgi
Contact: http://www.towradgibeachhotel.com.au/

What: AHM Wollongong Hawks vs Perth Wildcats
When: Friday 25 September 2009
Where: WIN Sports and Entertainment Centre, Cnr Crown and Harbour Streets, Wollongong 
Contact: 02 4220 2800 or www.wec.org.au