Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris, has congratulated Destination NSW on winning Best Digital Advertising or Communication – Tourism and Travel at the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) Awards for the ground-breaking Sydney in 360° project.

The award was given in recognition of an Australian first which saw Destination NSW create innovative 360° panorama and first person video technology. The videos enable visitors to Sydney.com to participate in iconic experiences including surfing at Bondi Beach and climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as inspiration to book a visit to Sydney.

“It is a real honour for the Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSWI, to have been recognised by industry peers at the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association Awards,” Mr Souris said.

“The results of the Sydney 360° project have exceeded expectations, generating more than 1.5 million video views, 100,000 visits to Sydney.com and more than 25,000 direct leads to the NSW tourism industry.

“In addition to the results achieved by Sydney 360°, receiving the AIMIA award is recognition of Destination NSW’s dedication and professionalism in producing cutting edge digital marketing products to promote Sydney and NSW to international and interstate audiences and to drive tourism and visitor expenditure.

“I congratulate Sandra Chipchase and the team at Destination NSW for developing the Sydney 360° digital technology and campaign,” Mr Souris said.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer, Sandra Chipchase said: “I am proud that Destination NSW has been recognised for our innovation and focus on developing and delivering interactive digital marketing products that are firsts for the tourism and events industry and that are driving increased visitation for NSW.

“The whole team at Destination NSW has contributed to our success in winning the AIMIA Best Digital Advertising or Communication – Tourism and Travel and we look forward to launching new digital technologies which promote Sydney and NSW to our key tourism markets,” Ms Chipchase said.