Penrith City Council has partnered with Tourism Tribe to deliver Destination Penrith: Experience More — Ready to Welcome the World, an intensive program helping local businesses capture the opportunity created by the opening of Western Sydney International Airport. The program was covered by Australasian Leisure Management magazine in June 2026.
The Penrith opportunity
Penrith is already the adventure capital of NSW, drawing 1.64 million visitors a year across more than 80 attractions. The challenge — and the opportunity — is that 82% of those visitors are day-trippers. Overnight visitors represent just 18% of volume but contribute 60% of total visitor expenditure.
That equation is about to shift. Western Sydney International (WSI) Airport opens in 2026, bringing an estimated 10 million passengers annually. Combined with the Western Sydney Convention Centre and Winter Sports World, the region is transitioning from a regional stopover to a premier international destination.
1.64M
Annual visitors to Penrith
82%
Of visitors are day-trippers
60%
Of visitor expenditure comes from overnight stays
10M
Annual passengers through WSI Airport from 2026
What the program covers
Tourism Tribe delivered a series of workshops helping Penrith operators understand how the visitor journey has changed and what it takes to be discoverable, bookable, and competitive in 2026 and beyond.
- The AI-driven customer journey. Search has shifted from keyword results to AI answer engines that act as a digital concierge. To be recommended, businesses need absolute clarity on who they are, what they offer, and why they are valuable.
- Building bookable experiences. Moving from service delivery to market-ready, packageable products — set times, set prices, and instant booking capability.
- Tourism marketing and distribution. Balancing owned channels, OTAs (Viator, Booking.com, Expedia), and inbound trade to drive volume and reduce reliance on word of mouth alone.
- Packaging for longer stays. Working with neighbouring operators to bundle experiences and create compelling reasons for visitors to stay overnight rather than drive home.
The mentoring program
Following the workshops, five Penrith businesses were selected for an intensive, fully-funded mentoring program. Each business receives five hours of 1:1 coaching, with the first session delivered on-site. The program culminates in a showcase event where participants pitch their newly developed visitor products to industry stakeholders.
Expressions of interest closed 22 June 2026.
Read the full article: Local businesses invited to strengthen Penrith’s visitor economy — Australasian Leisure Management, June 2026.
How we can help
Tourism Tribe works with local governments, regional bodies, and destination management organisations to upskill tourism businesses at scale. If you are planning a visitor economy program, get in touch to find out how we can help.
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