Because Justin likes numbers, here are 10 numbers that were important to us in 2023.
One: Live breakfast TV segment on national television
Right at the end of December, we were given a last-minute opportunity to appear on breakfast TV with weatherman James Tobin from Weekend Sunrise. And being the opportunists we are, we jumped at it! Our Chinatown tour was broadcast to a national audience – check it out below!
One: #1 on TripAdvisor for all Tours & Activities in Sydney
Right at the end of the year, we noticed our TripAdvisor listing had been updated – previously we were just #1 for “Nightlife” in Sydney, but look at us now!
We’re pretty chuffed about this, to say the least. Of all 725 tours and activities in Sydney, our guests’ reviews have helped us rise to the very top. Thank you to all those amazing guests who have left us a review this year (see below for more on this).
Two: 2-time winners of Cultural Tourism at NSW Tourism Awards
After winning Cultural Tourism at the 2022 NSW Tourism Awards, we managed to go back-to-back, coming out in first place again at this year’s gala dinner in November. We are so thrilled to receive this award which recognises just how well our tours showcase Sydney’s cultural tourism credentials. Sydney has such a vibrant culture and rich history, and we’re proud to play a role in helping visitors and locals discover it. Next up – taking on the other state winners at the Australian Tourism Awards in March 2024. Wish us luck!
Four: 4 new tours
In 2023, we launched four new tours: our Five Dock “Little Italy” Food Tour, our “Sydney By Night” private nightlife tour, the “Ultimate Sydney Walking Tour” (quickly establishing itself as one of our most popular tours) and finally, Small Bars & Street Art. That final tour has two different routes, exploring Newtown and Enmore Road on Wednesday late afternoons, or Redfern and Chippendale on Friday afternoons. Our first public tours will take place in January, so what are you waiting for – go sign up!
Six: 6 new hosts on the Local Sauce team
Throughout 2023, we had some amazing new hosts join the team. Give a big welcome to Michael, Lucy, Jack, Robyn, Bunny and Claudia. You can check out their bios on the “Our Hosts” page.
Fifteen: 15 Refugee Chef Dinners
In 2023, we hosted 15 Refugee Chef Dinner Banquets, in partnership with Parliament on King (Newtown). At these intimate dinners, guests hear first-hand from refugee chefs about their experiences, while enjoying delicious homemade food from their homelands, with cuisine options as diverse as Palestinian, Iranian, Ugandan, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and Burmese.
All proceeds from the dinners go to the chefs and to support their hospitality training. With over 200 attendees across the dinners, we contributed more than $12,000 towards Parliament on King and their refugee chefs.
Twenty: 20 plus media mentions
This one is a little hard to count, but by our best estimates, there have been over 20 different mentions of Local Sauce Tours across print media, blog posts and other articles – not including the few influencers and YouTubers we’ve had on tours as well who have promoted us to their social media audiences. Our Refugee Chef Dinners have got a lot of love, with write-ups by TimeOut, Not Quite Nigella and even a radio appearance on ABC Sydney really helping get the word out about these beautiful dinner events.
Eighty: 80 local businesses supported
While our tour company was created to give guests a fun and memorable Australian experience, supporting Sydney’s hospitality sector is a big part of our mission statement. After all, without our amazing hospo partners, we wouldn’t exist! By our count, there were approximately 80 bars, restaurants, cafes and other local and independent businesses we supported through our various tours all around Sydney.
750: 5-star reviews
As of 21 December, we received 770 reviews for the calendar year, of which, over 750 of them were 5-stars. Across all our major platforms (Airbnb, TripAdvisor and Google) we’ve continued to average 4.97 out of 5, which is an amazing testament to our team of incredible guides.
4000: Guests on tours
This year Local Sauce Tours welcomed over 4000 guests across 450 or so tours, from at least 60 different countries. To put that in perspective, that is about 200 more tours than in 2022, and an extra 1500 or so guests!
About Local Sauce Tours
Local Sauce Tours offers Sydney’s “funnest” small-group experiences, bringing together locals and visitors to make friends and discover the city from a different perspective. Launched in 2018, walking tours explore vibrant inner-city pockets including Chinatown, Surry Hills, Newtown and Pyrmont, along with an annual calendar of special events and exclusive dining experiences. Passionate and entertaining guides host groups of up to 12 guests on tours that blend foodie experiences with stories of the city’s history, culture, nightlife and street art. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop. To experience one of our award-winning tours, head on over to our tour listing page or get in touch with us to arrange a private or corporate tour today.