Sydney accommodation demand soars amid Women’s World Cup kick-off

Edited by Travel Weekly

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is kicking goals for Sydney’s hotels with a spike in bookings as the opening match kicks off at Stadium Australia this week.

Incoming NSW tourism boss Stacey McBride said the event, which expects to see more than 80,000 spectators pack into Stadium Australia for the Matildas’ opening match against Ireland, has already created an uptick in hotel bookings around Western Sydney.

“We are seeing a high number of bookings for accommodation providers located in the vicinity of Olympic Park and hotel capacity right across Sydney is nearing 70 per cent, reflecting a noticeable surge in demand,” McBride said.

According to FIFA, more than a million tickets have been sold for matches scheduled across Australia and New Zealand, with the opening match in Sydney being moved from its original site at Sydney Football Stadium to Stadium Australia to allow more spectators to attend.

“The soaring popularity of women’s sport, and the Matildas in particular, is undeniable and it’s fantastic to see,” McBride said.

“In addition to equalling the playing field in Australian sport, it means that first-class stadia in NSW and across Australia more often have the chance to host tens of thousands of fans from every corner of the globe to cheer on their teams – both in men’s and women’s sport.

“For accommodation providers this translates to higher occupancy rates, while the local hospitality industry also sees an increase in both local and international visitor spend.

“When it comes to supporting Australian women’s sport it’s definitely a win-win for everyone.”

The Women’s World hasn’t been the only major event sending demand for Sydney accommodation soaring.

The beloved Taylor Swift will make her foray to Sydney at the beginning of next year and it’s seen a boom in accommodation interest.

Searches and bookings for hotels in Sydney and Melbourne shot up following the release of her tickets.

Hilton Hotels saw an astronomical increase in hotel bookings around her tour dates:

Hilton Sydney – booking volume went up by 1129 per cent after the tour announcement.
Hilton Melbourne – booking volume went up by 9400 per cent after the tour announcement.

It’s looking like the accommodation industry is the one kicking goals regardless!

Featured Image: Pullman Hotel at Sydney Olympic Park (Accor)

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FIFA Women’s World Cup Stacey McBride Sydney Accommodation