Sydney continues to lead the nation when it comes to attracting major world-class events, with the city securing an unbeatable event schedule for 2017 including Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, just over a week away.
Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said, “With our unique destination appeal and ‘only in Sydney’ events, there is no denying that Sydney is strongly positioned to welcome visitors from across Australia and the globe.
“In the year ended December 2016, Sydney welcomed more than 33 million visitors who spent an incredible $17.3 billion. These visitors not only experienced our great events but also our city’s beautiful beaches, parks, food and wine, galleries and museums, shopping and other fantastic attractions.
“In the cooler months, our city transforms into an exciting cultural and sporting hub.
“Upcoming highlights include the English Premier League football giants Arsenal FC playing two Sydney-exclusive matches against Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers, the Australian premiere of Beautiful – the Carole King Musical, the 2017 NRL Grand Final, and of course Vivid Sydney from 26 May to 17 June.”
A significant part to attracting major events and growing the tourism economy is ensuring the right infrastructure is in place.
“Sydney has entered a new era of event capability with the opening of ICC Sydney, which has cemented the city’s reputation as the one of the world’s most desirable event destinations, as shown at this year’s Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE),” Chipchase added.
“Other major infrastructure and transport projects include rebuilding the city’s major stadia network, the new Sydney Metro, CBD & South East Light Rail, Barangaroo Ferry Wharf and Western Sydney Airport.
“These significant developments are ensuring Sydney continues to be celebrated as a strong, sustainable and liveable global city for residents and visitors alike. As we continue to drive more visitors to our State, we look forward to seeing the growth of the NSW visitor economy as we build towards our goal of doubling overnight visitation by 2020,” she said.
