Sydney has officially been named the top business events destination in Australia by Tourism Research Australia (TRA) in a report released on Friday.
Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay said the research demonstrates the credibility Sydney has as an international business travel destination and reinforces the importance of attracting more business visitors to NSW.
“The report found 40% of international visitors travelling to Australia choose Sydney for their conference, convention or seminar compared with 18% for Melbourne, 10% for Brisbane and 7% for Perth,” Ms McKay said.
“This year has been a tough time for tourism operators across NSW. It is pleasing to see that despite international travel deterrents such as swine flu and the Global Financial Crisis we continue to lead the way in attracting business visitors to our State.”
Ms McKay said there are clear economic benefits that flow from attracting business visitors to Sydney and NSW.
“In 2008, 7.3 million international and domestic business travellers spent 22.9 million visitor nights in Australia spending more than $5.7 billion,” Ms McKay said.
“What’s more, business visitors who experience Sydney as a destination are more inclined to come back again for another event or a holiday.”
Jon Hutchison, Chief Executive Officer of Business Events Sydney said 2010 is shaping up as a huge year for business events in Sydney.
“Next year Sydney will host 39 events and almost 300,000 delegate days,” Mr Hutchison said.
“These include major events such as the Lions Club International Convention and the 7th International Orthodontic Congress.”
Mr Hutchison said business events can also lead to an increase in trade and investment in NSW by opening the State to new international markets.
For more information, visit Business Events Sydney
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