Spread the love

The Western Sydney International Airport and the road to a $91 billion NSW Visitor Economy by 2037 were the key focus of a recent Accommodation Australia NSW breakfast update.

More than 50 hotel industry leaders gathered at the Radisson Blu Sydney for the early morning session which featured key speakers acting CEO of Destination NSW, Stephen Mahoney and Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of BESydney.

AA NSW general manager Stacey McBride said the event was the perfect chance for members to hear first-hand about marketing initiatives and upcoming events aimed at driving visitor growth throughout Sydney and regional NSW.

“A major focus was the need for all parts of State Government to work together to drive economic growth in the tourism and accommodation sectors,” Ms McBride said.

“There was concern NSW was lagging just behind other states across a range of categories – like food and wine, cultural events and coastal getaways – and we need to do better to sell our unique experiences and put NSW in its rightful position as the nation’s visitor economy powerhouse.

“We were also reminded by the speakers that Western Sydney Airport would be a real game-changer for the industry as the city’s only 24/7 airport with no curfew. Accommodation hotels were told now is the time to start preparing staff for the cultural shift of large numbers of visitors arriving 24/7 like in other international cities around the world.”

Ms McBride said that with 40,435 new hotel rooms by 2035 – and 75% of those in Western Sydney, increased aviation capacity and a record $52.9billion visitor spend this year, the state was on the way to being “future ready.”