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It’s no secret that Sydney is special, but new tourism data is showing it is more popular than ever.
A record amount of money is being spent in the harbour city and across New South Wales, with the visitor economy booming.
“Kudos to New South Wales, when NSW excels, the entire nation reaps the rewards,” expressed Margy Osmond, Chief Executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum.
Last year added another record to the books, bringing in the highest ever tourist spend of $53 billion dollars, up 3.6 per cent on 2023’s figures.
“Enterprises throughout the Sydney area are thrilled with these statistics and excited about future opportunities,” stated Paul Nicalou, Director of Business Sydney.
“Domestic spending is at an all time high, pumping $15.9 billion into Sydney alone.
Some of the credit, the NSW Treasurer says, has to go to pop superstar Taylor Swift.
“I would be remiss not to acknowledge Taylor Swift, along with the fans of NSW who flocked to Homebush last year for her concerts, which clearly served as a major catalyst,” said Daniel Mookhey.
The Treasurer will be hoping for a similar sugar hit, with pop superstar Dua Lipa hitting the stage tonight.
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The North Coast and the Blue Mountains were the most popular destinations outside city limits.
Visitors from overseas are up 11 per cent, with the most travellers coming from China, followed by the US and New Zealand.
The government is working with the airport company to strategically recruit airlines flying in from these countries.
“We need them to stay longer and spend more, and that’s what they’ve doing and that’s what the number have been indicating,” NSW Tourism Minister Steve Kamper said.