TOURISM & ARTS SECTORS CELEBRATE 100 DAYS TO GO UNTIL SYDNEY WORLDPRIDE

The nation’s peak tourism body, Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) Australia has hailed Sydney WorldPride as a massive boost for Australia’s critical tourism and arts industries, with just 100 days to go until the festival attracts an influx of visitors from around the world.

TTF CEO Margy Osmond welcomed the full festival guide of more than 300 events unveiled this morning, kicking off from February 17 to March 5, 2023, with dance parties, live concerts, arts and cultural events and the much-loved Mardi Gras parade lighting up the city to celebrate LGBTQIA+ visibility.

“This is fantastic news for tourism operators in Sydney and around Australia. Sydney WorldPride should attract some 500,000 international visitors for one of the biggest events since the Sydney 2000 Olympics,” Ms Osmond said.

“Our international guests can enjoy this spectacular line-up and all the other delights Sydney has to offer. We expect many will also visit other parts of Australia, benefiting tourism operators across the country.”

“Our sector is well-prepared to welcome the influx of visitors and extend the fun throughout Sydney and surrounding destinations. A list of approved travel providers is available online (http://sydneyworldpride.com/travel-providers/), through which they can bundle event tickets with flight and accommodation packages to make travelling to Sydney even easier.”

“Given it’s the first time WorldPride has been held in the Southern Hemisphere, this should also give the world confidence that Australia is ready to welcome international visitors throughout 2023. We need events like this to entice international guests, after lockdowns and border closures made travellers more hesitant to visit Australia.”

“The festival is well-timed for Australia’s first summer without Covid restrictions post-pandemic when most international borders have reopened. We hope to see a significant recovery of international visitor numbers to Australia, helping support our key tourism, arts, aviation and transport sectors.”

“I’m also pleased to see our First Nations Australians being celebrated, with a range of events at Marri Madung Butbut: First Nations Gathering Space, including Camp Culture, Ailan Songs Project, Bloodlines: The Huxleys, Koori Gras and more.

“While the Human Rights Conference will be a critical event with inspiring speakers to amplify the voices of the marginalised within our community.”