Sydney hotels enjoyed a record-breaking weekend, with many reporting occupancy levels of between 90% and 100%, thanks to major events across the city, including four sold-out Taylor Swift concerts.
The Australia leg of The Eras Tour concluded in Sydney on Monday, drawing 335,000 fans to Accor Stadium over the weekend, while over the same period, Blink-182 played at Qudos Bank Arena, and the SailGP Sydney sailing competition was held across the city’s harbour.
Accor felt the flow on effect at its hotels, announcing a record level of hotel bookings over the weekend.
“Hotel results in Sydney over the weekend were higher than anything we’ve seen since the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer PM&E, Adrian Williams.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to witness this incredible moment, where the convergence of music, sports and tourism ignites such excitement and possibility. I am proud of our dedicated hotel teams, who welcomed and catered to our many guests over the weekend.
“The boost to tourism doesn’t just stop at creating memories – it creates jobs. From hospitality to entertainment, every aspect of this contributes to our mission of fostering prosperity and creating meaningful opportunities for our communities.”
Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson said “the ‘Swift effect’ is undeniable”.
“Based on past calculations, her shows can inject between AU$150 and AU$200 million to a state’s economy, just as we saw in Melbourne,” Johnson said.
Accommodation Australia NSW Manager Stacey McBride agreed that the economic boost for a city’s economy, including hotels and hospitality, is something to be celebrated.
“To see more events of this magnitude, if there are such things, would be incredible for Sydney and other cities across Australia,” she said.
Accor Stadium is set to hold a number of other major events this year including musician, Pink, Coldplay as well as the NRL and Bledisloe Cup.