WorldPride 2023 To Give Australian Tourism Much Needed Boost
Image: Image: Anna Kucera
Sydney WorldPride 2023 is fast approaching and with it, a spectacle of glitter, rainbows, dancing, and parties.
The Queer mega-festival is also expected to bring visitors and tourists to Sydney, both from overseas and from interstate. This is welcomed news for the tourism industry.
An Influx of International Visitors
Tourism Minister Don Farrell says, this year 3.5 million international visitors are estimated to have arrived in Australia. While other industries have rebounded, the number of international visitors to Australia has still not rallied to pre-covid levels. In fact, according to Farrell, the number of international visitors is not expected to pass pre-covid levels until 2025, with 9.5 million visitors, rising to 11 million visitors in 2027.
In an interview with the Herald Sun, explaining why the international numbers have not rebounded, Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said, “We’re slam-bang in the middle of what is the most competitive tourism market the world has ever seen.
“Every country in the world is vying for the footloose high-spending traveller. As a consequence it is an incredibly tough market.”
According to Tourism Australia, for the year ending September 2022, there were 2.2 million international visitor arrivals. This is a decrease of 77% compared to the year ending September 2019.
The Australian tourism industry is hoping Sydney WorldPride gives those numbers a much-needed boost.
Over 500,000 People Expected To Take Part
The NSW Government believes an estimated 78,000 tourists from outside NSW are expected to attend WorldPride. This number includes both international and interstate visitors.
In a recent interview with Star Observer, CEO of Sydney WorldPride Kate Wickett talked about her excitement for Sydney WorldPride 2023.
Wickett said that she is most excited about “bringing a really diverse group of our community together from across the globe. So people from all backgrounds coming to celebrate and to advocate for our rights, but also to showcase our First Nations cultures to the world and showcase our beautiful city to the world.”
She continued, “This is going to be an LGBTQI event the size of which has never been held in the Southern Hemisphere before.”
Sydney WorldPride 2023 takes place from February 17 to March 5, 2023 with over 500,000 people expected to take part in the 17-day celebration.
WorldPride started in 2000 in Rome. Since then it has been held in London, Toronto, Madrid, New York, and, most recently, Copenhagen.
For information on Sydney WorldPride 2023 go to sydneyworldpride.com
