ASIAN CUP A ROARING SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE FIELD

The AFC Asian Cup reached a thrilling conclusion last weekend, with Australia being crowned Champions of Asia by winning the title 2-1 in extra time against South Korea. The final was the culmination of over three weeks of intense competition, played in front of bumper crowds and TV audiences.

The Cup has been an enormous success in NSW, with a total crowd of 279,980 attending the 11 matches held in Sydney and Newcastle. The popularity of the event has also made a positive impact on the entire visitor economy. Accor, Australia’s largest hotel group, has reported strong gains from key inbound travel markets including China, Japan and Korea.

Accor reports that host cities for the Asian Cup recorded occupancy increases of between 3.7% and almost 20% compared to a normal January. Newcastle was the greatest Accor beneficiary, with the triumphant semi-final win by Australia against the United Arab Emirates boosting occupancies by 19.8%, while the final saw Sydney Accor occupancies rise by 7.5% for the month.

Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer, Simon McGrath, said “Major sporting events like the AFC Asian Cup continue to play a vital role in growing our visitor economy. The economic benefits of the tournament have had a positive flow-on effect for destinations outside the host cities, as for many visitors, the AFC Asian Cup is not just about football, it provides a unique incentive to visit Australia and tour around the country.”

“This was the case for many English visitors coming to Australia for the Ashes last year, and for a majority of the Asian Cup football fans this is their first visit to Australia and will hopefully inspire repeat visits by them and their friends,” Mr McGrath said.

The tournament was also watched on TV by over a billion people worldwide, which will no doubt have a positive impact on local tourism in the months and years to come.

Local Organising Committee Chief Executive Officer Michael Brown said “This Asian Cup has been a nation-building exercise in every sense of the term. Its benefits will be felt for many years to come.”

“It has significantly reinforced the positive perceptions about Australia throughout Asia, attracted tens of thousands of tourists and delivered an estimated $A23 million boost to Australia’s GDP,” Mr Brown said.