Sydney tourism lights up for Vivid

Sydney Opera House lights up as part of VIVID Live at Sydney Opera House on May 23, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. VIVID Sydney is an annual event celebrating the themes of music, light and ideas throughout the city.

Like moths to a flame, travellers are drawn to the bright lights of the Vivid Festival, returning to Sydney in droves for 2015.

Global travel search engine Skyscanner has shared a few figures on travel to Sydney, and has found that during the chilly Vivid season, both international and domestic travel to the city spikes by 36%.

The most loyal fan to Sydney’s Festival of Lights, Music and Ideas was again the British, while both Singapore and the US saw the highest growth in visitor numbers, growing 32% and 23% respectively.

Even the kiwis are upping their game and traversing the ditch to check out what Vivid has to offer, recording a 21% increase in travel to Sydney.

 

Top visitors to Sydney during Vivid Sydney 2014Top visitors to Sydney during Vivid Sydney 2015
1United Kingdom1United Kingdom
2Australia2Australia
3New Zealand3New Zealand
4Ireland4Singapore
5Italy5United States

 

Vivid continues to sparkle as one of Australia’s major drawcards, with a 37% boost in domestic travel set for this year’s spectacular, with a range of support from around the Great Southern Land.

Visitors from Melbourne are up 43%, while Perth has jumped 28%, folk from Brissy are clocking 51% increases, and 33% more Adelaide locals are making the trek to Sydney while the festival is on.

Skyscanner’s head of marketing for Oceania Alana Saphin-Polchleb said culture and art continue to inspire jumps in tourism.

“From our data, it is clear that art and cultural events like Australia’s largest light show, Vivid 2015, together with the Writers Festival and Film Festival positively contribute to the local tourism industry.”

“These encouraging figures show that Sydney’s world-class festivals are increasingly attracting visitors from home and abroad, who are keen to experience the best the city has to offer.”

With Vivid 2015 just around the corner, Skyscanner  has provided some insider tips for making the most out of the festival, from planning and attending special events, to top Vivid food picks and the best times to avoid the crowd.

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