Invictus Games Sydney 2018 highlighted by Tourism Australia

Yesterday evening, Tourism Australia welcomed travel trade professionals to The Chef’s House at George Brown College for a special cocktail reception.

With the upcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018, most of the evening’s discussion revolved around what visitors taking a trip Down Under can expect next year.

“We have a wonderful opportunity to host these games, which will take place in October of next year,” said Patrick Kidd, OBE, Invictus Games Sydney 2018.

The Invictus Games were introduced by Prince Harry, and are an opportunity for paralympic athletes to go head-to-head in competitive sport. The 2018 Games in Sydney will feature competitive sailing through the Sydney Harbour for the very first time. More than 500 athletes, alongside hundreds of their family and friends are expected to descend to Australia next October in support of the Games, which in turn, will drive tourism for the country.

Lt Gen Peter Leahy AC, Invictus Games Sydney 2018, and Patrick Kidd, OBE, Invictus Games Sydney 2018.

“We talk a lot over in Australia about making sure that we make the most of the opportunity that we have from now until the Games, so it’s very much centred around raising awareness in the Australian community about the mutual service of these Games, and celebrating the amazing stories of those who participate in these Games,” Kidd said. “It’s a very exciting time for us, and as we go through Toronto, we’re going to learn many brilliant lessons by what Toronto puts on, and then we’re going to do our best to replicate it when the Games come to Australia next year.”

While Kidd wouldn’t let up on where Prince Harry was staying just yet, PAX learned that the projected tourism numbers for next year’s Games will greatly contribute to a stronger Canadian presence in Australia, after speaking exclusively with Robert Keddy, head of commercial partnerships, the Americas, Tourism Australia.

“The numbers to Australia are very good,” Keddy said. “We’re trending out of Canada up in the double-digits in terms of arrivals, so we’re looking at about a 14 per cent increase year over year.”

New routes and air capacity continue to open up, providing an easy pathway for Canadians heading Down Under. “Australia is doing very well, and there’s a great amount of awareness around coming here,” Keddy said. “Generally, as a travelling segment, Canadians tend to disperse into the regions more than Americans do. The affinity of the Commonwealth, and sharing that connection [with Australia] is helping, but Canadians have always been a little more adventurous.”

The Canadian dollar is currently on par with the Australian dollar, which is a significant factor in the draw for Canadians to come to explore Sydney and other parts of Australia. Paired with enhanced airfare capacity and competitive airfare rates to Australia, tourism numbers continue to rise.

“We really want to express to Canadians the breadth of experiences available to them, not only in the Outback, but in the cities as well,” Keddy said. “One of our newest collections features wildlife, and as we move into 2018, we’re really trying to promote our wildlife and nature, because this is definitely a tourism driver for Canadians.”