The message was loud and clear at the Destination Macarthur event held at Gledswood Homestead last Friday: get tourism ready by the time Western Sydney International airport opens.
And the local tourism operators who attended the event organised by the South West Sydney Tourism Taskforce NSW Inc agreed that 2026 – the year the airport opens – will be a catalyst for a big boost to visitor numbers in this region.
One of the speakers at the event was Catherine Payne, from WSI, and she urged everyone to make sure they were ready to take advantage of the boost to tourism from an international airport in the backyard of South Western Sydney and Macarthur.
Ms Payne also pointed out that the proposed 24/7 operations at Badgerys Creek would be an opportunity to grow the local night time economy.
“The last plane lands at Mascot around 11pm, but here they will be landing 24/7, so it’s going to be a plus for you,’’ she said.
Fazila Farhad, pictured at right, the proactive president and secretary of South West Sydney Tourism Taskforce pointed to Friday’s venue, Gledswood Homestead, as one local attraction that is already tourism ready – three and a half years before the airport opens.
“We must all make sure that when the planes start landing at Badgerys Creek, we’re ready to provide plenty of options right here in the south west,’’ Ms Farhad said.
If there was one other key message to emerge from the tourism day, it was “collaboration’’.
“We need to leverage working with each other,’’ Ms Farhad said.
“Tourism is everyone’s business; when one does well, everyone does well.
The task force was established by the late Harry Hunt and other local operators, and its main goal remains the same under the leadership of Fazila Farhad: to harness the tourism assets of this region – to turn potential into prosperous reality.
And assets there are plenty, including Club Menangle, whose CEO, Bruce Christison, was one of the keynote speakers on Friday at Gledswood.
Mr Christison said that in September Club Menangle would be hosting the world’s richest harness race, The TAB Eureka.
“We need to all work together, to make sure we’re all doing well,’’ he said.
Those in attendance included Blair Briggs, of Mowbray Park Farmstay (and a Wollondilly councillor), Christine Wang from Quest Apartment Hotels Campbelltown, Cabra-vale Diggers director Joe Farrugia, Julie Sebalj from Doltone House, Tony Chiefari from Australian Wildlife Parks and a Destination NSW representative.
The next event of the tourism task force is a bus tour of Western Sydney International airport on September 1.
Find out more or connect with the task force at https://visitsouthwestsydney.com.au/
