Project Sydney: A sporting chance for tourism in the west

EXCLUSIVE: COME for the sport, stay for the weekend. That’s the message behind a big-budget ad campaign spruiking Sydney’s west.

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COME for the sport, stay for the weekend. That’s the message behind a big-budget ad campaign spruiking Sydney’s west, to be unveiled today at a high-level tourism summit.

Craft beer and art trails, along with bike paths will be promoted under the bold ad strategy designed by Ian Macfarlane, the marketing guru behind successful campaigns for New Zealand and Cape Town.

The Sydney’s West tourism campaign, funded by local businesses, comes as new figures­ reveal the region — excluding­ Olympic Park — draws just 4 per cent of Sydney’s tourism dollars.

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Creative assets for the new Sydney South West advertising campaign.

Mr Macfarlane said there was much to do in Western Sydney but “nobody knows about it, it is geographically dispersed and hasn’t been marketed in experience packages”.

“One of the key assets Western Sydney has, of course, is its sporting teams,” he said.

“What we’re suggesting to supporters is ... why don’t you come and spend a weekend here, and we’ll put together product packages and experience packages for them, and market directly via their clubs.”

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A website and a real-time smart phone app to help explore the region are being ­developed in time for the ­summer school holidays.

Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher will also today flag ambitious plans for the design of the Western Sydney Airport, saying it will not be second-rate to Sydney Airport. “We certainly are not planning a ‘low-cost’ or ‘discount’ airport,” Mr Fletcher will tell the forum.