Luxury incentive travel is undergoing a rebound in the Asia Pacific region, delegates at a show in Sydney aimed at highlighting the business were told.
More than 500 buyers and exhibitors descended on Sydney’s Walsh Bay precinct for Luxperience on September 1 for Australia’s only show catering to this growing segment of business tourism.
“We’re extremely happy to see growth, from 100 exhibitors in year one, to 150 last year and now 240 this year,” Luxperience CEO Lindy Andrews said as the show opened.
“We think this demonstrates the buoyancy and growth of the industry on a global level– it’s a very exciting tourism sector to be a part of,” she added.
The event at Pier 2/3, which runs until September 3, also highlighted the potential arising from the redevelopment of Darling Harbour, Sydney, where a new convention centre is due to open in 2017. Accor has announced plans for Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, which will be in a 35-storey tower alongside the convention centre.
Simon McGrath, Accor Pacific CEO, told the Luxperience press conference: “Darling Harbour is an iconic piece of infrastructure for Australia in terms of tourism and also the luxury end of the market. There’s no doubt that the luxury sector is having a rebound in the region, and with mounting foreign investment and a stabilising government, Accor is responding to demands for greater event capacity and luxury hospitality.”
Luxperience also featured scheduled appointments for buyers and suppliers, networking events and a gala dinner hosted by Doltone House at Jones Bay Wharf.
