A bid led by Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, supported by Tourism Australia, has successfully secured WorldPride 2023 and the visitation boost it will bring is great news for tourism, with Gay and Lesbian Tourism Australia (GALTA) congratulating the bid team.
GALTA President Mario Paez said he is over the moon that Sydney won its bid to be host city for WorldPride 2023, with voting taking place in Athens over the past weekend.
"With WorldPride 2023 expected to bring over 1 million visitors from all over Australia and the world it will be a magical time to be in Sydney to celebrate the first time the event will be hosted in the Southern Hemisphere. And it's all happening during the ever marvellous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival."
"For our GALTA members, this is a huge opportunity to welcome new visitors and show off your rainbow colours with travel expected to benefit not just Sydney but also regional areas."
Mr Paez said that he and the board of GALTA would also like to congratulate and acknowledge the amazing people involved as part of the Sydney bidding team that won the event for Australia over other cities including Montreal and Houston.
"We sent some of our finest in to bat and look at what they have achieved for Australia, attracting a major global event that will shine a spotlight on our LGBTQI communities and our stunning tourism experiences."
"We look forward to welcoming visitors from where ever in the world they are coming to what will no doubt be one of the best WorldPride events ever."