Benchmarking report spotlights Sydney's need to improve promotion of its diverse cultural offerings

Urban think tank Committee for Sydney’s ‘Benchmarking Sydney 2024’ report was released today and with regards to the policy area of ‘Culture’, the report notes that when Sydney promotes and markets itself as a tourism destination, a greater emphasis needs to be placed on the central, western and south-western parts of the city where its cultural diversity flourishes.

While The Committee for Sydney published a benchmarking report annually between 2016 and 2021,the 2024 Benchmarking Sydney report is the first since the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been produced in partnership with The Business of Cities.

The Benchmarking Sydney 2024 report benchmarks Sydney against nine peer cities from around the world Amsterdam, Barcelona, Stockholm, Miami, San Francisco, Toronto, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore - a group of peer cities that not only share many of Sydney’s characteristics and grapple with similar challenges, but are cities that Sydney looks to for inspiration.

Across the Committee for Sydney’s six policy areas – Economy, Resilience, Mobility, Culture, Planning and Equity and Fairness – Sydney’s performance varies when compared with these cities. The report explores where Sydney performs well and where it falls short.

The report notes that Sydney has been long known as a global tourism destination with interantional visitors drawn to its climate, beaches, iconic landmarks and natural beauty.

However, Sydney as a tourist destination offers more than its renowned landmarks and natural beauty, and has firmly established its reputation as an innovative and cultural hub.

Of the ten peer cities, Sydney also has the highest return rate for travellers, reflecting the diversity of experience the city offers.

Behind the traditional tourist drawcards, Sydney is building a distinct cultural and night-time economy.

Sydney’s multicultural diversity is at the core of this and the city ranks third overall for culture compared with the peer cities.

Sydney is now in the top 25% of 100 global cities for the diversity of its cuisine and the city’s multicultural communities are also driving a diversification of the type of events on offer to locals and visitors alike.

The Ramadan Nights festival in the central Sydney suburb of Lakemba drew 1.4 million visitors in 2023. The diversity of cultural experiences and night-time economy activities right across Sydney has been welcomed by locals.

However, the report highlights that Sydney delivers “A tale of two cities – perception and performance” adding “on the ground, the changes to Sydney’s cultural scene and night life are readily observed and celebrated. Sydney is now 17th of 100 cities for range of night-time economy venues there are, and since 2019 has overtaken Stockholm, San Francisco and Toronto for how highly locals rate the evening scene.

“But global perceptions still lag. For example we are down four places to 36th for the number of highly rated cultural, food and nightlife attractions since 2018.

“This highlights the contradictions Sydney faces as it continues to mature as a cultural destination and must address if we are to draw more visitors, new and return alike.

“Our cultural diversity offers a key to this development but requires a greater awareness of the dining and entertainment experiences that local centres right across Sydney can offer both locals and visitors.

“It also requires a greater emphasis on cultural investment in the central, western and south-western parts of the city where this cultural diversity flourishes."

The report also notes that “maintaining a reputation for sports, and ensuring a safe night-time environment for women, also emerge as important imperatives.

“Sydney must continue to improve, diversify and promote its cultural offer and to promote it, so that the gap between perception and performance closes.

“Sydney’s mature creative and cultural industries also appear to be more resilient than elsewhere, despite cost challenges and growing competition from smaller cities. Yet against the world’s top cultural hotspots, Sydney’s cultural innovation and excellence is less widely known and appreciated. Sydney’s night-time economy is improving fast but international acclaim will take time to catch up”.

Access the report here

Image. The Ramadan Nights festival in the central Sydney suburb of Lakemba drew 1.4 million visitors in 2023