Today’s NFL match in Melbourne is proving to be a major win for local tourism, with Accor hotels experiencing a surge in bookings as fans flock to the city for Australia’s first-ever regular-season game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Latest booking data from Accor, Australia’s largest hospitality group, shows a sharp uplift in hotel occupancy across Melbourne on the nights immediately surrounding the game, as fans travel to the city for the historic sporting event.
Across Accor’s 53-hotel Melbourne network, occupancy last night (Thursday) was 25% ahead of the same time last year. This momentum is carrying into the weekend, with tonight’s bookings showing an 18% increase versus last year.
Adrian Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Accor in the Pacific region, said the figures demonstrate the significant impact major international sporting events can have on Melbourne’s visitor economy.
“Melbourne has an extraordinary ability to turn major sporting moments into city-wide occasions, and we’re seeing that game-day energy reflected very clearly in hotel demand this week,” said Williams.
“With gridiron fans travelling to Melbourne for today’s kick-off at the MCG, the strong uplift in occupancy across both Thursday and Friday demonstrates the value major events bring not only to hotels, but to restaurants, bars and the broader visitor economy.
“Melbourne has long established itself as one of the world’s great sporting cities, and running a successful playbook for events of this scale reinforces its appeal to both domestic and international visitors.”
The San Francisco 49ers will take on the Los Angeles Rams at the MCG today (Friday 11 September), marking the NFL’s first regular-season game to be played in Australia.
