Success looks like what everybody wants when they take a trip — you want it to be easy, you want it to be memorable.”
Karen Jones, Destination NSW CEO
New South Wales is entering its most ambitious decade yet: a race to grow the state’s visitor economy to $91 billion by 2035.
At its heart is the burgeoning Western Sydney tourism destination.
At the 2025 Visitor Economy Forum last year, Destination NSW unveiled its strategy to achieve that.
The foundation pillar can be applied to every facet of tourism: Make it easy for people to visit.
Because if people can’t get here easily, move around easily or find somewhere to stay, no amount of marketing, events or storytelling will get NSW to 2035.
Rather than just strategy, I see Pillar 1 as the blueprint for unlocking real investment, visitor flow, regional uplift and long-term economic impact.
But before we get there, let’s clear up the question many global travellers (and even a few Aussies) quietly ask.
In the spirit of a famous ‘90s tourism campaign: “Where the bloody hell is Western Sydney?”
Location. Location. Location.
Winter Sports World exterior design. CGI render
If access is everything, location is the multiplier.
Western Sydney is a region of global significance conveniently located to Sydney CBD.
Home to more than 2.6 million people, it is larger than many countries, yet only 45 minutes from Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Western Sydney contains the business powerhouse cities of Parramatta, Blacktown and Penrith, as well as multicultural hubs around Cabramatta, Fairfield and Bankstown.
Australia’s first indoor snow resort, Winter Sports World, is strategically located in Penrith and occupies a unique sweet spot:
- Close enough to the CBD to benefit from Sydney’s global brand
- Far enough to play a major role in rebalancing tourism towards Western Sydney
- Perfectly positioned for dispersal to the famous Blue Mountains and undiscovered regional areas of NSW such as the Hawkesbury, Central West and beyond
Winter Sports World is just 12km from Western Sydney International Airport (opening later this year), placing us closer to an international terminal than many major attractions in global cities.
But Winter Sports World in Penrith will also be a convenient first-stop attraction to inbound travellers into the globally accepted Sydney airport, less than 60km away (about 40 minutes by road and about an hour by rail).
And when they arrive at Winter Sports World minutes of disembarking an aeroplane, visitors from around the world will experience:
- 300m indoor real-snow ski and snowboard slope, the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere
- The biggest snow play area (3,200m2) in the Southern Hemisphere
- Alpine-themed restaurants, après bars and café spaces with snow views
- Multi-sensory lighting, sound and temperature-scapes that simulate the atmosphere of real winter mountains
- Showstopping “ice-shard” façade, already gaining global attention
- Perfect chemical-free snow (air + water = snow), perfect snow conditions and perfect -4°C snow weather
Access for all
Making Winter Sports World easy for people to visit goes deeper than simply proximity and transport.
We’re democratising snow so it’s accessible to everyone.
- Affordable, accessible fun: Winter Sports World will be within an hour’s drive of 5 million people in Sydney, and we’re building inclusivity and affordable pricing into the design from day one. Our indoor snow centre will give more people the opportunity to try skiing or snowboarding – and stay overnight – without breaking the bank.
- All ages & competences: Whether you’re a first-timer or a future Olympian, Winter Sports World will cater for you. Real snow play areas for kids, gentle learn-to-ski slopes for beginners and consistent perfect snow for experts – all in a safe, controlled environment.
- All abilities: Endorsed by Disabled Wintersport Australia and developed with input from people with disabilities, we are committed to providing accessible infrastructure, adaptive equipment and trained staff offering support and guidance to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone
Driving accommodation demand
As Sydney, including Western Sydney, moves toward delivering the 40,400 additional visitor beds by 2035, called for by Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones, major visitor magnets like Winter Sports World will play a critical role in driving the demand to fill them.
Winter Sports World won’t just fit into the accommodation strategy – it will help unlock it by:
- Driving overnight visitation from domestic and international families, adventure travellers, sports competitors, business event attendees and day-trippers who extend to overnight stays
- Creating new peaks and year-round travel cycles, not just seasonal surges, that fill existing accommodation and justify new hotel investment
- Boosting demand for hotel rooms throughout Penrith, Parramatta, the broader Western Sydney corridor and the Sydney CBD
By driving demand, Winter Sports World creates the compelling signals that enable more investors, hoteliers and developers to move with confidence into Western Sydney.
Making journeys seamless
Ease begins long before travellers arrive at an attraction.
It starts with effortless planning, smooth navigation and clear travel lines.
WSW has been designed with visitor flow at its core:
- Integrated booking and ticketing
- Direct access potential from two international airports
- Alignment with the new Western Sydney transport spine
- Easy visitor movement on-site, from beginners to athletes
Making destinations and attractions easy to access is the foundation of everything else.
NSW is calling for iconic, year-round experiences.
Winter Sports World has secured all approvals and is shovel-ready to deliver that.