For the first time, the City of Sydney had produced an in-depth survey of visitor experiences in its inner-city neighbourhoods.
The results reveal who is visiting where, how much they are spending, the purpose of their visit, what they think about the area and how satisfied they were with their visit. It also revealed widespread support for later trading hours and more diverse entertainment options.
The data will be used by businesses looking to provide the services customers are looking for at the right time, as well as information on how to capitalise on peak visitor times and how to best engage with consumers.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the visitor behaviour research would support local businesses to make informed decisions, attract more customers and grow their businesses and local economy.
“This survey gives us an in-depth understanding of what customers want from businesses in our city and enables us to share this information with the businesses who will benefit most,” the Lord Mayor said. “Our economy relies on a thriving local business sector and satisfied residents and tourists.
There were 11 precincts involved in the research conducted from April to June as well as October 2017. The visitor surveys were carried out on Wednesdays and Saturdays to gauge behavioural differences between the working week and the weekend in each location. It is also the first time Green Square was included in a survey of this scale.
Key findings of the survey include:
- Social and leisure activities the overriding reason for visiting an area
- Online searches, websites and social media are critical for engaging with consumers
- Night time shopping a key opportunity
- Desire for more entertainment and culture
- Positive levels of satisfaction seen across the city
- International visitors are highly satisfied
The report also provides a detailed breakdown of the research findings arranged by the 11 village centres. This data will further help businesses build on the entertainment, shopping and dining offerings in their local precinct.
The city has recently appointed a panel of 15 experts from the hospitality, live music and performance, theatre, festivals, retail, business and public safety sectors to provide advice on how it can best work with industry, business and other government agencies to support a thriving, diverse and safe night-time economy.
Proposed reforms include allowing shops to trade later, encouraging more small-scale cultural activities and more diverse creative activity late at night.