Arabic version: نقص الفنادق يثير مخاوف قبل افتتاح مطار غرب سيدني

According to ABC News, a shortage of hotels close to Western Sydney International Airport has been identified as a potential obstacle to retaining visitor spending in the region when passenger flights begin on October 25. Cargo services are set to officially start, while operational trials are under way at what will be Australia’s only 24/7 airport.

Adam Leto, chief executive of the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, said the region needed more accommodation for visitors expected to arrive from the end of the year. He said there were only a handful of hotels within 20 kilometres of the airport, despite some projects being planned near the site and in Parramatta, about 40 kilometres away. A planned 200-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel near the airport has no opening timeline to share, according to a spokesperson.

Lauren Raffen, owner and licensee of the Wallacia Hotel, said her business could benefit from more travellers but questioned whether Western Sydney had enough rooms and facilities to accommodate projected passenger numbers. The hotel, 14 kilometres west of the airport, has 29 ensuite rooms. With limited public transport nearby, it plans to introduce a courtesy bus for guests travelling to and from the airport. Raffen said the hotel had already received enquiries from regional NSW, including travellers from the Central West seeking overnight stays before early flights or after late arrivals.

Leto said construction costs, planning red tape and uncertainty over the level of demand had delayed new hotel development. He expects greater confidence once aircraft begin arriving and passenger figures become clearer. Hotels in Liverpool, Penrith and Rooty Hill are also expected to benefit. A Western Sydney International spokesperson said the private sector was expected to respond as demand develops, noting the airport is initially built for 10 million passengers a year and is planned to grow to more than 80 million annually by the 2060s.