The tours of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur to Sydney are set to inject $18 million into the NSW economy as a result of a major influx of interstate and international tourists travelling specifically for the match.
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Based on the destination of tickets purchases and arrivals, the NSW government predicts more than 30,000 visitors will travel to Sydney for the two matches, three days apart, against Sydney FC.
"Legacy" is the one word often used as the criticism for such tours, which in the past offer little more than fleeting mainstream interest in football in Australia. While Chelsea and Spurs received significant financial benefits, there will be some positives left in the wake of their tours.
Football Federation Australia received $250,000 per game sanctioned and are understood to have made $1.2 million collectively from the television rights. Sydney FC received $500,000 for their participation in both games and benefit from brand recognition of the games, but will not receive any windfall from the broadcast deals covering the games.
"In total, the matches are expected to attract more than 30,000 domestic and international visitors, contributing more than $18 million into the NSW economy in visitor expenditure," Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said. "It's a great boost to the tourism industry in a traditionally quieter time. Visitors coming to watch the games eat in our restaurants, stay in our hotels, ride in our taxis and visit our local attractions."
Tottenham may have arrived to much fanfare at Sydney Airport on Thursday morning but their community engagement program had already been in full operation in Sydney for three days prior. Unlike many big European clubs before them, they have placed a significant importance on working with school children and those with disabilities as part of this tour in a benefit beyond dollars.
Running coaching sessions at schools, amateur football clubs,visiting hospitals and working with the FFA's Miniroos campaign, which shares a sponsor with Spurs, four coaches have been on the ground since Monday working with local communities. It may one day result in more shirt sales, but not during this trip.
"The brand of this football club has a real power to engage and make a difference. What we don't want to do is parachute in and out. What we've looked to have done is work with the locals, the FFA, working with some coaches and showing them what we do in London," chief executive of Tottenham Hotspur Foundation Grant Cornwell said.
Chelsea will be showcasing their English Premier League trophy to Australia's fans and will be donating 15,000 scarves to those in their home end at ANZ Stadium.
Images of Chelsea and Tottenham were lit up on the harbour as part of the Vivid festival in Sydney, with iconic images of the city shared among the 1.1 million followers of Spurs on Twitter.
In Melbourne, the International Champions Cup tour featuring Real Madrid, Manchester City and Roma will attract visitors with tickets for Real Madrid's games selling fast and the Roma and Manchester City fixture being far less popular.
Friday night's clash between Spanish club Villareal and Adelaide United was part of a tour funded and pushed by La Liga for the simple purpose of promoting the competition. There are no household names as part of the squad that will tour and few kids will claim to be Villareal fans in years to come as a result, but they will enjoy the experience of good football. Liverpool are funding their own tour to Brisbane and Adelaide later in the year in what is becoming a regular cash cow for the club.
