Urban Tourism

Showcase Destinations Sydney , Australia : The Harbour City

By David Latta

It 's difficult to ignore the gleaming waters of Sydney Harbour . More formally known as Port Jackson , it is the world 's largest natural harbor . The 4 .3 million residents of Sydney gather around its shores like worshipful children , spending leisure time at more than 70 beaches boating and yachting . Many make their way to work in the city by ferries that link its farthest inland tributaries

It was at Sydney Cove that the convict-laden flotilla of ships later known as

the First Fleet established Australia 's first settlement in 1788 . Named after a British politician and aristocrat , British Home Secretary Thomas Townshend (Lord Sydney , the site is now the northern b of the city 's central business district (CBD , offset by the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House

In 2005 , the U .S . readers of Travel Leisure magazine voted Sydney the world 's No . 1 city for the 10th straight year . It 's a mark of the regard international travelers have for the Harbour City ' that such surveys continue to place Sydney at or near the top of wish lists . Research conducted by the Sydney CVB consistently finds that more international conference delegates bring spouses or families to Sydney than to any other Australian city

SYDNEY CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

International congresses generally choose the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC , the city 's largest meeting facility . With 30 meeting rooms

- including Sydney 's largest ballroom , hosting up to 1 ,000 guests - and 3 .2 million square feet of exhibition space , the center occupies a prime position at Darling Harbour , a former railway yard and shipping center repatriated into a tourist , dining and entertainment precinct in 1988 amid Australia 's bicentennial celebrations

Size is not a problem at the SCEC . A cocktail party held for the 18th World Congress of Neurology saw 3 ,000 partygoers enjoying an evening of fine food , wine and networking in two of the center 's exhibition halls

The largest event held so far at the SCEC was for a group of business sessions for a 13 ,250-delegate Amway incentive from China , Taiwan and Hong Kong (held in four stages over a three-week period . Aside from the conference component , the SCEC organized four gala dinners , each for 3 ,500 delegates . The logistics required for these events included the creation of six satellite kitchens and more than 450 staff for each dinner

Darling Harbour is at the western edge of the CBD and includes a wide range of restaurants , bars and nightclubs . With easy delegate access by road , light rail and monorail , it is utilized as much by locals as tourists and convention delegates . Sydney 's mild climate makes outdoor dining possibilities a pleasure most of the year

NEW HOTELS MAKE A SPLASH

The biggest hotel news in Sydney has been the reopening of the Hilton Sydney following a AUD 200 million redevelopment . Originally opened in the 1970s , the building was stripped back to...