Sydney is Australia’s pre-eminent location for global businesses and the State’s extensive overseas trade and investment relationships draw large numbers of international business visitors. In 2008, 51% of international business visitors to Australia arrived through Sydney Airport.

Fifty-three per cent of the 878,000 international business visitors to Australia stopped over in New South Wales. Of these visitors to the State, 38% were from Asia, particularly China, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong SAR, emphasising the State’s close links to the major economies of Asia. Visitors from North America and Europe made up 17% and 15% respectively of all international business visitors who stopped over in New South Wales.

The number of business visitors to New South Wales is boosted by Sydney's attractiveness as a location for international business events. The biggest business events in the world have been held in Sydney. In 2007, Sydney hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, one of the most important annual meetings of world leaders which also brought together thousands of delegates, support personnel and the international media. Upcoming events in Sydney include the Meeting of the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (2009), the 7th International Orthodontic Congress (2010) and the Lions Club International Convention (2010), the latter involving more than 25,000 delegates.