Sydney is Australia's number one tourist destination. Around 2.6 million international travellers visited Sydney in 2008, contributing $5.4 billion to the local economy. Sydney is consistently ranked as the leading international destination by readers of the world's major travel publications.

The 2008 Readers' Choice Awards published by the respected Condé Nast Traveler magazine, ranked Sydney as the world's best city for travellers for the seventh consecutive year. Sydney was rated excellent or very good by 87.2% of respondents for friendliness, ambience, culture and attractions, restaurants, lodging, and shopping, with Condé Nast Traveler remarking that "no other city so seamlessly blends sophistication with a laid-back devotion to the good life."

Sydney’s world class dining scene continues to make its mark on the world culinary stage. In the UK-based Restaurant Magazine 2009 S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards, two Sydney restaurants were listed in the top 50, Tetsuya's (ranked 17th) and Quay (ranked 46th). In 2009, 48 New South Wales restaurants featured in the Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine’s Top 100 Restaurants list, with the top 20 dominated by New South Wales restaurants.