Man Utd kick $16m goal for state economy

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Man Utd kick $16m goal for state economy

Manchester United may have given the A-League All Stars a good thrashing at Saturday night's sold-out game in Sydney but the English champions were kinder to the local economy.

NSW Tourism Minister George Souris said the ANZ Stadium spectacle delivered about 20,000 visitors and $16 million to the state.

Crowd pleaser: United's star striker Robin van Persie.

Crowd pleaser: United's star striker Robin van Persie.Credit: Getty Images

''They toured, they spent and they attended,'' he told reporters on Sunday.

Premier Barry O'Farrell said the match capped off a record-breaking winter of major events that injected about $100 million into local shops, hotels and restaurants.

''The 450,000 tickets sold - to the State of Origin, the Lions, the Socceroos and Manchester United - are all about not just providing great spectacles in this city but also growing employment,'' Mr O'Farrell said. ''It's been a great season of spectacles, the biggest since the 2000 Olympics.

''We're committed to continuing that.''

Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Ken Morrison said the big-name sports events had helped keep work coming to the 160,000 people employed in the state's tourism sector.

''Events like what we've seen over the last month just pump more money into our economy, support jobs and help grow businesses right across the state,'' he said. ''What we're seeing is Sydney becoming a year-round events city.''

The government hopes the Bledisloe Cup next month, the NRL grand final and next year's Major League Baseball series will help keep up interstate and international visitor numbers.

AAP

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