Quality of life is an integral part of Sydney's business model. Ranked seventh in The Economist's list of the world's best cities in which to live - which also includes three other Australian destinations - the country's economic stronghold attracts talent from all over the world. From the Botanic Gardens to Darling Harbour, the Central Business District (CBD) stretches along the seafront. The business capital of the island-continent has clearly chosen to reconcile efficiency and well-being.
As you laze in front of the crowds of runners on Bondi Beach at dawn, or laze in front of the busy young executives who use their lunch break to work up a sweat in Hyde Park, you get the measure of a true art of living, or even a certain dictatorship of 'well-being'. Alcohol, cigarettes: in the city centre, no-smoking signs are springing up at the same pace as organic shops, fitness centres and professional coaches.
These healthy minds in healthy bodies are now wandering towards new horizons. Sydney is determined to establish itself as a key hub in the Asia-Pacific region. Which explains the westward rush of the business district, reflected in the construction of the International Convention Centre and the redevelopment of the Barangaroo area. Perhaps, in the meantime, we're waiting for the creation of an Australian-style Silicon Valley.
How to get there
Singapore Airlines operates one daily flight by Airbus A380 between Paris-CDG and Singapore, then five daily services to Sydney from the Changi hub. The shortest route, with a total duration of 23h30, includes a three-hour stopover in Singapore. In terms of on-board comfort, in addition to a Business Class that has won numerous awards for its quality, a new product awaits French business travellers. The Premium Economy class was introduced in late 2015 on the Paris-Sydney route. Featuring 36 ergonomic, reclining seats (20 cm), it offers priority boarding and baggage handling. Passengers can also order their meal in advance, accompanied by champagne and fine wines. Tel: 0821 230 380 (€0.12/min.) Internet: www.singaporeair.com
Qatar Airways, Emirates, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines and Air France - in partnership with China Eastern - also offer services from Sydney via Doha, Dubai, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
SILVERKRIS EXHIBITION
When it opened at the end of 2013, Singapore Airlines' SilverKris lounge in Sydney became the very first representative of the new lounge concept, which has since been extended to Hong Kong, London and Manila. The project will eventually involve fourteen lounges around the world, for a total investment of more than 60 million euros. The leitmotiv: to offer business travellers a design space that feels like home, divided into two sections, Business and First.
SYDNEY BETS ON THE FUTURE
Sydney has been transforming itself slowly but surely for several years. To give itself the means to achieve its ambitions, the local authorities have invested in redeveloping the western fringes of the business district. The International Convention Centre, the most obvious symbol of this gamble on the future, is gradually rising above Darling Harbour and should open its doors at the end of 2016 as part of an ultra-modern complex. Further south, the Barangaroo area is also getting a facelift with a multifunctional residential, commercial and hotel project, headlined by a six-star casino resort. Other projects under consideration include a Silicon Valley-style technology hub that the authorities are planning to develop in the Glebe Island area, to the west of the city.
