Conversation revolved around the economic and tourism ties between Fort Worth and Australia at the annual Mayor’s International Luncheon at the Colonial Country Club.

The event, hosted by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, varies each year. It is meant to educate and shed light on the importance of fostering relationships among global communities, chamber Vice President of Communications Andra Bennett House said.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price was among the featured speakers at the 2019 event. She was joined by Australian Consul-General Peter McGauran and Philip Williamson, the former president and CEO of Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. before it was acquired by VF Corp. The luncheon was moderated by Sean Donohue, the CEO of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

There has been a push for the airport to expand its global footprint, Donohue said. International service abroad has more than doubled over the past five years—much of that due to investments from Fort Worth-based American Airlines.

“That international footprint is really important to us,” Donohue said. “If you think of the DFW-Sydney trip, it’s only one flight a day, but it’s the second-biggest international market out of DFW in terms of the revenue of tickets sold.”

Bolstering the region’s presence in different countries also benefits the city of Fort Worth, he said.

“The international visitor will spend four to five times the amount of money in Fort Worth than a U.S. visitor would spend,” Donohue said. “[Aside from tourism], it’s big business; it’s trade; it’s jobs. These international flights are well over $100 million of economic value to the region.”

Price said she has traveled abroad for educational trips and it is an opportunity to tell the story of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and what it offers.

“We just need to tell our story,” Price said. “We have to raise the profile of Fort Worth. As everything becomes more global-oriented, then it behooves us to take the word to other countries about our museums, our tourism, our businesses—who we are and what we do here.”