The big winner of the Sydney Olympics is tourism.
The Olympic Games will bring Australia its own haul of not only gold and silver, but folding stuff as well, according to the country's tourism chief.
Managing director of the Australian Tourist Commission John Morse told a press conference: "It's been way beyond our expectations. Sydney and Australia are the stars of the Games but the big winner is tourism."
An extra 1.6 million visitors Down Under in the decade around the Games will bring in A$1.6billion (£640million) to a tourist industry which accounts for 10 percent of Australia's economy.
But Sydney shopkeepers, hoteliers and restaurateurs have complained the expected retail windfall produced by 110,000 international visitors spending A$500 million had not trickeld down to them.
Overblown
Morse admitted expectations during the Games had been overblown but claimed the real benefits would kick in from November and December during the Australian summer.
And with Australia hoping for a record five million visitors next year Morse predicted the commercial glow from the Games would last for a decade.
Australia has long topped the list of most desirable destinations in the USA, Great Britain, Japan and South Korea.
But the country's new image - focusing on culture, food and wine and lifestyle - had reached countries like France and Italy where Down Under was previously off the map.
"It's set us up like no other event in the history of this country," he said.
Australian tourism's policy of courting the media had also paid off in terms of publicity
"The media influence on tourism has been very important," said Morse revealing that in the run-up to the Games Australian tourism authorities paid for visits by 3,000 journalists from around the world.
At a cost to Australia of only A$3-5million a year, Morse reckoned to have bought around A$2billion worth of pulibicity generated by their reports.
With 21,000 journalists accredited to the Games and a global television audience of three billion, more free press had been generated by a worldwide advertising blitz paid for by Games sponsors such as Visa International and McDonald's.
After the Games, a string of adverts featuring Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan would drive the message home.
Morse said the Australian dollar's dramatic slide against the US dollar would have little effect in encouraging tourism spending, but visitors would return home spreading word the Australia was: "a great place to visit and a great value destination."
"Overall, in the longer term, it's good for international tourism," Morse said.