Record crowds flock to Vivid despite rain

Seven nights of heavy rain failed to deter the crowds flocking to this year's Sydney Vivid festival, with a record-breaking 2.33 million visitors adding a whopping $143 million to the NSW economy.

The final tally of visitor spending for the 23-day winter festival in May and June was up $33 million from the $110 million last year, according to the state government.

"We've also seen a record 38,000 visitors travel beyond the fringes of Sydney, staying more than 94,000 nights and injecting over $16 million into rural and regional local economies," NSW Tourism Minister Adam Marshall said in a statement on Wednesday.

More than 65,400 international travel packages were sold to Vivid 2017, almost 50 per cent more than last year, Mr Marshall said.