australia tourism statistics 2019

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STUDY: Record 87.7 million tourists visited Australia in 2019

The latest international visitor survey shows Australia was on track for another record year before the dual crises of the bushfires and COVID-19.

Tourism Research Australia’s (TRA) latest snapshot of international visitation shows the country saw record numbers of international visitors aged 15 years and over for the year to December 2019, with 8.7 million arrivals (two per cent more than the previous year).

Moreover, in terms of domestic travel, Australia recorded yet another breakthrough: 117.4 million Australians spent a record $80.7 billion across the country.

The findings come with the release of Tourism Research Australia’s international and domestic visitor surveys.

In terms of the international visitor survey, the findings supported a three per cent growth in total trip spend from international visitors, which reached a record $45.4 billion.

There was growth in visitation across all purposes of travel over the year. Leading the way was employment, up four per cent to 212,000 visitors.

Education and holiday travel were also up three per cent to 594,000 and 4 million visitors, respectively.

The most popular activities undertaken by holiday visitors to Australia were eating out (91 per cent), shopping (81 per cent), sightseeing (80 per cent) and going to the beach (71 per cent).

North American and European visitors, including those from the UK, were the most adventurous holidaymakers, with higher participation rates across most activities.

In addition, the research also showed the Asian market was the top contributor to the growth in international tourism, providing 88 per cent of the additional $1.5 billion spend gained in 2019, and 69 per cent of the 185,000-visitor increase.

Despite double-digit percentage growth over much of the last decade, TRA noted China saw a plateau in visitation, with numbers steadying at 1.3 million.

However, spend was up six per cent to $12.4 billion due mainly to growth from high spending Chinese students.

Domestic travel hits record $80.7bn spend

New South Wales took the largest piece of the pie, with 39 million domestic visitors and $23.7 billion in expenditure (iStock.com/Yiran An)

Domestic overnight travel also continued to perform well over the year ending December 2019, with 117.4 million visitors spending a record $80.7 billion (up 12 per cent). Total tourism spend also reached a record $152.4 billion.

New South Wales was the most popular for interstate domestic visits, while the Northern Territory was the least with 1.7 million visitors over the course of the year, adding up to $2.2 billion in expenditure.

Transport ($24.7 billion), food and drink ($22.4 billion) and accommodation ($20.3 billion) contributed most to Australia’s total domestic overnight spend over the year.

In addition, two-thirds of domestic overnight trips (79.1 million) were for intrastate travel, though interstate travel generated greater spend overall (56 per cent or $45.0 billion).

Interstate trips ($1,173) were found to cost more on average per person than intrastate trips ($452), primarily due to greater transport expenses and longer trip durations.

And in terms of lodgings, domestic visitor nights were most often spent at a friend’s or relative’s property (34 per cent); in hotels, motels and resorts (24 per cent); and caravanning and camping (14 per cent).

Data critical in outlining baseline for COVID-19 recovery: ATIC

According to the Australian Tourism Industry Council’s executive director, Simon Westaway, the release of this latest visitor snapshot will provide policymakers integral data to help them plan for the future after COVID-19.

“Australian tourism enterprises, wider players in our industry and governments continue to rely and engage around this detailed quarterly research which tracks both domestic and international tourism within Australia,” Westaway said.

“This data delivery sets continual benchmarks and now policymakers have the representative statistical baseline right before the dual impacts of bushfires and COVID-19, which transpired from the beginning of 2020, from which to help industry address future recovery.”

To check out the findings of Tourism Research Australia’s latest international visitor survey, click  here . And to read the latest domestic international visitor survey, click here .

Featured image: iStock.com/zetter

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Tourism and the visitor economy

Spectacular and unique, Australia is an aspirational tourism destination for international travellers.

Thinking about entering the Australian market?

• Investors typically establish a new company, register as a foreign company or acquire an existing company. Assess your options with our Investor Guide .
• Austrade is Australia’s national investment promotion agency. We attract and facilitate game-changing foreign direct investment into Australia. Our team of business and investment specialists can connect investors to early-stage opportunities in Australia and provide direct and tailored professional assistance. Find out how we can help .

We enjoy an enviable reputation for our world-class cultural and natural attractions, from pristine beaches and rainforest to the opportunity to experience the oldest living culture on Earth.

After ten years of constant growth, we welcomed almost 10 million visitors in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re also a high yield market, with international visitors staying long and spending big.

Supported by the Australian Government’s visitor economy strategy, THRIVE 2030 , the sector has resumed its path to long-term sustainable growth, creating new opportunities for investors.

Australians holiday at home

Operators in Australia also benefit from a strong domestic market.

Australians are enthusiastic travellers and love to explore their own backyard. Increased domestic demand during the pandemic has continued; and in 2022 overnight and day trip spending by domestic tourists surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

• In a typical year, Australians account for around three-quarters of total tourism spend
• Australians make more than five domestic overnight trips a year on average
• In the September quarter 2022, spending on domestic overnight trips increased by 33% to A$27.8 billion, when compared to pre pandemic levels.
• By 2027, annual domestic overnight trip and day trip expenditure is expected to reach A$137.9 billion and A$41.1 billion respectively.

Poised to grow

International tourism is beginning to recover following the recent global disruption from the pandemic. Tourism Research Australia predicts international visitor expenditure will exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2024 before increasing to A$48.8 billion by 2027. 

With our proximity to fast-growing markets in the Asia-Pacific, we’re well-positioned to recapture a significant share of global travel spend.

Our long-term national strategy for the visitor economy, THRIVE 2030 , sets out our plan to return to pre-pandemic visitor expenditure of A$166 billion by 2024, and grow it to A$230 billion by 2030.  

Australia’s political stability and resilient economy offers prospective businesses and investors a safe and low-risk business environment.

And the Australian Government is backing the further recovery of Australia’s visitor economy, with a new $48 million tourism and travel package announced in the October 2022 Budget. The measures include plans to: 

• attract workers to our vibrant tourism industry 
• train and upskill new and existing hospitality and tourism workers 
• support tourism businesses with activities that drive international travel to and from Australia. 

Importantly, our THRIVE 2030 strategy supports sustainable growth. We know our natural assets, such as world-class nature and wildlife, are key to our attractiveness as a destination, and must be protected. In pursuing industry growth, we recognise that balancing social and environmental factors alongside economic ones is essential to sustain a truly healthy visitor economy for decades to come.  

Top 5 visiting nationalities for the year ending September 2022: New Zealand India United Kingdom Singapore USA Visitors from India spent $1.3 billion in total which included $973 million in Australia in the year ending September 2022, around three-quarters of pre-COVID levels – demonstrating a strong recovery for this market.

Australian tourism fast facts

Source: STR and TRA , based on pre-COVID 2019 data 

• Total tourism worth A$166 billion 
• International tourism worth A$45.4 billion, including $31.4 billion spent onshore 
• Ranked 2nd globally for international visitor spend per trip 
• Domestic spend grew around 6% per year for the 10 years to 2019 
• 7th largest tourism market globally 
• Australia’s 4th-largest export industry 
• More than 88,000 international visitors spent more than $1,000 per night in Australia, with another 387,000 spending between $500 and $999

Unique cultural experiences

Australia offers visitors the unique ability to experience the oldest living culture on Earth – that of Australia’s First Nations peoples.

First Nations tourism gives visitors a unique insight into the relationship Aboriginal people have with the land and sea – their Connection to Country – helping them create a deeper connection to Australia.

In 2019, 1.4 million international visitors (17 per cent) participated in an Indigenous tourism experience while visiting Australia, a six per cent year-on-year increase since 2010. For domestic travellers, the figure was one million, an increase of 13 per cent each year since 2013.

Wine and dine where the food is fresh

Australia’s award-winning restaurants and wineries serve up fresh produce from our unspoiled landscapes, while our cafes have made coffee an art form. Add to this a packed calendar of events that draws travellers year-round and you have a world-class tourism offering.

Food and wine accounts for 1 in 5 dollars spent by international tourists in Australia. 

Soaking up nature

Potential visitors rank Australia first for its world-class nature and beauty (Consumer Demand Project, Tourism Australia. Dec 2022). From pristine rainforests to spectacular beaches and vast outback plains, Australia’s stunning natural landscapes offer something for every traveller. Australia frequently appears on top 10 lists of the most world’s most beautiful countries, such as the 2022 Rough Guides reader’s vote .

Our diverse and unique ecosystems are home to a huge variety of plants and wildlife, much of which is found nowhere else on earth. This precious natural heritage is protected in thousands of parks and conservation reserves that dot the country.

The World Economic Forum ranks Australia number one for natural resources, based on both our natural beauty and highly developed outdoor tourism industry.

Australia offers abundant opportunities for businesses looking to offer nature-based experiences. With such an expansive natural environment – including a continuous coastline stretching some 30,000 kilometres – innovative businesses have the chance to look beyond familiar destinations to craft travel experiences that are new and truly unique.

Wellness tourism Going to a health spa, sanctuary, or well-being centre is growing globally. In 2019, day and overnight travellers participating in wellness activities increased by 10.4% from 2018. In 2021-22, travellers participating in wellness activities increased 21% compared to 2020-21.

Incentives, grants and support

• Austrade supports the tourism industry to innovate and build long-term sustainable growth.
• The government’s tourism promotion agency Tourism Australia supports tourism businesses by attracting international visitors to Australia. Come and Say G’day is the new global campaign to support the Australian tourism industry rebuild.
• A number of tourism investment resources are available to help you invest and make informed decisions. Tourism Research Australia  provides statistics, research and economic data on domestic and international tourism to assist the government and tourism industry.
• The Australian Tax Office’s New Investment Engagement Service gives tailored guidance on tax issues to businesses planning significant new investments in Australia.

International tourist figures still millions below pre-COVID levels as slow recovery continues

For two years, Marcela Ribeiro worked three jobs to save for her dream holiday to Australia.

Like millions of people across the globe, the 35-year-old from Brazil had long wanted to explore the country's world-famous destinations, specifically the Great Barrier Reef, World Heritage-listed rainforest and sandy beaches. 

"I worked really, really hard, many jobs, to get here," Ms Ribeiro said.  

"The flights were very expensive, so I have to watch everything I spend. I can't afford to eat out in the restaurants every day." 

It's been a similar story for William Grbava from Canada and Amelia Mondido from the Philippines, who last week arrived in Australia for a holiday. 

"It's expensive here, much more than we were expecting. We have only been able to factor in a short stop in Sydney," Mr Grbava said. 

"We just had a beer and a pizza in Circular Quay for $50.

 "What I really wanted to do was drive up the coast to Brisbane, through Byron Bay and those beautiful towns. That's what I did when I was younger. But with the cost of fuel and car rental, it wasn't possible." 

Industry yet to recover to pre-COVID levels 

It's been more than four years since Australia's borders suddenly closed to the rest of the world and became one of the most isolated destinations on the globe. 

COVID-19 wreaked havoc across the country's economy, but nowhere was the pain as instant or more devastating as in the tourism industry. 

In 2019, 8.7 million tourists visited Australia from overseas in an industry that was worth $166 billion. 

New figures from Tourism Research Australia show there were only 6.6 million international visitors last year, a deficit of more than 2 million compared to 2019 levels.  

Victoria experienced the largest loss in international visits at 33 per cent, followed by Queensland at 24 per cent and New South Wales at 22 per cent. 

Nationally, Chinese visitor numbers — which made up the bulk of visitors to Australia pre-pandemic — slumped to 507,000 last year, down from 1.3 million in 2019. 

Figures for the month of February show more than 850,000 people visited Australia, an increase of 257,000 for the same time in 2023, but 7.5 per cent less than pre-COVID levels. 

Gui Lohmann from Griffith University's Institute for Tourism said there were a number of reasons for the slow return of international visitors. 

"The airfares are significantly high and we are under an inflationary situation with labour and food costs," Professor Lohmann said. 

"It could be challenging for Australia to reach above 8 million international visitors in the scenario we are in at the moment." 

Professor Lohmann said cost-of-living pressures were also at play in the return of international tourists, as was a "reset" in European thinking.  

"Many Europeans believe a long-haul trip is quite damaging to the environment and they're also flying less generally," he said. 

"Their domestic airline routes no longer exist [and] have been replaced by train trips." 

He said China's ongoing economic problems, the war in Ukraine and United States' election were also having an impact.  

"It's a much more complicated world we are facing after the pandemic," he said. 

A long road to recovery 

Oxford Economics has forecast it could take until 2025-26 before Australian tourism returned to pre-pandemic levels. 

Tourism Australia, a government agency that promotes holidays, said the strongest markets since borders reopened had been New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. 

"We always knew that the recovery of international travel to Australia would take time, and we have continued to see the steady return of international visitors to our shores," a spokeswoman said. 

Maneka Jayasinghe, a tourism expert at Charles Darwin University, said affordability was a key factor in attracting visitors Down Under.  

She said the state and federal governments should consider subsidising travel to Australia. 

"Measures to reduce costs, such as discounted hotel prices, tourism package deals and food vouchers could be of importance to encourage visitors to Australia," Dr Jayasinghe said. 

"Tourism operators were badly hit during COVID so may not be in a financially viable position to provide further perks to visitors, especially the small-scale operators in smaller states and territories and those operating in remote areas." 

She said re-establishing links with traditional tourism markets, including Japan, was also a potential solution. 

"Countries with a rapidly growing middle class, such as India, could have high potential to grow. Some of the south-east Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Indonesia, could also be attractive due to their proximity to Australia." 

Dutch tourists Tim Erentsen and Laleh Maleki estimated it would cost them around $16,000 for their three-week holiday in Australia, where they are visiting Sydney, the Whitsundays and Cairns. 

"It has been expensive, especially the flights," Mr Erentsen said. 

Ms Maleki said the couple had travelled extensively throughout Europe and the US and the cost of hotels and food in Australia was comparable. 

"We thought if we were coming all this way and spending the money to get here, we should stay a bit longer, which is adding to the cost," Ms Maleki said. 

But despite that extra cost, she said the trip had been worth it. 

"We love the nature, it feels very safe here. The food is so good and the people are very friendly." 

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Leading destinations visited by international arrivals to Australia 2023

Sydney was the leading destination in Australia visited by international arrivals into the country in the year ended December 2023, with over 3.1 million visitors recorded in the capital of New South Wales. Melbourne came in second, followed by Brisbane, Perth, and Queensland's Gold Coast. 

Leading destinations visited by international visitor arrivals to Australia in 2023 (in 1,000s)

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year ended December

Release date is date of access.

May not add to the total as overnight visitors may have visited a number of regions during their trip.

Only the top 20 destinations are represented.

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• Short-term visitor arrivals: 857,950 – an annual increase of 257,240 trips
• Short-term resident returns: 775,630 – an annual increase of 136,060 trips
• Total arrivals: 1,786,650 – an annual increase of 411,140 
• Total departures: 1,491,730 – an annual increase of 423,320

Transport: Census

• The average number of motor vehicles per household is 1.8.

673,969 households don’t have a motor vehicle, primarily amongst lone households.

91 per cent of households (91.3 per cent) reported having at least one vehicle and more than half (55.1 per cent) reported having two or more vehicles.

Cars continued to be the most popular mode of transport to get to work in every state and territory. 52.7 per cent (6,347,498 people) of the Australian workforce drove to work by car only, compared to 61.5 per cent (6,574,571 people) in 2016. 

Using trains as the sole mode of transport to get to work decreased from 488,012 in 2016 to 170,326 in 2021. 

2.5 per cent of people (306,045) walked to work. Northern Territory had the highest proportion of people who walked to work at 7.6 per cent (8,115 people).

Of the 12 million people employed on Census day, 2.5 million people (21.0 per cent) worked from home, compared to 500,000 (4.7 per cent) in 2016. 1.4 million people (11.8 per cent) didn’t go to work on Census day, compared to 1 million people (9.4 per cent) in 2016.

Overseas Travel Statistics, Provisional

Provisional estimates of overseas trips in June 2021 show:

• A total of 103,500 arrivals
• 40,500 Australian citizens arrivals (39%), 9,100 permanent visa holders (9%), 43,800 New Zealand citizens (42%) and 10,900 temporary visa holders (11%)
• A total of 99,500 departures

Motor Vehicle Census, Australia

• There were 20.1 million registered motor vehicles as at 31 January 2021.
• The national fleet increased by 1.7% from 2020 to 2021.
• Toyota topped the list of passenger vehicles for the 16th consecutive year with 3.0 million registrations.
• Diesel vehicles increased to 26.4% of the national fleet, up from 20.9% in 2016.

Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia

• 19,768,518 estimated number of vehicles
• 238,499 million kilometres travelled, an average of 12.1 thousand kilometres per vehicle
• 33,019 megalitres of fuel consumed
• 223,949 million tonne-kilometres of freight moved

Sales of New Motor Vehicles

Contains monthly information on sales of new motor vehicles in each state/territory sourced from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

Tourist Accommodation, Australia

This release contains information on the supply of, and demand for, tourist accommodation facilities

Tourist Accommodation, Small Area Data, Australia

Information on the supply and demand for tourist accommodation facilities including number of establishments and occupancy by type and star rating

Australia’s journey to work

Electric passenger vehicle use, experimental estimates, visitor arrivals - calendar year - 2020, microdata and tablebuilder, view available microdata and tablebuilder.

We can provide access to detailed, customisable data on selected topics.

19 of the most surprising statistics about tourism

I t’s World Tourism Day, a time – these days – for much pontificating about sustainability and the impact of travel upon the planet. Instead, we’re going to take a look at some of the more surprisingly facts about the tourism industry. It’s all perfect fodder for your next pub quiz. 

Aviation accounts for just 2 per cent of global carbon emissions

But first, a word on sustainability. Alongside giving up meat, taking fewer flights is usually billed as the best way for individuals to cut their carbon footprint, and with the recent “flight shaming” trend, it can feel like we’re being collectively bullied to stay on the ground. All of which might lead one to assume that aviation accounts for a considerable chunk of global emissions. The actual figure, therefore, may be smaller than you’d imagine. In 2022 aviation, when the industry reached 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, it accounted for just 2 per cent of global carbon emissions. 

By 2030, one in four tourists will be Chinese

A few years ago, the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) predicted that overseas trips by the country’s residents would increase from 145m a year to more than 400m by 2030. In other words, it would account for around a quarter of international tourism. The pandemic put the brakes on such staggering growth, but expect things to start picking up again – fast. 

Saudi Arabia wants to surpass France as a holiday destination

Speaking of 2030, that is the year when Saudi Arabia wants to start welcoming 100m annual visitors – more than the record 91.1m France, the world’s most visited country, welcomed in 2019. It’s all part of Vision 2030, the state’s grand plan to jettison its overreliance on oil. Central to that plan will be the launch of Riyadh Air, to take on the likes of Emirates, the construction of a vast new airport designed to accommodate up to 120m annual passengers, and the creation of two new coastal “cities” – Amaala and Neom – to lure sunseekers . 

France’s number two tourist town?

Paris is number one – naturellement. But number two isn’t Bordeaux, Nice or Marseille. It’s Lourdes, a town of 13,000 residents that manages to attract 6m visitors every year thanks to the apparitions of a peasant girl called Bernadette. It has 279 hotels to choose from, according to Booking.com – only the French capital has more.

Only 0.07 per cent of the world’s population have been to Antarctica

You get that rough figure if you divide the number of people who visit Antarctica each year (100,000) by the number of people born each year (140m). But even fewer have been to the least visited country on Earth, Tuvalu – just 0.0026% of us (or 3,700 people a year). 

More Britons visit the Canary Islands each year than Italy

Lying on a hot volcanic rock? It’s better than Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, the Dolomites, the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast rolled into one. That’s according to official figures which show that around 5m of us go to the Canaries each year, compared with the 4.1m who visit Italy.

The biggest hotel on Earth is not in Las Vegas

Twelve of the world’s 20 largest hotels, in terms of total rooms, are found in Sin City. But number one, the First World Hotel (which has a staggering 7,351 rooms), is somewhere rather more obscure. The Genting Highlands of Malaysia. It will soon lose the record, however. The US$3.5 billion Abraj Kudai in Mecca, under construction since 2015, will have 10,000 rooms.  

And Macau makes more money from gambling tourists than Las Vegas

Another win for Asia. Macau has earned a reputation as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient”. Chinese games – like Fan Tan , a version of roulette – traditionally dominated its casinos, but the last 20 years have seen a move to embrace the many western-style ways of parting the punter from their money – to the extent that, in 2007, Macao overtook the Las Vegas Strip on gambling revenues. 

Which is the most luxurious place on Earth?

What – or where – is the most luxurious place on earth? New York? Dubai? Abu Dhabi? Obviously, the answer depends on how you are defining “luxurious”. But if the key metric is “city with the greatest number of five-star hotels”, then the identity of the most gleaming metropolis may surprise you. It used to be London, but as of earlier this month, and the release of the 2023 edition of jet-set bible the Forbes Travel Guide , the place in focus is – again – Macau. Said chic dot on the map of the Far East now boasts 22 hotels in the uppermost bracket.

Inverness is more popular than Stratford-upon-Avon

With its Shakespeare connections, surely Stratford-upon-Avon welcomes more tourists than plucky little Inverness? Not so, according to VisitBritain. London is number one, by a mile (21.7m overnight visitors in 2019, the last “normal” year), followed by Edinburgh (2.2m), Manchester (1.6m) and Birmingham (1.1m). Stratford lags way down in 17th, with 271,000 arrivals, just below Inverness (which, we assume, is used by many as a launch pad for jaunts around the Highlands).

And Reading trumps Windsor

Both are in Berkshire, but only one can boast the largest inhabited castle on the planet, Britain’s branch of Legoland, and a picturesque riverside racecourse. Yet it is Reading that makes VisitBritain’s top 20 (237,000 visitors in 2019) at the expense of Windsor. 

The Maldives really needs your money

The value of tourism to the Maldivian economy is more than US$2bn – or 32.5 per cent of its GDP. Only one destination (hello again Macau) is more reliant on your money . Needless to say, the last few years have been a struggle. 

Tourists outnumber locals by 7,853 to 1 in the Vatican City

The Vatican City has just 764 permanent inhabitants, measures a titchy 0.2 square miles, and receives – according to some sources – 6m visitors a year. That’s 7,853 tourists per resident or 31.58m per square mile.  

Bangladesh is the world’s least touristy country

At the other end of the scale is Bangladesh. With a population of 169.8m but only 323,000 annual visitors, it welcomes just 0.002 tourists per resident per year, making it perhaps the least touristy country on Earth.

Iran has 25 World Heritage Sites

This won’t surprise anyone who has been there – it’s a fascinating place packed with history (though currently off-limits, according to the Foreign Office). But those who don’t know it well might raise an eyebrow to learn that it trumps the likes of Japan, the US and Greece when it comes to World Heritage Sites . 

Bicester Village is almost as popular as Buckingham Palace

Among Chinese visitors that is. Travellers from the world’s most populous country have some other curious destinations on their wishlist . Around 150,000 visit Trier every year, for example, making it the most sought-after German destination among Chinese globetrotters. Why? It is the birthplace of Karl Marx, of course. And Montargis, a small town south of Paris, is also inexplicably popular. That’s because hundreds of young Chinese scholars studied there in the early part of the 20th century, including many future stars of China’s Communist Party. 

English really is the global language

Thanks to a combination of empire, mass tourism and invasive Western culture, English really is the global language. According to David Crystal’s book English as a Global Language, at least half the population of 45 countries speak it. There are also just 13 countries where fewer than 10 per cent of the population speak English, including China, Colombia, Brazil and Russia. 

16 of the world’s 30 busiest airports are American

A combination of international travel slowdown and America’s ravenous appetite for flying meant that in 2022, 16 of the world’s 30 busiest airports (in terms of total passenger numbers) were on US soil. Number one, as it has been each year since 1998 (except for 2020, when it was temporarily unseated by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport), was Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (93.7m passengers for 2022). 

Albania is already welcoming more tourists than in 2019

The pandemic saw tourism slump across the planet, but some countries have recovered far quicker than others. They include Turkey, the fourth most visited country in 2022 (50.5m overseas arrivals, a shade under its 2019 figure of 51.2m), the UAE (22.7m arrivals in 2022 vs 21.6m in 2019) and, perfect for budget sunshine, Albania (6.7m arrivals in 2022 vs 6.1m in 2019). 

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State of the Industry

Tourism Research Australia's annual State of the Industry report presents a snapshot of Australia’s visitor economy.

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State of the Industry 2022

Tourism Research Australia's (TRA’s) annual State of the Industry report presents a snapshot of Australia’s visitor economy in 2022.

Download the report

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on Australia’s visitor economy from March 2020. However, Australians responded by travelling more in Australia in 2021 and 2022. The international border also reopened in early 2022, bringing a steady increase in international visitor arrivals.  

The re-emerging visitor economy saw total tourism spend in Australia in 2022 surpass the 2019 level, largely due to strong domestic travel spend.

The rapid rise in demand for visitor services was affected by supply-side constraints in 2022, such as workforce shortages. Other countries around the globe experienced similar constraints.

Visitor economy outlook

The outlook for the visitor economy is brighter than at any time over the past 3 years. However,  TRA forecasts  a full recovery may take until 2025. Skills shortages are likely to ease over coming years.

The industry-led and government-enabled  THRIVE 2030 Strategy , the national long-term tourism strategy, supports the recovery of the visitor economy through and after the pandemic. The Strategy aspires to boost expenditure in the visitor economy to $230 billion by the year 2030.

About this report

The State of the Industry report presents evidence and insights of Australia’s visitor economy performance in 2022. It reports on developments in the visitor economy and helps industry and government understand and adapt to the changing demand and supply environment by:

• using data from many sources
• reviewing trends in both demand and supply of visitor economy services
• presenting contributions from TRA’s research partners.

Below are key metrics used to measure demand and supply in the visitor economy:

Demand and supply metrics

Demand metrics.

* This metric aligns with the THRIVE 2030 Strategy   spend targets

** Data for 2019 (pre-pandemic year) refers to student visa holders as at 29 March 2020. Data for 2022 refers to student visa holders as at 27 March 2023.

Supply metrics

* Data for year ending June (financial year basis).

Data sources for tables

Tourism spend and trips data.

• Tourism Research Australia,  National Visitor Survey results December 2022 , accessed April 2023
• Tourism Research Australia,  International Visitor Survey results December 2022 , accessed April 2023
• Australian Bureau of Statistics,  Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia , February 2023, accessed April 2023

International student visa holder data

• Department of Home Affairs, Student visa numbers inside and outside of Australia (data supplied by Department Education) accessed May 2023

Tourism jobs data

• Australian Bureau of Statistics,  Tourism Satellite Accounts: quarterly tourism labour statistics, Australia, experimental estimates , December 2022, accessed April 2023

Domestic and international aviation data

• Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts (BITRE),  International Airline Activity—time series , accessed April 2023
• Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts (BITRE),  Australian Domestic Airline Activity—time series , accessed April 2023

Accommodation rooms and occupancy rates data

• STR, subscription data, accessed April 2023

Tourism investment and tourism businesses data

• Tourism Investment Monitor 2020–2021 , accessed April 2023
• Tourism businesses in Australia: June 2017 to 2022 , accessed April 2023

Contact TRA

mail   tourism.research@tra.gov.au

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