NSW is celebrating another record-breaking year for its visitor economy, with total visitor expenditure reaching a new high of $52.9 billion.

Tourism Research Australia (TRA) data for the year ending June 2024 shows the state also recorded the largest increase nationally for international visitors, nights and expenditure.

Both international visitor nights and expenditure have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with spending soaring to a record $12.2 billion during the period.

International visitor spending rose to $11.1 billion in Sydney and $1.2 billion in regional NSW, surpassing expenditure during the same period in 2019.

NSW was Australia’s top destination for international visitors, visitor nights and expenditure during the period.

There were 3.7 million international visitors to NSW in the year ending June 2024 (up 35.6 per cent), who stayed 99.1 million nights (up 46.2 per cent) and spent $12.2 billion (up 41.9 per cent).

The top three international source markets to NSW were the United States, New Zealand and China.

Regional NSW welcomed 0.7 million international visitors, who stayed 17.1 million nights.

There were 101.6 million domestic and international visitors to NSW in the year ending June 2024.

Sydney was the number one Australian capital city for visitors, visitor nights and expenditure. It received 37.5 million international and domestic visitors who spent $26.8 billion across the period, an increase of 20 per cent since the year ending June 2019.

Regional NSW was the most popular destination across regional Australia in the year ending June 2024, with 65.4 million international and domestic visitors.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said: “The latest data confirms that NSW is Australia’s number one destination for both domestic and international visitors.

“NSW attracted record-breaking visitor expenditure throughout the last financial year and is leading Australia’s international visitor revival.

“Our state has an incredible depth and breadth of unique experiences that visitors love telling their friends and family about.

“Thank you to our world-class tourism businesses across the state for their hard work in delivering these unforgettable moments, which ensure NSW maintains its position as the leading visitor economy in Australia.”

Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox said: “NSW continues to break its own records for visitor economy growth and Destination NSW has a laser focus on leveraging the state’s strengths to fast-track the return of international visitation to 2019 levels.

“The state offers diverse and compelling destinations and experiences that inspire, amaze and revitalise visitors, providing lasting memories that encourage them to return again and again.

“Destination NSW is committed to providing visitor economy businesses with the training and support they need to grow sustainably which will ensure NSW continues to be the tourism powerhouse of the Asia Pacific.”

FAST FACTS

  • Visitors spent $26.1 billion in regional NSW across the period.
  • NSW welcomed 37.1 million domestic overnight visitors (up 2.6 per cent), who stayed 117 million nights (up 1.8 per cent) and spent $30.7 billion (up 1.5 per cent).
  • In the year ending June 2024, there were 15.7 million domestic overnight visitors to NSW who engaged in nature and outdoor based activities during their trip. This was up 4.3 per cent on the previous year.
  • Domestic overnight conference visitors to NSW spent on average $548 per night, which was 139.7 per cent higher than domestic leisure visitors spend per night ($228).
  • Western Sydney accounted for more than one in five domestic overnight visitors to Sydney (20.3 per cent) in the year ending June 2024.
  • Western Sydney welcomed a total of 2.2 million domestic overnight visitors in the year ending June 2024 (up 4.9 per cent on the previous year). They stayed 6.1 million nights and spent $1.4 billion (an increase of 13.7 per cent and 14.6 per cent, respectively, on the previous year).
  • In the year ending June 2024, a total of 801,900 international and domestic overnight visitors participated in an Aboriginal tourism experience in NSW. These visitors stayed 20 million nights, contributing $3.2 billion in visitor expenditure.
  • 289,400 domestic overnight visitors (up 15.2 per cent on YE June 2023) participated in an Aboriginal tourism experience across NSW who stayed 1.1 million nights (up 21.6 per cent) and contributed $498.8 million in visitor expenditure (up 14.8 per cent).
  • 512,500 international visitors participated in an Aboriginal tourism experience across NSW (up 39.3 per cent on YE June 2019) who stayed 18.9 million nights (up 42.8 per cent) and contributed $2.7 billion in visitor expenditure (up 63.7 per cent).

View the TRA National Visitor Survey results here.

View the TRA International Visitor Survey results here.