New South Wales has cemented its position as Australia’s number one visitor economy, leading the nation in visitor numbers, nights and expenditure for the year ending June 2025, according to new data from Tourism Research Australia.
The results reflect the Minns Labor Government’s ambitious NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035, which targets $91 billion in annual visitor expenditure, 40,400 new accommodation rooms, 8.5 million new airline seats and 150,000 additional jobs by 2035.
Total visitor expenditure in NSW reached $55.9 billion, up 5.7 per cent year on year, while international visitor spending climbed 15.1 per cent to a record $13.9 billion. NSW also attracted 124.6 million visitors — 9.7 million more than Victoria and 44.8 million more than Queensland.
International travel continued its strong recovery, with 3.9 million overseas visitors, including surging numbers from South Korea, India, the Philippines and Vietnam, each surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Accommodation occupancy across NSW averaged 74.6 per cent, up 1.2 per cent on last year and 2.7 per cent above the national average. Regional destinations also performed strongly, with New England North West recording 3.5 per cent growth and the Blue Mountains up 2.7 per cent.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said the figures confirm the government’s focus on tourism growth is paying off. “The numbers are in, and NSW remains the number one destination for domestic and international tourists. These record results confirm the NSW Government is firmly on track to achieve its goal of $59 billion in visitor expenditure by 2026,” Mr Kamper said.
“The Minns Labor Government is focused on growing our visitor economy. Our strategy aims to build aviation capacity by adding 8.5 million seats through our Take Off Funds and unlocking more than 40,000 new accommodation rooms through the new IDA pathway for hotel investment,” he said.
“We already have the most outstanding destinations, experiences and events, and we will continue to drive investment in our visitor economy and strengthen NSW’s position as Australia’s leading destination for domestic and international visitors.”
The North Coast was named the state’s top domestic overnight holiday destination, attracting 1.5 million visitors, while the Hunter region led in day trips with two million visitors.
Other highlights included 1.2 million international visitors engaging in food experiences, 3.3 million taking part in nature and outdoor-based activities, and 46.7 per cent of domestic overnight visitors to Sydney spending time in Western Sydney.
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