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International visitor recovery: NSW leads the nation
The NSW visitor economy is leading Australia's recovery from the pandemic, with new data showing NSW recorded the largest absolute increase nationally for international visitors, nights and expenditure in the year ending June 2023.
According to Tourism Research Australia, international visitors took 5.4 million trips to Australia during the period, with the lion's share - over 2.7 million - coming to NSW (up 451.3 per cent on the year ending June 2022). They stayed 67.8 million nights in NSW (up 221.5 per cent) and spent $8.6 billion (up 344.8 per cent) in the state.
NSW received a total of 38.9 million domestic and international overnight visitors (up 53.3 per cent on the year ending June 2022), who stayed 182.7 million nights (up 71.6 per cent) and spent $38.9 billion (up 98.8 per cent).
Pre-pandemic, NSW received 41.6 million domestic and international overnight visitors in the year to June 2019, who stayed 214.2 million nights and spent $33.9 billion.
Total overnight visitation to Sydney was 13.2 million (up 92.4 per cent compared to year ending June 2022), visitor nights increased to 87.5 million (up 128.5 per cent) and expenditure increased to $19 billion (up 172.1 per cent).
Domestic overnight visitors to NSW increased to 36.2 million (up 11.3 million or 45.4 per cent compared to the year ending June 2022), visitor nights increased to 114.9 million (up 29.5 million or 34.6 per cent) and expenditure increased to $30.2 billion (up $12.6 billion or 71.7 per cent).
Domestic overnight visitors to Sydney increased to 10.7 million (up 67.2 per cent compared to year ended June 2022), visitor nights 30.1 million (up 60 per cent) and expenditure increased to $11.1 million (up 116 per cent).
Western Sydney accounted for one in five domestic overnight visitors to Sydney (19.9 per cent) in the year ending June 2023.
Western Sydney welcomed a total of 2.1 million domestic overnight visitors in the year ended June 2023 (up 57.4 per cent). They stayed 5.4 million nights and spent $1.2 billion (representing an increase of 43.9 per cent and 104.2 per cent respectively).
All NSW regions registered huge increases in domestic visitors and expenditure, which is testament to the amazing visitor experiences and world-class accommodation on offer in our spectacular state.
The North Coast received 5.7 million domestic overnight visitors, leading the regions in visitors, nights and expenditure.
NSW is accelerating on the road to post-pandemic recovery and has reached 74.7 per cent of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy’s target of $65 billion for total visitor expenditure by 2030.
NSW on top for caravan and camping holidays
In the year ending June 2023, NSW was the top destination in Australia for caravan and camping nationally according to Tourism Research Australia.
Australians spent 13 million visitor nights in commercial caravan parks or camping grounds in NSW, up 57.4 per cent on the previous year.
The total volume of commercial and non-commercial caravan and camping visitors in NSW reached 4.9 million trips, up 43.5 per cent on the previous year. The total number of visitor nights spent in these accommodations was 19 million nights, up 50.1 per cent on the previous year.
Nearly half of the caravan and camping trips in NSW were taken by visitors aged 20-44 years (2.2 million trips or 45.1 per cent of all caravan and camping visitors).
There were also 15.1 million nature-based overnight visitors to NSW, up 46.1 per cent on the previous year. These visitors stayed 54.5 million nights in NSW and spent an estimated $16 billion (up 31.6 per cent for nights and 58.6 per cent for expenditure).
The value of Aboriginal tourism to NSW
According to Tourism Research Australia's National Visitor Survey a total of 190,600 domestic overnight visitors participated in an Aboriginal cultural tourism experience in NSW in the 12 months to June 2023.
These visitors stayed 0.7 million nights, contributing $329.8 million in visitor expenditure to the state.
When compared with the previous year, domestic overnight visitors who engaged in an Aboriginal activity in NSW increased by 48.8 per cent. Visitor nights and expenditure increased by 64.4 per cent and 61.7 per cent respectively.
Over the past five years, from the year ending June 2019 to 2023, the volume of domestic overnight visitors who engaged in an Aboriginal activity in NSW increased by 18.3 per cent.
Business events revival for NSW
Domestic business travel in Australia increased by 44 per cent to $6.9 billion in the year ending June 2023 compared to June 2022, according to Tourism Research Australia.
Sydney welcomed 2.9 million domestic overnight business visitors during the period, who stayed 8.3 million nights and spent $3 billion.
Compared to the previous year, domestic overnight business visitors, nights and expenditure in Sydney increased by 84.8 per cent, 91.9 per cent and 156.3 per cent, respectively.
In the June quarter 2023, international business visitors spent $256 per night in Sydney, which was higher than international leisure visitor spend ($189 per night).
Domestic overnight conference visitors spend on average $494 per night in NSW, which is 114.6 per cent higher than domestic leisure visitors spend per night in NSW.
International business travellers took 621,000 trips to Australia during the period, which was 62 per cent of June 2019 levels. Spend in Australia was $1.7 billion, 78 per cent of June 2019 levels.