A number of Australian hotel markets saw significant jumps in performance during the British and Irish Lions Tour according to data from real estate analytics provider CoStar.
Six Australian cities hosted matches over the course of June, July and August.
CoStar's hospitality data and benchmarking brand STR said both cities and regional areas benefited from the tour.
STR Regional Director Matthew Burke said: “Major events drive additional demand and create peaks in room rates.
“Such events are even more valuable through the Australian winter, typically the lowest occupancy months of the year.”
Sydney saw its highest matchday occupancy level at 92.9 per cent on Saturday, 2 August, for the Lions versus Wallabies Test at Accor Stadium.
“Beyond the host cities, British and Irish fans also contributed to regional destinations through July with high-single to double-digit RevPAR [revenue per available room] gains in North Queensland, Sydney surrounds, Great Ocean Road and Gold and Sunshine Coasts,” Burke said.
Australia’s largest hotel operator Accor reported record hotel occupancy rates during the British and Irish Lions Tour.
Its Sydney hotels achieved 97 per cent occupancy on Saturday, 2 August 2025—up nine per cent on the previous year.
In Western Sydney, the combined occupancy of Accor hotels was 95 per cent, up 17 per cent on the same time last year.
More than 40,000 international fans are estimated to have travelled to Australia for the tour, with the sold-out final match in Sydney attracting a crowd of 83,000.
British and Irish Lions tours to Australia only happen once every 12 years and this year’s version, supported proudly by Destination NSW, provided a major boost to the NSW economy and also put the state’s world-class hospitality and entertainment offering in the global spotlight.
