Visitor expenditure in NSW has surged past $60 billion for the first time, following a record-breaking year for international tourism.

The latest Tourism Research Australia data shows international visitor expenditure rose by 25.1 per cent in 2025 to a record $15 billion, while domestic visitor expenditure reached $45.4 billion (up 3.5 per cent year-on-year).

There were 4.1 million international visitors to NSW during 2025, a significant increase of eight per cent year-on-year. These visitors stayed 105.9 million nights in NSW in the year ending December 2025, a significant increase of 5.1 per cent year-on-year and the highest number of visitor nights on record for the state.

The top three international source markets to NSW were China, United States and New Zealand. China was the highest contributor to visitor growth, with arrivals rising by 16.6 per cent and expenditure reaching $5.5 billion.

Visitation from the US rose 7.2 per cent year-on-year, while expenditure surged by 29.8 per cent to $1.1 billion, the second consecutive period on record that the US has surpassed the billion-dollar benchmark.

International visitor markets that surpassed 2019 visitation levels in 2025 included:

  • South Korea (150 per cent)
  • Vietnam (144 per cent)
  • Philippines (130 per cent)
  • United Kingdom (108 per cent)
  • India (102 per cent)

Sydney was the number one Australian capital city for international visitation in 2025, at 3.8 million (up from 3.5 million in 2024), with expenditure rising to $88.2 million (up from $83.6 million in the year ending December 2024).

Tourism sectors that saw strong year-on-year international visitor growth during 2025 included:

Caravan and camping: 86,000 international visitors to NSW participated in caravan and camping experiences in 2025 (up 10.4 per cent year-on-year) and stayed 801,500 nights in caravan and camping accommodation (up 24.3 per cent year-on-year)

Culinary tourism: 1.2 million international visitors to NSW engaged in a food experience during their trip (up 5.7 per cent year-on-year) and spent $6.8 billion across their whole trip to Australia (up 17.4 per cent year-on-year)

Wine tourism: 243,500 international visitors to NSW in 2025 visited a winery in NSW (up 2.8 per cent year-on-year) and spent $1.5 billion across their whole trip to Australia (up 30.1 per cent year-on-year)

3.4 million international visitors to NSW engaged in nature and outdoor based activities during their trip (up 7.7 per cent year-on-year). These visitors spent $13.5 billion in NSW (up 23.1 per cent year-on-year).

Domestic overnight and daytrip visitors to NSW also increased in 2025, with the state welcoming 123.2 million domestic visitors (up 4.5 per cent year-on-year), who spent $45.4 billion during their trip (up 3.5 per cent year-on-year).