- Queensland welcomed 2.1 million international and 25.6 million domestic visitors in the year ending June 2024, who spent $34.7 billion – $95 million a day.
- A new record $6.2 billion generated in overnight visitor expenditure (OVE) by international visitors.
- Of the domestic visitors, 10.8 million came to Queensland for a holiday and spent $14.8 billion, more than in any other state.
Queensland’s visitor economy continues to thrive as 27.7 million visitors to the state spent $34.7 billion in the year ending June 2024, according to the latest data from Tourism Research Australia.
Visitors spent an average of $95 million in the state’s economy every day, delivering a boost to the 260,000 Queensland jobs directly and indirectly supported by tourism.
International visitor market
Queensland’s international visitor market continues to recover, with 2.1 million visitors (76.3 per cent recovered, compared to pre-COVID-19) generating a record $6.2 billion in OVE.
Trips to visit friends and relatives (VFR) led the increase, with OVE from this market up 16.4 per cent compared to 2019. Business travel and employment set new expenditure records, whilst holiday and education markets are still in recovery at 89.3 per cent and 90.8 per cent of pre-COVID-19 spending levels.
China has returned as Queensland’s top tourism market by visitor expenditure, generating $833 million in OVE, led primarily by the return of education and those visiting friends and relatives, followed by New Zealand ($821m), Japan ($511m), the United Kingdom ($499m), and the USA ($460m).
New Zealand (466,000) led the way on visitor numbers, followed by the USA (215,000), the United Kingdom (209,000), Japan (158,000) and China (143,00). South Korea achieved records in both visitor numbers (102,000) and visitor spend ($339 million in OVE).
Five regions surpassed pre-pandemic OVE levels – Brisbane ($3.2bn), Sunshine Coast ($371m), the Whitsundays ($184m), Southern Great Barrier Reef ($81m) and Fraser Coast ($61m).
International visitor numbers remain in recovery across all regions, with the Sunshine Coast (91.5 per cent recovered) and Brisbane (84.3 per cent recovered) the closest to five years ago.
Domestic visitor market
Queensland regained its number one market share position in the domestic holiday market by OVE, with 10.8 million holiday visitors spending $14.8 billion, a 28 per cent market share. The increase in share reflected both a rise in holiday visitors and how much was spent on their holiday visit over the June quarter.
It comes amidst a normalisation of Australia’s domestic holiday market, which saw an overall contraction in visitor spend over the past year.
Severe weather impacted Queensland over the December and March quarters, but a rise in interstate and intrastate holiday visitors and expenditure in the June quarter provided a welcome boost, increasing 20 per cent year-on-year.
Business travel is performing especially well, with Queensland’s 10.2 per cent annual growth to $5.2 billion in OVE considerably outperforming the national average.
Three regions hit record domestic OVE this year – Brisbane ($7.5bn), Southern Great Barrier Reef ($1.5bn), and Queensland Country ($1.6bn) which also welcomed a record 1.1 million holiday visitors. Sunshine Coat also hosted a record 4.3 million total visitors this year.
As stated by Tourism Minister Michael Healy:
“While we know we’ll always hold the title anyway, with Queensland continually topping holiday wish lists, it’s fantastic to see Queensland return as Australia’s number one holiday destination in the latest data. Market conditions are challenging and share may change over time, but we know travel intention to Queensland is very strong.
“It is also encouraging to see business travel continuing to return as this is such an important market to help us fill the mid-week.
“Our international figures are well above the industry’s targets in the Towards Tourism 2032 plan. Whilst visitor numbers are still recovering, which is felt in many of our regions, the good news is that those that do come are spending more.
“China’s return as our biggest market by OVE is encouraging and the growth of other markets is important for many regions around the state.
“We will continue to support the state’s tourism industry to reach its growth goals.”
As stated by Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Patricia O’Callaghan:
“It’s always amazing to see the dedication of our industry translate into tangible results.”
“The return of international tourists is gaining momentum and while we still have solid recovery work to do, the results show that our hard work is moving us in the right direction.”
“We also remain front of mind for domestic holidaymakers and while we’ll continue to fight for the leading market share, we understand that what really matters to our operators most is converting interest in a Queensland holiday, into a booked Queensland holiday.
“That’s why, just last week, we partnered with Virgin Australia to offer more than half a million airfares to all their Queensland destinations, with prices starting as low as $45. Campaigns like these are working and bringing more visitors to our state.”
“Whether it’s driving tourists to our incredible natural wonders, from the Great Barrier Reef through to the beauty of Outback Queensland, to our vibrant cities filled with local culture, we are dedicated to showcasing the diverse experiences that make Queensland truly exceptional.”
