Camping is a popular outdoor activity in Australia, with millions of residents and international visitors choosing to camp each year. The country’s diverse landscapes, from coastal regions to outback deserts, attract campers interested in exploring natural environments. 

Recent camping statistics provide insights into the trends, growth, and preferences among campers in Australia.

How many people go camping in Australia every year?

Over 15.3 million caravan and camping trips were taken by Australians in 2023, with 60.7 million nights spent camping. 

The slight decrease in nights despite more trips indicates that while more people are camping, they may be taking shorter trips.

au-number-of-campers-each-year

How much do campers spend on their camping trips?

Over $14.3 billion was spent on camping trips in Australia in 2023.

This total spending includes all trip-related costs (transportation, food, activities).

au-campers-expenditure-each-year

Why do people go camping in Australia?

In the year ending December 2023, Australians camped for various reasons: 

au-campers-by-purpose-2019-2023

How popular is camping in Australia?

Camping has become a major part of the Australian travel landscape. 

Camping Preferences: Where Did People Camp the Most?

The majority of camping holidays took place in regional Australia. 

The 91% of holiday trips and nights and 90% of holiday spending (amounting to $7.6 billion) in 2023 occurred in regional areas. 

According to a 2019 report on commercial sites, out of 7.2 million trips:

How do caravan and camping trips impact regional Australia?

For the year ending December 2023, in regional Australia, caravan and camping trips represented:

Impacts on Regional Australia

(Visitors, Nights, and Expenditure in 2023)

STATE/TERRITORYVisitors
(‘000s)
Nights
(‘000s)
Expenditure
($M)

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)13213313
New South Wales (NWS)4,90112,9532,008
Northern Territory (NT)3201,306235
Queensland (QLD)2,96211,4591,634
South Australia (SA)1,2504,546696
Tasmania (TAS)4381,415201
Victoria (VIC)3,79310,5351,479
Western Australia (WA)1,9157,7801,110

Despite decreases in some areas, the national total of camping trips increased, indicating growth in other regions.

Number of Visitors (‘000s) to Regional Australia Over the Years

YEARACTNSWNTQLDSATASVICWA
2014853,5822262,0859193272,4971,620
2015863,6983412,3229623122,6361,590
2016883,9893222,3521,0763852,8211,544
2017994,1042822,3381,0483603,0991,415
2018964,2583932,6211,1513823,1501,473
20191084,7584062,6651,3614143,5421,642
2020393,4032822,0761,0433602,1371,556
2021453,5113572,7691,2774032,9281,705
20221634,6123953,1141,2504083,7391,985
20231324,9013202,9621,2504383,7931,915

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Caravan and Camping in Australia

Camping Demographics: Who camps the most?

What types of campsites are most popular?

Commercial campgrounds are widely used by Australian campers. 

References