Brisbane Tourism Statistics

Fact checked · 74 sources

Updated

At a Glance

  • About 10.97 million overnight visitors travelled to Brisbane in 20251, or about 30,000 a day on average.
  • Brisbane was Australia's third most visited region for domestic overnight trips, behind Melbourne and Sydney2.
  • International visitors were up 4.2% on 2024 but still below the 2019 peak of 1.48 million3.
  • Overnight visitors spent A$12.42 billion1, including a record A$3.56 billion from international visitors4.
  • Day trips added A$4.5 billion, taking Brisbane's visitor economy to about A$17 billion1.
  • New Zealand, the United Kingdom and China sent the most international visitors1.

How many tourists visit Brisbane each year?

About 10.97 million overnight visitors travelled to Brisbane in 20251.

  • Domestic overnight visitors accounted for roughly 9.64 million2, while international visitors made up around 1.33 million trips4.
  • International visitors were up 4.2% on 2024 but still below the 2019 peak of 1.48 million3. The 2025 domestic count comes from Tourism Research Australia's new Domestic Tourism Statistics survey, so it can't be compared directly with earlier years.
Brisbane tourist arrivals by yearOvernight visitors, year ending December. 2025 domestic figures come from TRA's new survey and are not directlycomparable with earlier years.International visitorsDomestic overnight visitors2M4M6M8M10M1,480,0008,010,0001,150,0007,330,0001,280,0008,150,0001,330,0009,640,0002019202320242025YearVisitors
Annual overnight visitors to Brisbane, 2019 and 2023–2025.

Brisbane tourism statistics by year

Brisbane welcomed about 10.97 million overnight visitors in 20251, up from about 9.4 million in 2024, when 8.1 million were domestic and 1.3 million international5.

  • The 2025 domestic count comes from a new survey, so part of the rise may reflect the new method rather than more travel2.
  • International visitors reached 1.33 million in 20254, still below their 2019 peak of 1.48 million3.

How many tourists visited Brisbane in 2019?

About 9.5 million overnight visitors travelled to Brisbane in calendar 2019.

  • That was about 1.48 million international visitors3 and about 8.01 million domestic overnight visitors. The domestic figure is worked back from Tourism and Events Queensland's 2023 count of 7.33 million, which it says was 8.5% below 2019.6

How much money did Brisbane make from tourism in 2019?

  • Overnight visitors spent about A$8.15 billion in Brisbane in calendar 2019.
  • A$2.88 billion came from international visitors3 and about A$5.27 billion from domestic overnight visitors. The domestic figure is worked back from Tourism and Events Queensland's 2023 figure of A$7,264.7 million, which it says was 37.9% above 2019.6
Ranked bar chart of total domestic and international overnight visitor spend in Australia's top 10 tourism regions in 2025, led by Sydney at A$26.2 billion, with Adelaide 6th at A$5.2 billion
Which Australian destinations made the most money from tourism in the year ending June 2019.

How much do tourists spend in Brisbane each year?

Overnight visitors spent A$12.42 billion on trips to Brisbane in 20251.

  • Domestic overnight travellers contributed about A$8.86 billion2, while international visitors spent a record A$3.56 billion, up 14.8% on 20244.
  • Day trips added another A$4.5 billion, taking Brisbane's total visitor economy to about A$17 billion1.
Year ending December (AUD), overnight visitor spending. The 2025 domestic figure comes from Tourism Research Australia's new Domestic Tourism Statistics survey and isn't directly comparable with earlier years.
Overnight Visitor Spending in Brisbane
YearInternationalDomestic
2019A$2,880,000,0003A$5,270,000,0006
2023A$2,940,000,0007A$7,264,700,0006
2024A$3,100,000,0003A$8,250,000,0005
2025A$3,560,000,0004A$8,860,000,0002

How much do international tourists spend per night in Brisbane?

Average spend per night by international visitorsAustralia's 20 most-visited tourism regions, year ending December 2025 (A$)Tropical North Queensland207Hobart and the South200Sydney156Gold Coast144Brisbane131Melbourne130Sunshine Coast130Adelaide125Geelong and the Bellarine113Canberra105South Coast102Destination Perth84Darwin80Central NSW77Townsville76Australia's South West73North Coast NSW71Hunter71Queensland Country63Mallee46Average spend per night (A$)
Average spend per night by international visitors, 2025.

How long do tourists stay in Brisbane?

  • International visitors stayed in Brisbane for an average of 20.6 nights per trip in 20254.
  • That ranked Brisbane 11th of Australia’s 20 most-visited tourism regions for average nights4.
Average nights spent by international visitorsAustralia's 20 most-visited tourism regions, year ending December 2025Queensland Country63.6Mallee54.6Central NSW49.2Destination Perth35.4Adelaide30.7Geelong and the Bellarine29.4Canberra28.3Melbourne25.6Sydney23.1Darwin21.3Brisbane20.6Hunter20.1Australia's South West17.7Townsville16.6North Coast NSW15.8South Coast15.6Gold Coast15.1Sunshine Coast12.2Hobart and the South10.8Tropical North Queensland9.5Average nights per trip
Average nights per trip by international visitors, 2025.

Where do Brisbane's tourists come from?

New Zealand sent the most international visitors to Brisbane in 2025, about 247,000, followed by the United Kingdom (155,000) and China (128,000)1.

  • The United States (109,000) and Japan (54,000, a record) made up the rest of the top five1.
  • UK visitors rose 9.6% on 2024, helped by the British & Irish Lions tour and the Ashes1.
  • Among Australians, visitors from New South Wales and Victoria topped the list1.

Why do people visit Brisbane?

Visiting friends and relatives is the most common reason Australians stay overnight in Brisbane: about 4.18 million domestic overnight visitors came for that reason in 2025, compared with 3.16 million on holiday and 1.34 million on business2.

  • Brisbane drew 42% of Queensland's domestic business travellers, who spent about A$1.8 billion2.
  • Among international visitors, about 614,000 came on holiday, up 6.3% on 2024, and 124,000 came on business1.

How will the 2032 Olympics affect Brisbane tourism?

Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A 2021 KPMG analysis for the Queensland Government estimated the Games could bring up to A$8.1 billion in economic and social benefits to Queensland and A$17.6 billion to Australia between 2022 and 20428.

  • A Games-driven lift in international tourism and trade makes up about A$4.6 billion of Queensland's benefit, or A$8.5 billion nationally8.
  • The Games could support about 91,600 full-time-equivalent job years in Queensland8.
  • Past Games give mixed signals: Sydney's international visitors rose 15.5% in the decade after it won its bid and 22.4% in its Games year, but a later study of Sydney 2000 found no evidence the Games drew extra tourists8.

A 2025 Deloitte Access Economics report, Going for Gold, put the wider opportunity at about A$70 billion for Australia over 2032–2052, including A$39.5 billion for South East Queensland, if the Games are used to drive lasting economic reforms9.

  • On its own, a stronger global brand could add about A$24 billion through more tourism, exports and foreign investment9.
  • Deloitte says the report is not an impact analysis of the Games but a "thought starter" on what reform could achieve9.

How many tourists visit Queensland each year?

About 28.3 million overnight visitors travelled to Queensland in 2025: 25.9 million domestic2 and 2.37 million international4.

Brisbane Camping & Campervan Statistics

Brisbane was Australia's 8th most popular tourism region for caravan and camping trips in 2024, with about 540,000 overnight trips, up 1% on 202310.

  • Caravan and camping travellers spent about 1.76 million nights in Brisbane in 2024, up 11%10.
  • Queensland had 254,025 registered recreational vehicles, from campervans and motorhomes to towable caravans, in January 2025, the most of any state11.
  • Across Australia, caravan and camping trips reached 17.9 million in the year to June 2026, and travellers spent A$13.6 billion on them11.

Brisbane figures are for 2024, the latest regional breakdown available.

Campgrounds and caravan parks near Brisbane

  • Brisbane Holiday Village has camping and caravan sites just 15 minutes south of the city12.
  • BIG4 Sandstone Point Holiday Resort, a stone's throw from Bribie Island, has two pools and a jumping pillow12.
  • Beaudesert Caravan and Tourist Park in the Scenic Rim offers a quieter stay with a country feel12.
  • Lake Moogerah camping is surrounded by mountain views and known for its sunsets12.
  • Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) has six beachfront campgrounds at Dunwich, Amity Point and Point Lookout12.
  • D'Aguilar National Park has two camping areas: Neurum Creek (13 sites, about 76 km from Brisbane)13 and Archer (9 sites, about 100 km away)14. Neither suits most motorhomes or caravans: Neurum Creek needs a 4WD13, and only two Archer sites take small campervans14.

FAQs

How many tourists visit Brisbane per day?

About 30,000 overnight visitors a day on average. Brisbane had about 10.97 million overnight visitors in 20251, which works out to roughly 30,000 a day (10.97 million ÷ 365). Day trippers come on top of that.

Where do most international tourists to Brisbane come from?

New Zealand. About 247,000 New Zealanders visited Brisbane in 2025, followed by about 155,000 visitors from the United Kingdom and 128,000 from China1.

Has Brisbane tourism recovered to pre-pandemic levels?

Partly. International visitors reached 1.33 million in 2025, still below the 2019 peak of 1.48 million3, but they spent a record A$3.56 billion4, up from A$2.88 billion in 20193. The 2025 domestic figures come from a new survey, so they can't be compared directly with pre-pandemic years.

How much of Brisbane's tourism spending comes from international visitors?

International visitors made up 1.33 million of Brisbane's 10.97 million overnight visitors in 2025, but they spent A$3.56 billion4 of the A$12.42 billion overnight total1. Their long average stay of 20.6 nights4 helps explain the gap.

Why can't Brisbane's 2025 domestic visitor numbers be compared with earlier years?

The 2025 domestic figures come from Tourism Research Australia's new Domestic Tourism Statistics survey2. Earlier years were measured differently, so a change between 2025 and earlier years may reflect the new survey rather than a real shift in travel.

How does Brisbane compare with the rest of Queensland?

Brisbane drew 10.97 million of the roughly 28.3 million overnight visitors to Queensland in 2025, and 1.33 million of the state's 2.37 million international visitors4.

Where do Brisbane tourism statistics come from?

The figures on this page come from Tourism Research Australia's International Visitor Survey and Domestic Tourism Statistics, Tourism and Events Queensland's snapshots of that data, and the Brisbane Economic Development Agency's visitor economy reports.

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References

  1. Brisbane's visitor economy surges to $17 billion as international spending hits record high (Brisbane Economic Development Agency, 23 March 2026) · beda.brisbane.qld.au ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p
  2. Domestic Tourism Statistics Snapshot, year ending December 2025 (Tourism and Events Queensland) · teq.queensland.com ↑ b c d e f g h i
  3. IVS results for the year ending December 2024 compared to December 2019 · Tourism Research Australia ↑ b c d e f g h i
  4. International tourism results — year ending December 2025 (International Visitor Survey) · Tourism Research Australia ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m
  5. Brisbane's Allure Powers Record $11.3 billion Visitor Spending (Brisbane Economic Development Agency, 25 March 2025) · beda.brisbane.qld.au ↑ b
  6. Domestic Tourism Snapshot, year ending December 2023 (Tourism and Events Queensland) · teq.queensland.com ↑ b c d
  7. IVS results for the year ending December 2024 compared to December 2023 · Tourism Research Australia ↑
  8. Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Preliminary economic, social and environmental analysis — Summary report (KPMG for the Queensland Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport, June 2021) · premiers.qld.gov.au ↑ b c d
  9. Going for Gold: The economic opportunity for the taking (Deloitte Access Economics, July 2025) · deloitte.com ↑ b c
  10. Caravan and Camping State of Industry 2025 (Caravan Industry Association of Australia) · assets.pc.gov.au ↑ b
  11. Australian caravan and camping industry statistics (Caravan Industry Association of Australia, updated 8 September 2026) · caravanindustry.com.au ↑ b
  12. Camping and caravan around Brisbane (Visit Brisbane) · visit.brisbane.qld.au ↑ b c d e
  13. Neurum Creek camping area, D'Aguilar National Park (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) · parks.qld.gov.au ↑ b
  14. Archer camping area, D'Aguilar National Park (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) · parks.qld.gov.au ↑ b
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