Updated
About 1.5 million tourists visit Byron Bay each year. Byron Shire recorded 1.51 million visitors in 2025, below the peak of 2.41 million in 2019.1 Byron Bay is only a small coastal town in Northern NSW, yet it has become one of Australia's best-known beach destinations.
At a Glance
- Byron Shire recorded 1.51 million visitors in 2025, measured with a new survey method, after 1.97 million in 2024.1
- Visitor numbers peaked at 2.41 million in 2019.1
- Visitors spent an estimated A$686 million in 2025, A$461 million of it by domestic overnight visitors.1
- 89% of visitors in 2025 were Australian, and 169,000 came from overseas.1
- Tourism and hospitality supported 23% of local jobs in 2016/17.2
How many tourists visit Byron Bay each year?
Byron Shire, which takes in Byron Bay and surrounds, draws 1.5 to 2 million visitors a year, with 1.51 million in 2025.1
- Visitor numbers peaked at 2.41 million in 20191 as the beach town gained worldwide fame.
- Tourism fell sharply in 2020 when pandemic restrictions cut visitor numbers by 54% to roughly 1.1 million visitors.1
- Recovery began in 2021, with 1.23 million visitors, and picked up in 2022, when 1.57 million came.1
- Numbers climbed to 1.68 million in 2023 and 1.97 million in 2024. That 17% rise brought visitation the closest it has come to the 2019 peak.1
How many people visited Byron Bay in 2025?
Byron Bay drew 1.51 million visitors in 2025: 685,000 domestic overnight visitors, 654,000 day-trippers and 169,000 international visitors.1
How many tourists visit Byron Bay each day?
Byron Shire had an average of 14,000 visitors in the area each day in 2017/18, 11,100 of them staying overnight.2 The 1.51 million visitors in 2025 work out to about 4,100 new arrivals a day, though the number shifts with the season.
- Summer (December–January) and the April festival period bring the biggest crowds and the heaviest traffic on Byron's roads.2
- Winter weekdays are much quieter, unless a major event is happening.
How much do tourists spend in Byron Bay each year?
Visitors spent an estimated A$686 million in 2025: A$461 million by domestic overnight visitors, A$114 million by day-trippers and A$111 million by international visitors.1 These 2025 estimates use new survey methods and aren't directly comparable with earlier years.
How long do tourists stay in Byron Bay?
Visitors spent an estimated 3.4 million nights in Byron Shire in 2025.1
- Domestic overnight visitors spent about 2 million nights in the shire and stayed 3.0 nights on average, the longest stay among the six North Coast council areas the report compares.1
- International visitors stayed much longer, 7.8 nights on average, for a total of 1.3 million nights.1
- Domestic overnight visitors spent about A$226 a night, more than in any of the comparison areas.1
How many international and domestic tourists visit Byron Bay?
Most of Byron Bay's visitors are Australian: they made up 89% of visitors in 2025.1
- About 2.19 million domestic visitors and 223,000 international visitors arrived in 2019.1
- International visitors fell to 39,000 in 2020 as travel bans closed the borders, and no international estimate exists for 2021.1
- International arrivals recovered to 58,000 tourists (about 4% of all visitors) in 2022, then rose to 149,000 in 2023 and 173,000 (8.8% of all visitors) in 2024.1 In 2025, 169,000 international visitors made up about 11% of all visitors.
Byron Bay visitor numbers by year, 2019–2025
| Year | Total Visitors | Domestic Overnight Visitors | Domestic Day Visitors | International Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,019 | 2,411,000 | 1,016,000 | 1,172,000 | 223,000 |
| 2,020 | 1,103,000 | 641,000 | 423,000 | 39,000 |
| 2,021 | 1,225,000 | 709,000 | 516,000 | |
| 2,022 | 1,568,000 | 771,000 | 739,000 | 58,000 |
| 2,023 | 1,682,000 | 804,000 | 729,000 | 149,000 |
| 2,024 | 1,968,000 | 879,000 | 916,000 | 173,000 |
| 2,025 | 1,508,000 | 685,000 | 654,000 | 169,000 |
Source · Byron Shire Tourism Monitor (quarterly, Tourism Research Australia data prepared for Byron Shire Council) · retrieved 2026-10-28 from www.destinationbyron.com.au 1
Which countries do Byron Bay’s international tourists come from?
The United Kingdom is the biggest source of international visitors to the North Coast NSW region, which includes Byron Bay, making up 22% of overseas visitors in the year to June 2026.4
- New Zealand (13%) and the United States (12%) come next.4
- Germany supplies 10% of the region's international visitors and Canada 6%.4
Destination NSW publishes this breakdown for the whole North Coast region, not for Byron Shire alone.
When is the best time to visit Byron Bay?
When to go depends on the crowds, the weather and what's on. In 2025, the December quarter was Byron's busiest, with 183,000 domestic overnight visitors.1 Byron is busy all year, though: its visitor nights swing less between seasons than in about 70% of Australian council areas.
- December–January (peak season): The summer holidays bring the most visitors.
- March–April (secondary peak): Easter events and music festivals attract more tourists.
- June–August (low season): Fewer tourists, cooler weather.
- September–November (shoulder season): Mild weather with moderate crowds.
Camping and campervan travel to Byron Bay
The council's 2018 tourism report counted 10 caravan parks in Byron Shire, half as many as Coffs Harbour's 20, even though Byron drew more visitors.2 For places to pitch a tent or park a campervan nearby, see our guide to the best campsites in Australia.
- A campervan hired from Brisbane typically costs about A$148 a day for a one-week hire, based on Camper Champ's October 2026 price checks across the next 12 pickup months.
- June 2027 is the cheapest month to pick up, at about A$133 a day. November 2026 is the dearest month with prices available, at A$159 a day.
- Summer is close to sold out: Brisbane suppliers had almost no campervans left for December 2026 pickups and none for January 2027.
Campervan hire in Australia
- Adelaide campervan rental
- Alice Springs campervan rental
- Campervan hire in Brisbane
- Campervan hire in Broome
- Campervan hire in Byron Bay
- Campervan hire in Cairns
- Campervan hire in Devonport
- Campervan hire in Gold Coast
- Campervan hire in Launceston
- Darwin motorhome hire
- Hobart
- Melbourne
- Perth campervan rental
- Sydney
- Tasmania campervan rental
Why do people visit Byron Bay?
The Cape Byron Reserve and Lighthouse is one of the best-known attractions, at the easternmost point of mainland Australia.
- Music festivals bring in the crowds. Bluesfest at Easter, Splendour in the Grass in July and other festivals regularly draw 15,000–30,000 people a day.2
- The beaches are a big drawcard, especially Main Beach, Clarkes Beach, and The Pass.
- Nature lovers head to Arakwal National Park and Nightcap National Park in the surrounding area.
- More than 5% of domestic visitors come to Byron for an event.2
- Bluesfest won Gold at the NSW Tourism Awards in 2024.5
- Byron Bay ranked 11th among Australia's most visited places by international tourists in 2017/18, the latest ranking available.2
What is the impact of tourism on Byron Bay?
Visitors spent an estimated A$686 million in Byron Shire in 2025, and domestic visitors spent more per trip than in any of the five North Coast council areas the report compares it with.1 The latest figures on jobs date from 2016/17, when tourism directly or indirectly supported 23% of local jobs and 14% of Byron Shire’s economy.2
- The visitor economy was worth around A$463 million and created 3,500 jobs in 2016/17.2
- Visitors put pressure on local infrastructure, which has to serve a “service population” much bigger than the resident population.2
- Tourism has also driven up housing prices2 and left fewer homes available in the area.
FAQs
Can Byron Bay's 2025 visitor numbers be compared with earlier years?
Not directly. From 2025, Tourism Research Australia counts domestic visitors with a new survey method, so the 1.51 million visitors recorded in 2025 can't be compared like for like with the 1.97 million in 2024. The same applies to the 2025 spending estimates.1
Has Byron Bay tourism recovered to pre-pandemic levels?
Not fully. Visitation came closest to the 2019 peak of 2.41 million in 2024, with 1.97 million visitors. International visitors were still behind in 2025: 169,000 came, about 76% of the 223,000 recorded in 2019.1
How do visitor numbers compare with Byron Shire's population?
In 2017/18 there were about 14,000 visitors in the shire on an average day, 11,100 of them staying overnight. That adds around 45% to the local population, so roads and services have to cope with a far bigger "service population" than the resident count.2
How does tourism affect housing in Byron Bay?
Holiday letting takes a large share of homes. In 2016, 13.2% of Byron Shire's dwellings were unoccupied on Census night, against 9.3% across NSW, and the shire had more Airbnb listings than all but three Greater Sydney council areas. Homes used for holiday rentals attract higher prices, which adds to housing pressure on residents.2
Which airports do visitors use to reach Byron Bay?
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport is the closest, handling over half a million passengers in 2017/18. Some international visitors fly into Gold Coast Airport instead: in 2016/17, 7% of all international visitors to Byron entered Australia there.2
How many people go to Byron Bay festivals like Bluesfest?
Byron's big festivals, including Bluesfest at Easter and Splendour in the Grass, regularly attract between 15,000 and 30,000 people a day. In the three years to 2017/18, Byron Shire accounted for 8.3% of all event-based overnight travel in NSW.2
More Australian tourism statistics
- Great Ocean Road Tourism Statistics
- Great Barrier Reef Tourism Statistics
- Esperance Tourism Statistics
- Hiking Statistics in Australia
- Snake Bite Statistics in Australia
- Australia Tourism Statistics
- Bondi Beach Tourism Statistics
- Brisbane Tourism Statistics
- Perth Tourism Statistics
- Sydney Tourism Statistics
- Tasmania Tourism Statistics
- Victoria Tourism Statistics
References
- Byron Shire Tourism Monitor (quarterly, Tourism Research Australia data prepared for Byron Shire Council) · destinationbyron.com.au ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z a2
- Byron Shire Council – Tourism scale and impact analysis (.id, November 2018) · byron.infocouncil.biz ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
- Byron Shire Tourism Monitor – year ending June 2024 (official tourism data prepared for Byron Shire Council) · destinationbyron.com.au ↑ b
- Travel to North Coast NSW visitor profile, year ending June 2026 (Destination NSW) · cdn.sanity.io ↑ b c
- 2024 NSW Tourism Awards winners announced · destinationnsw.com.au ↑
- Tourism Spending Statistics - The Great Barrier Reef · Tourism Research Australia
- Byron Shire Council — Byron Bay tourism statistics · byron.nsw.gov.au
