Brisbane has smashed visitor records and achieved a domestic tourism trifecta, cementing its status as one of Australia’s hottest travel destinations.
The Brisbane region hit an all-time high of $11 billion in visitor spending and recorded an unprecedented 52.9 million visitor nights for the year ending September 2024, according to new data from Tourism Research Australia.
Brisbane also set historic records in domestic visitation, with more Australians than ever choosing the city as a must-visit destination. Domestic visitor spending reached a record $7.9 billion, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year, while visitor numbers climbed 14.3 per cent to 8.1 million and visitor nights surged 17.8 per cent to 25.1 million.
Southern states flocked to Brisbane in record numbers with more visitors than ever from Sydney, Melbourne, New South Wales and Victoria. Business visitors from across Australia also skyrocketed, with an unprecedented 2.1 million traveling to Brisbane, up 34.3 per cent.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Brisbane’s booming popularity was driving the city’s incredible economic growth.
“Brisbane is Australia’s lifestyle capital, and once people experience our city, they fall in love and keep coming back,” Cr Schrinner said.
“We’re one of the most exciting, talked-about cities in the world, and it’s easy to see why.
“Our packed calendar of major events, world-class dining and vibrant lifestyle precincts like Howard Smith Wharves, West Village, Fish Lane and South Bank have made us a must-do destination for local and international visitors alike.
“Brisbane’s thriving visitor economy continues to support our local businesses and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to Brisbane in 2025.”
Brisbane Economic Development Agency CEO Anthony Ryan said collaboration across the city was helping drive record visitation.
“Brisbane’s growth is a testament to the vision, collaboration, and dedication of our visitor economy businesses and partners. These record-breaking results highlight the growing appeal of our city—and we’re only just getting started,” Mr Ryan said.
“BEDA’s Brisbane Favours the Bold marketing campaign has been a game-changer, attracting record numbers of visitors from across the country to experience everything Brisbane has to offer.
“It’s been a landmark year for Brisbane, and we’re thrilled to finish on such a high note. The momentum will only grow in 2025.”
BEDA is the city’s key driver of tourism, events and investment, and the Regional Tourism Organisation for Brisbane and the five surrounding councils including Moreton Bay, Scenic Rim, Ipswich, Logan and Redlands Coast.
The surge in business travel reflects Brisbane’s booming economy, outlined in BEDA’s 2024 State of the City Report, which forecast an impressive 68% economic growth for the city by 2041.