Brisbane clocks up a record number of international visitors
Brisbane has welcomed more tourists than ever before, according to new data – with visitors from one country again leading the charge.
The latest Tourism Research Australia (TRA) results for the year ending June 2026 show reached record international spending and nights and strong domestic visitation.
International visitors spent a record $4.2 billion in Brisbane, in a 41.4 percent year-on-year increase, while international visitor nights climbed 29.2 per cent to a record 33.8 million, along with a 32.7 percent rise in international visits at 10 million nights.
New Zealand once again topped the chart for the city’s international source markets, clocking 236,000 visitors and a record 2.8 million visitor nights, up by 50.9 percent.
Japan ranked some of the highest visitation data, clocking a record 60,000 visits at a 33.7 per cent increase, and 2.7 million visitor nights at a 22 percent increase.
Chinese visitation also saw major growth, with 145,000 visitors and 26.2 per cent increase, while UK visitation increased 7.9 percent.
US visitors still ranked one of the top source markets, though visits were down by 6.4 per cent at 104,000 visitors.
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Domestic visitation generated $13.8 billion in visitor spending, as well as $8.8 billion in overnight expenditure and $5 billion from day trips, welcoming 9.7 million domestic visitors who stayed 27.3 million nights, which ranked the city as third among Australian tourism regions for domestic overnight visitors.
Brisbane accounted for more than half of Queensland’s domestic business visitor expenditure, with around 1.1 million business visitors spending $1.4 billion in the region.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said these results showed the city stepping further into its status as Australia’s lifestyle capital.
“A record $4.2 billion international visitor spend is a massive vote of confidence in Brisbane and a big boost for local businesses and jobs,” Schrinner said.
Events that generated the most visits and economic activity were the British & Irish Lion Tour ($71.4 million and 133,061 visitor nights), the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo ($48.3 million and 150,842 visitor nights) and Bluey’s World Brisbane ($82.5 million and 220,000 attendees).
Brisbane Economic Development Agency CEO Anthony Ryan said Brisbane’s economy was seeing major benefits across both international and domestic markets.
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“While international spending and visitor nights have set new records, domestic visitation remains a powerhouse for our visitor economy, with both markets supported by increasing connectivity, destination campaigns and trade marketing that keep Brisbane front of mind and converts interest into bookings,” Ryan said.
“Our focus is on continuing that momentum to attract more visitors and giving them more reasons to stay longer and spend more, ensuring that growth flows through to Brisbane’s hotels, restaurants, tourism operators and local businesses.”
Meanwhile Queensland’s visitor economy reached $45.6 billion for the last financial year, tracking $1.4 billion ahead of projections, with 2.4 million international visitors and $8.1 billion visitor spending across the state.
International visitor stats remained similar across the state, with China New Zealand, UK, Japan and the US generating the biggest numbers, in that order.
South Korea, France and Taiwan also recorded record international visitor expenditure, with working holiday makers accounting for 53 percent of all holiday visitors.
Behind Brisbane, the Queensland region with this highest visitor expenditure was the Whitsundays, reaching $273 million, up 26.9 percent.
Queensland overall welcomed 26 million domestic overnight visitors, while intrastate trips grew 2.1 percent to 19.5 million and day-trip expenditure surged 37.5 per cent to $10.3 billion.
Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said the results demonstrated the momentum behind the Queensland Government’s Destination 2045 plan, a 20-year tourism strategy backed by a more than $1 billion investment.
“We are backing Queensland as Australia’s home of the holiday by investing in world-class experiences and securing major events to bring more visitors to our great state,” Powell said.
Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Craig Davidson said the stats showed strong demand for Queensland holidays from visitors across the country and the world.
“It’s encouraging to see international holiday expenditure reach record levels, alongside continued resilience in domestic visitation,” Davidson said.
“Queensland offers an incredible breadth of destinations, and we want visitors to continue experiencing That Holiday Feeling whether they’re returning to a favourite place or discovering somewhere new.”
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