Data released today reveals that New South Wales leads the nation in record-breaking international visitor stays and spend.
According to the statistics from Tourism Research Australia, NSW welcomed 3.9 million international visitors in the year ending March 2025 – up 5.4 per cent year on year.
These visitors stayed 102.2 million nights (up 7.3 per cent) and spent a record $13.4 billion (up 15 per cent), the highest international visitor expenditure of any state.
International visitation to Sydney recorded strong growth across all indicators.
For the year ending March 2025, the Harbour City welcomed 3.6 million international visitors (up 4.5 per cent), who stayed 84.5 million nights (up 5.7 per cent) and spent $12.2 billion (up 15.4 per cent).
Holidaymakers drove the increase in visitors, while the education market delivered strong gains in nights and expenditure.
Sydney Airport’s T1 International terminal experienced its busiest summer on record, with 300,000 more passengers passing through between December 13, 2024, and January 27, 2025, compared to the same period in 2019.
Regional NSW also saw strong growth, particularly from international travellers visiting friends and relatives.
The regions welcomed 700,000 international visitors (up 4.5 per cent), who stayed 17.7 million nights (up 15.8 per cent) and spent $1.2 billion (up 10.5 per cent).
“These results are testament to our great state’s diverse experiences, stunning natural landscapes and thriving cultural scene,” said Steve Kamper, Minister for Jobs and Tourism.
“They also follow a series of targeted aviation initiatives that have already delivered major wins for the state, including new international routes into Western Sydney and Newcastle and increased global connectivity for Sydney Airport.
“We are proud to be supporting visitor economy businesses across the state with the policies, programs and investment they need to deliver the nation’s most unforgettable tourism moments.”
NSW was also the top Australian destination for Chinese visitors, attracting 493,600 travellers from mainland China, who spent $4.3 billion and stayed 19.1 million nights. This performance far exceeded that of Victoria ($2.9 billion) and Queensland ($0.8 billion).
