Aussies are back touring the country, which is lifting visitor expenditure with a forecast exceeding pre-pandemic levels this year.
The projected visitor spend by 2027 is $227.7Â billion by 2027, according to government body Tourism Research Australia.
Visitor spend
These projections include expenditure on both overnight and day trips.
However it will 2024 before international visitors’ spend reaches pre-pandemic levels. The good news is this is expected to reach $48.8 billion by 2027.
By 2027, there are forecast to be:
- 465.8 million domestic visitor nights (up 11% on 2019)
- 126.2 million domestic overnight trips (up 7% on 2019)
- 244.4 million domestic day trips (down 2% on 2019).
In the same time frame, the domestic spend is expected to rise 67 per cent more than pre-pandemic figures to $179 billion.
Of this $137.9 billion will be spent in overnight trips; $41.1 billion in domestic day trips.
TRA expects 465.8 million domestic visitor nights and 126.2 million domestic overnight trips – both a rise on the 2019 figures.
Business travel still in first gear
So far, business travel has followed the trends for domestic leisure visits post-Covid. However, TRA forecasts a slow recovery, in part because of economic conditions.
As organisations adapted to and adopted digital alternatives to in-person meetings during Covid, there is less inclination to return to full-scale business travel.
In 2027 business arrivals are forecast to reach 1 million and surpass pre-pandemic levels.
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