Coinciding with World Tourism Day, the latest data released by Tourism Research Australia for the year ending June 2022, is a strong sign that travel confidence is returning to the city.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the recovery of Brisbane’s tourism sector was important to the city’s local economy.

“Tourism is one of Brisbane’s most important industries, with the international and domestic visitor economy worth more than $8.2 billion to the city pre-COVID,” Cr Schrinner said.

“We have seen a busy start to the school holidays and record pedestrian numbers in the city this September, and we expect a bumper summer holiday period for local Brisbane businesses.

“Hotel bookings in Brisbane peaked at over 80 per cent in the first week of the school holidays, and this month the city recorded its highest foot traffic for the year at 79 per cent pre-COVID levels.

“The more visitors to Brisbane translate directly to driving more money into the pockets of local businesses and our tourism, hospitality and accommodation sectors.”

Launched this week by Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA), the latest destination campaign ‘See you for summer’ encourages domestic travellers to visit Brisbane by highlighting the city’s diverse urban and natural experiences on offer.

“The new campaign is enticing families, couples and those yearning for a holiday to make the most of their summer and book a Brisbane getaway before the end of the year,” BEDA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Ryan said.

“With world-class hotels and dining precincts, access to island paradises and a jam-packed events calendar, Brisbane is the ultimate city to explore this summer.

“We expect visitor numbers to continue growing over the coming months and into the new year, particularly as we welcome back more international visitors to our incredible Brisbane region.”

Highlight experiences featured in the new campaign include exploring the city’s riverside dining precincts, cruising the Brisbane River by boat, enjoying a live music gig and adventure activities at Tangalooma Island Resort.

Partnering with Expedia to drive summer holiday bookings, the latest destination campaign will run from September to December in key domestic markets including Sydney and Melbourne.

Brisbane’s National Visitor Survey results – Year ending June 2022

• Total expenditure – up 26.5% to $4.1B
• Total visitors – up 3.8% to 5.8M 
• Business visitors – up 11.4% to 1.1M
• Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) – up 3.9% to 2.5M
• Holiday visitors – up 2.8% to 1.8M 
• Spend per visitor – up 21.8% to $710

Brisbane national visitors

• Sydney visitors – up 61.2% to 535,000 
• Melbourne visitors – up 44.2% to 268,000