Queensland has cemented its place as Australia’s holiday destination of choice, with international visitors spending at record levels and flocking to the Sunshine State in greater numbers than ever before.
New figures from Tourism Research Australia reveal that international visitor expenditure reached a record $6.9 billion in the year ending June 2025 — a 10.6% increase on the previous year.
At the same time, the number of overseas travellers to Queensland rose by 2.7%, hitting 2.2 million visitors.
Holiday spending led the charge, soaring 32.1% to reach a record $3.5 billion — well above the national average growth rate.
Queensland’s largest-spending markets were:
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New Zealand – $1.02 billion, with 490,000 trips
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China
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United Kingdom
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United States
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Japan
There were also strong increases from India, France, and Taiwan, with Taiwan now ranked as Queensland’s eighth-largest international market.
Tourists didn’t just stop in Brisbane or the Gold Coast — they spread their spending across the state, breaking records in multiple regions:
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Gold Coast – $1.5 billion
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Tropical North Queensland – $1.2 billion
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Sunshine Coast – $413.4 million
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Whitsundays – $254.0 million
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Queensland Country – $149.4 million
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Southern Great Barrier Reef – $128.4 million
It’s not just international guests who are boosting the economy. Domestic visitor spending hit $33.3 billion over the same period, keeping Queensland as Australia’s third-largest tourism market, just behind Victoria ($33.9 billion) and New South Wales ($42 billion).
The Crisafulli Government is crediting the growth to its Destination 2045 plan — a 20-year strategy to position Queensland as a global leader in tourism by supporting richer visitor experiences, better connectivity, and more local jobs.
After a decade of decline, Queensland is back in the global spotlight — breaking records, outperforming the national average, and setting the stage for long-term growth.
With the world once again choosing Queensland, the future of the state’s tourism sector has never looked brighter.
Learn more about the government’s vision for tourism: Destination 2045 | Delivering Queensland’s Tourism Future
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