tourism in sydney statistics

Sydney Tourism Statistics

• > Sydney Precinct Visitor Profiles

NSW Region Map

Major towns.

• Megalong Valley
• The Entrance
• Lake Macquarie
• Muswellbrook
• Port Stephens

South Coast

• Shellharbour
• Batemans Bay

North Coast

• Great Lakes
• Port Macquarie
• South West Rocks
• Coffs Harbour
• Murwillumbah
• Tweed Heads
• Tenterfield
• Coonabarabran
• Wagga Wagga
• Broken Hill
• Lightning Ridge

Sydney and Surrounds

Bordering towns.

• Campbelltown
• Wisemans Ferry

Notes on the National Visitor Survey (NVS) and International Visitor Survey (IVS) data Tourism Research Australia (TRA) updated the NVS survey methodology with the introduction of 100% mobile phone interviewing from 2019. International visitor statistics are sourced from TRA IVS.  Recent changes to overseas arrivals data has led TRA to revise IVS estimates in the December 2018 data release. The revisions focus on purpose-of-visit estimates, with minimal change to visitor, nights and spend estimates. Care should be taken when comparing current NVS and IVS data with previously published data.

Latest Sydney Tourism Statistics

Travel to Sydney Snapshot Mar 2023 (PDF 1 mb) Provides detailed domestic and international tourism data

Travel to Sydney Time Series June 2023 (PDF 329 kb) Provides domestic overnight and daytrip tourism trend data

Travel to Sydney Snapshot Dec 2022 (PDF 1 mb) Travel to Sydney Snapshot Sept 2022 (PDF 1 mb) Travel to Sydney Snapshot June 2022 (PDF 1 mb) Travel to Sydney Snapshot March 2022 (PDF 363 kb) Travel to Sydney Snapshot December 2021 (PDF 1 mb) Travel to Sydney Snapshot September 2021 (PDF 275 kb) Travel to Sydney Snapshot June 2021 (PDF 369 kb) Travel to Sydney Snapshot March 2021 (PDF 360 kb) Travel to Sydney Snapshot December 2020 (PDF 983 kb)

Time Series

Travel to Sydney Time Series Mar 2023 (PDF 298 kb) Travel to Sydney Time Series Dec 2022 (PDF 297 kb) Travel to Sydney Time Series Sept 2022 (PDF 320 kb) Travel to Sydney Time Series March 2022 (PDF 328 kb) Travel to Sydney Time Series December 2021 (PDF 244 kb) Travel to Sydney Time Series September 2021 (PDF 327 kb) Travel to Sydney Time Series June 2021 (PDF 324 kb) Travel to Sydney Time Series March 2021 (PDF 330 kb) Travel to Sydney Time Series December 2020 (PDF 310 kb)

Sydney Precinct Visitor Profile

View Sydney Precinct Visitor Profile results

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Content Library Images, videos and editorial content showcasing destinations and experiences across Sydney and NSW.

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Sydney statistics

Find the most recent updates on visitation figures to Sydney, the international gateway to Australia.

35.1 million

31.8 million

EXPENDITURE

$15.7 billion

Quarterly snapshot: travel to Sydney

Sydney is the international gateway to Australia and its number one destination for domestic and international visitors.

Sydney was number one among all Australian capital cities for total domestic visitors (27 per cent), nights (25 per cent) and expenditure (26 per cent) in the year ending March 2024.

The data source is National Visitor Survey (NVS) and International Visitor Survey (IVS) conducted by Tourism Research Australia (TRA), a branch within Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). TRA is Australia's leading provider of quality tourism intelligence across both international and domestic markets.

The geographic definition of Sydney is Sydney Tourism Region as per TRA's tourism region boundaries.

Latest release

• Travel to Sydney snapshot: March 2024 PDF
• Travel to Sydney snapshot: December 2023 PDF
• Travel to Sydney snapshot: September 2023 PDF
• Travel to Sydney snapshot: June 2023 PDF

Time series – travel to Sydney

• Travel to Sydney time series: March 2024 PDF

Latest Releases

• Travel to Sydney time series: December 2023 PDF
• Travel to Sydney time series: September 2023 PDF
• Travel to Sydney time series: June 2023 PDF

Sydney precinct visitor profiles

Latest releases.

• Bondi visitor profile 2023 PDF
• Manly visitor profile 2023 PDF
• The Rocks visitor profile 2023 PDF
• Darling Harbour visitor profile 2023 PDF
• Chinatown visitor profile 2023 PDF
• Circular Quay visitor profile 2023 PDF

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Quick links.

Helpful resources from Destination NSW

Sydney Tourism Statistics

Page last updated: 02 March 2023

Table of Contents

How many tourists visit Sydney each year?

• Domestic visitors were up 55% when compared with the over 5.6 million from 2021 (year ending September 2021)
• Data for international visitors is not yet available for this period

How much did visitors spend in Sydney in 2022?

• Spending was up 84.8% when compared with the over $4.1 billion spent during 2021 (year ending September 2021)

How many people visited Sydney in 2021?

• Visitors were down 30% when compared with the over 2.3 million visitors of the first quarter of 2020.

How much did visitors spend in Sydney in 2021?

• Spending was down 57.5% when compared with the over $1.7 billion spent during the first quarter of 2020.

How many tourists visited Sydney in 2020?

• This total was made up of 1.9 million international visitors and 7.4 million domestic visitors.
• Visitors were down 43% when compared to the 16.4 million visitors for the corresponding 12 month period ending in September 2019.

How much did tourists spend in Sydney in 2020?

• International visitors spent over $4.6 billion while domestic visitors contributed $4.9 billion.
• Spending was down 51.7% when compared to the $19.7 billion spent in the corresponding 12 months ending in September 2019.

How many tourists visited Sydney in 2019?

A total of 16.1 million tourists visited Sydney from July 2018 to June 2019. 1

• This total included 4.1 million international tourists and 12 million domestic overnight visitors.

Sydney tourism through the years

• Between 2009 and 2019, the number of domestic visitors to Sydney increased by over 37% and the number of international visitors by 60.6%.
• The majority of this growth happened after 2015.
• Total visitors to Sydney increased by 27% in just three years (2016-2019).

Sydney - Australia’s number one tourist destination

• In 2019, Sydney was the most visited destination in Australia for both international and domestic travellers with a total of 16.1 million visitors.

How much money did Sydney make from tourism in 2019?

• At $19.5 billion, Sydney ranked first in Australia for highest overall visitor spend in 2018/19.
• International visitors spent the most at $10.2 billion.
• Domestic visitors spent a total of $9.3 billion.

How much did international tourists spend per night?

• International visitors spent an average of $123 per night on trips to Sydney.
• This equates to an average trip spend of $2499 per visitor.

How long do international tourists stay in Sydney?

• International tourists stay in Sydney for an average of 20 nights, the 3rd highest in all of Australia.
• The longest average stay was Melbourne, with 22 nights.

Top tourist spots in Sydney - Visitor Statistics

How many people visit the sydney opera house each year.

• More than 10.9 million people visit the Sydney Opera House each year. 2

How many people visit Bondi Beach every year?

• 2.9 million people visited Bondi Beach for the year ending March 2018. 3
• 1.8 million were international visitors.
• 1.1 million were domestic visitors.

How many people visit the Sydney Harbour Bridge each year?

• More than 10.9 million people visit each year the Sydney Opera House, nearby the Sydney Harbour Bridge. While specific numbers for the Sydney Harbour Bridge aren’t available, the bridge is consistently cited by tourists as one of the top reasons to visit Sydney.
• More than 150,000 vehicles cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge each day. 4

How many tourists visit New South Wales each year?

Over 33 million travellers visited NSW in the year ending June 2020

• Read more NSW tourism statistics

Sydney camping & campervan statistics

• The number of camping trips throughout New South Wales has grown by 14.5% over the 10-year period from 2008 to 2018. 5
• In 2018 over 2.2 million overnight camping trips were made in New South Wales.
• Camping trips – including caravan, campervan, commercial and non-commercial camping – made up 15% of visitor nights for domestic travellers to New South Wales in 2019 (year ending September)

Other resources

• Sydney campervan hire comparison
• Other key campervan locations in Australia: Melbourne , Brisbane , Cairns and Tasmania

Travel Statistics Resources

• Adelaide Statistics
• Brisbane Statistics
• Cairns Statistics
• Gold Coast Statistics
• Melbourne Statistics
• New South Wales Statistics
• Perth Statistics
• Tasmania Statistics
• Victoria Statistics

Global Statistics

• New Zealand Tourism Statistics
• TRA : International Visitor Survey, National Visitor Survey ↩
• Sydney Opera House : Facts About the Sydney Opera House ↩
• Destination NSW : Research & Statistics ↩
• Sydney : About Sydney Harbour Bridge ↩
• TRA : International Visitor Survey, Trends 2019, National Visitor Survey, Trends 2019 ↩

City economy

Sydney’s tourism renaissance

International visits soar to 82% of pre-pandemic levels, led by student surge

Sydney has retained its status as a vibrant global destination, showcasing a remarkable tourism resurgence.

Our latest data shows while English-speaking visitors lead the comeback, a record-breaking surge in international students adds a dynamic twist, propelling Sydney into a new era of cultural and educational prominence.

The city insight reports keeps its finger on the pulse of local economic activity. View the highlights below.

Sydney’s tourism rebound

International tourist arrivals have reached 87% of pre-pandemic levels, with over 230,000 visitors arriving in August.

Visitors from English speaking countries, including New Zealand, the UK and US, have recovered strongly at 95% of previous levels. But important Asian markets have been slower to return to Sydney, with Chinese tourism at just 50% of 2019 levels.

Group travel, traditionally popular with travellers from Asian markets, has declined. Only 7.4% of visitors are travelling in group tours in 2023 compared with 16.9% in 2019.

Visitors staying longer

While overall tourism numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels, visitors are staying in Australia for longer at 13.2 nights on average, 3 nights longer than in 2019.

One possible explanation is international visitors in 2023 are more likely to be visiting friends and relatives. This travel purpose is the primary motivation for 23% of international travellers, compared with 15% in 2019.

International students hit record numbers

International student numbers have strongly rebounded and now exceed pre-pandemic levels. There are now 192,218 students from overseas enrolled in inner Sydney, 11% more than in 2019.

International student growth has been particularly strong from China and India, with the number of new students enrolling to study in NSW from these countries doubling from 2022. India has overtaken Nepal to become the 2nd largest origin of new international students in NSW.

Students seeking higher qualifications

Among new students enrolling to study in NSW, there has been a shift towards higher education courses. 47% of new international student enrolments are in higher education qualifications, up from 35% in 2019.

This shift in qualifications will likely have an impact on the broader economy, with more highly-skilled international students graduating in coming years.

The Vivid effect

Public transport use, one of the slowest areas to rebound from the pandemic, increased by 8.7% from June to October. June was particularly strong on Friday, Saturday and Sundays, with public transport use after 6pm 40% higher than usual.

Want to dive into more detail about Sydney’s business and economic recovery? Explore our November City Insights snapshot .

Published 4 December 2023, updated 14 February 2024

New Dixon Street improvement grants now open

What’s driving Sydney’s future prosperity?

Get your business involved in Pride Month

Tourism in Sydney

Statistics report on travel and tourism in Sydney

This report presents a selection of statistics and facts on the travel and tourism industry in Sydney, Australia. Included is an overview of tourism in Australia, followed by chapters on international and domestic tourism in Sydney, as well as key attractions and events in the city, and a spotlight on Western Sydney, the city's most visited precinct.

Download your Report

Table of contents.

• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations visited by international arrivals to Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading destinations of domestic visitors on day trips Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of visitors at Sydney Airport Australia Feb 2019-Dec 2023, by passenger type

International visitation

• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors NSW Australia 2023, by region visited
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by country of residence
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Domestic visitation

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Domestic visitor expenditure Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2023, by state of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitors to Sydney, Australia 2022, by precinct
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Sydney, Australia 2023

Key attractions and events

• Premium Statistic Events attendance of overnight tourists to Sydney, Australia FY 2023, by visitor type
• Premium Statistic Sydney Opera House events attendance Australia FY 2023, by event
• Premium Statistic Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens visitation Australia FY 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Vivid Sydney festival attendance Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Sydney WorldPride attendance Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic FIFA Women's World Cup attendance Sydney, Australia 2023, by match
• Premium Statistic Bondi Festival attendance Sydney, Australia 2023
• Premium Statistic Hotel occupancy rates during major events Sydney, Australia 2023-2024

Spotlight: Western Sydney

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2019-2022, by type of trip
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight visitor travel party types Western Sydney, Australia 2022
• Premium Statistic Popular activities of domestic overnight visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022
• Premium Statistic Popular activities of domestic day visitors Western Sydney, Australia 2022

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