Domestic tourist visitor nights in Australia - Data and Analysis (2001-2034)

IBISWorld expects the total number of domestic visitor nights to rise 1.4% in 2026-27 to 385.5 million. This follows two broadly flat years, with visitor nights edging up 0.3% in 2024-25 and slipping 0.1% in 2025-26. Tourism Research Australia's Domestic Tourism Statistics describe conditions as stable, with visitor nights across the year to March 2026 up around 1% on the prior year, despite overnight trips dropping 2%. The picture is one of resilient but subdued demand rather than the sharp post-pandemic rebound recorded earlier in the decade.Cost-of-living pressure is the dominant force shaping travel behaviour. Households have continued to travel, but many are managing budgets by taking shorter overnight trips, substituting day trips for overnight stays and choosing destinations closer to home. A YouGov survey conducted in April 2026 found that 59% of Australians had changed their 2026 travel plans, with 16% opting for closer or more affordable destinations and an additional 16% cutting their travel spending. Persistent price growth in accommodation and food service has reinforced this restraint, with Tourism Research Australia noting that the cost of travelling within Australia has risen faster than general inflation. At the same time, record outbound travel has diverted some discretionary demand from domestic trips, but a recent surge in international airfares and geopolitical tensions could draw people back to domestic travel in 2026-27.Domestic visitor nights remain concentrated in leisure travel. Holiday trips account for roughly 47% of visitor nights and visiting friends and relatives account for 37%, so around five in six nights are tied to discretionary or social travel that is sensitive to consumer sentiment and household budgets. Business travel accounts for close to 9% of nights, with the remainder split between education and other purposes.Regional Australia continues to capture the majority of domestic travel. Tourism Research Australia's March quarter 2026 data shows that regional destinations account for more trips than capital cities across every age group and the preference is strongest among older travellers. Those aged 65 and over took 69% of their trips outside capital cities. New South Wales remains the largest state market, accounting for around 32% of visitor nights, ahead of Queensland at roughly 24% and Victoria at about 23%. Because most Australians live in metropolitan areas, leisure and holiday travel tends to flow outward to regional and coastal destinations, supporting local tourism economies. Overall, domestic visitor nights are set to soar at a compound annual rate of 3.4% over the five years through 2026-27.