All change in domestic tourism statistics | Sustainable fuel update

All change in domestic tourism statistics | Sustainable fuel update | Fresh look at accessible tourism market

Latest news on tourism policy, research and programs

A dotted light installation at the Illuminate Adelaide festival. Image: Tourism Australia/South Australian Tourism Commission

New domestic tourism statistics (DoTS) collection arrives

Australia’s domestic tourism statistics collection has moved to a new approach – with the release this month of the first figures under the Domestic Tourism Statistics (DoTS) methodology.

DoTS replaces the National Visitor Survey (NVS), which Austrade’s Tourism Research Australia (TRA) used for 27 years to measure domestic travel.

DoTS uses enhanced data-collection methods to ensure Australia’s tourism statistics continue to be of the highest quality.

TRA began using the DoTs methodology to collect domestic tourism statistics in January. Results prior to 2025 were backcast and adjusted to ensure comparisons over time can still be made for key measures.

The first released figures, for the March quarter 2025, show a softening in domestic tourism on the same period in 2024. The results were affected by significant natural disasters in key tourism regions and by a late Easter, which fell outside the first quarter this year.

Overnight spend was $27.1 billion (down 7% on the March quarter 2024).
Overnight trips totalled 28.8 million (down 2%).
Nights totalled 105.1 million (down 4%).

TRA figures at work

Tourism Research Australia data, both domestic and international, is more than academic. It has real-world applications. Three users tell us how TRA numbers help them.

The entrance to the National Portrait Gallery with a spiky plastic orange sculpture. Image: Tourism Australia

Assistant Minister joins visitor economy roundtable

Senator the Hon Nita Green, Assistant Minister for Tourism, joined Austrade CEO Dr Paul Grimes, peak tourism body chief executives and other industry leaders for Austrade’s Visitor Economy Stakeholder Forum on 20 June in Gadigal/Sydney. Discussions included opportunities and challenges facing the tourism industry, including improving training and skills, attracting more overseas visitors and growing First Nations tourism.

A man in an airport lounge looks over the tarmac and the tail of a Qantas plane.. Image: Qantas

Runway clear for sustainable aviation fuel take-off

Airline Qantas recently imported 2 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the largest batch ever brought into the country. Australia is also working on becoming a leader in homegrown SAF, with Austrade steering investment into the sector.

The Australian Government has committed $250 million in funding for low carbon liquid fuels, as part of its Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund. Austrade recently led a delegation to Europe, including Qantas, Virgin Australia, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCEEW) and Bioenergy Australia. Members attended the Sustainable Aviation Futures Europe Congress in Amsterdam and joined Austrade-led investor roundtables.

Aviation is the main contributor of carbon emissions in Australia’s visitor economy, and access to Australian-made SAF will assist in the transition to net zero. The use of SAF will also encourage climate-conscious overseas visitors to come to Australia to enjoy our world-class experiences.

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The multi-billion-dollar accessible tourism market

Austrade’s Tourism Research Australia (TRA) has taken a closer look at the accessible tourism market, with a new report to be published soon. The new report, which examines in depth the travel trends in 2024 among people with accessibility needs, builds on a snapshot report into the June quarter 2023. Stay tuned for more details in an upcoming VEN.

Cover of the WELCOME Framework, with a Tourism and Events Queensland photo of a woman and a boy with down syndrome enjoying a kayak ride

Guide to becoming a more accessible tourism business

Accessible tourism is a major opportunity for tourism operators, as TRA analysis (above) shows. The WELCOME Framework, produced by Austrade with state and territory governments and Tourism Australia, has easy, practical tips to make your business more inclusive.

Download guide