BNE delivers for Brisbane
Brisbane Airport’s record-breaking passenger numbers are delivering dividends for Brisbane with the latest data revealing visitor spending has hit a new high.
Tourism Research Australia data for the year ending December 2024 shows that overall visitor spending in Brisbane climbed to a record $11.3 billion, fueled by an unprecedented 53.7 million nights in the city.
“We know that when Brisbane Airport is busy, so are hotels, bars, restaurants and shops and this has a ripple effect throughout the entire economy, pumping billions of dollars into the pockets of Queenslanders,” Brisbane Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff said.
Brisbane has also become the bleisure capital of the country as the corporate travel sector booms, with domestic business visitors increasing 13.5% to 2.1 million, and business visitor nights skyrocketing 30.5% YoY to a record 5.8 million.
“Business travelers are extending their stay beyond meetings and conferences to experience Brisbane’s vibrant cultural scene and also enjoy a getaway to the stunning Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast.”
Additionally, Brisbane’s popularity with southern states hit new heights, with visitors from Victoria up a record 28.1% YoY to 1.1 million, and tourists from New South Wales, up 18.1% YoY to 2 million.
Internationally, the data shows Brisbane’s appeal is stronger than ever, welcoming record numbers of visitors from New Zealand and India, alongside a record 18.2 million visitor nights from Asia. South Korea is leading the charge at 2.8 million nights — up 37.2% on 2019 while Indonesian traveller nights jumped by a record 127.5% in the same period.
International visitors were also staying longer in Brisbane, increasing their average length of stay to 22 nights, up by 3.7 nights.
Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal has recorded its two busiest months on record over December and January. Two-thirds of international tourist arrivals into Queensland are via Brisbane Airport.
In December, more than 631,700 passengers passed through the Brisbane International Terminal beating the previous record of 620,000 in January 2020.
The record stood for less than a month, with 638,800 passengers travelling through the International Terminal in January 2025.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said visitors were captivated by the city’s vibrant lifestyle precincts and tourism offerings.
“Brisbane is Australia’s lifestyle capital and our booming visitor economy is a win for local jobs and businesses,” Cr Schrinner said.
“With world-class dining, accommodation, and tourism there is more to see and do in Brisbane than ever before.”
Brisbane Economic Development Agency CEO Anthony Ryan says tourism is delivering dividends for the city.
“Building on brand Brisbane, BEDA and key partners are elevating the city's profile by securing global business conferences, major events, and investment opportunities,” Mr Ryan said.
“In a stunning two-year transformation, expanded aviation networks have ignited a tourism boom, shattering records with an unprecedented $11.3 billion in visitor spending and a record-breaking 18.2 million visitor nights from Asia.”
Brisbane highlights:
• Total overnight visitor expenditure: $11.3 billion, 11.2% YoY – RECORD
• Total visitor nights: 53.7 million nights, up 14.7% YoY – RECORD
• Domestic expenditure – $8.2 billion, up 13.5% YoY – RECORD
• Domestic visitors – 8.1 million visitors, up 11.2% YoY – RECORD
• Domestic visitor nights – 25.6 million nights, up 16.8% YoY – RECORD
• Domestic business visitor nights – 5.8 million, up 30.5% - RECORD
• Victoria total visitors – 1.1 million, up 28.1% YoY – RECORD
• Melbourne visitor nights – 3.3 million, up 56.2% YoY – RECORD
Upcoming capacity increases include:
- Cathay Pacific increasing from 10 to 12 flights per week from Hong Kong from March 31
- China Southern expanding from 5 flights per week to daily from June 10 via the key gateway of Guangzhou
- Singapore Airlines increasing from 24 to 28 services per week to Brisbane from Singapore from June 16
It comes as Brisbane Airport celebrates 100 years of aviation and connecting Queensland to the world.
Across the terminals, transformation is underway as part of the $5 billion Future BNE program.
On January 1 it became the first airport in Australia to announce it had achieved Net Zero emissions (Scope 1 and 2), with 100% renewable backed energy now in use at BNE.
For interviews, contact Brisbane Airport's 24/7 media hotline on: 0466 322 485