Tourism Research Australia data revealed that Moreton Bay’s visitor economy surpassed $2 billion across the region in the year ending March 2026.
The $2.03 billion that visitors spent reinforces the city’s position as one of Australia’s fastest-emerging tourism destinations.
“We’re seeing visitors stay longer, spend more and seek out a broader range of experiences across the region,” Tourism and Events Moreton Bay CEO Luke Edwards said.
“That’s creating real opportunities for accommodation providers, attractions, hospitality businesses and tourism operators who want to be part of one of Australia’s fastest-growing visitor economies.”
The data
The National Visitor Survey and International Visitor Survey figures show 6.44 million visitors travelled to Moreton Bay over the 12 months, generating 6.86 million visitor nights and delivering record returns for local businesses.
The data points to a shift towards higher-value visitation, with travellers staying longer, spending more and branching out into a wider range of experiences across the destination.
Domestic overnight visitors spent an average of $671 per trip, with holiday visitor nights increasing 9.7 per cent and commercial accommodation nights rising 5.2 per cent. Participation in local attractions grew strongly, with visitor nights associated with attractions increasing 11.6 per cent, while arts and heritage experiences increased 11.9 per cent and nature-based experiences rose 10.8 per cent.
The domestic day-trip market added further momentum, with 4.58 million visitors spending an average of $151 each and driving a 6.9 per cent lift in expenditure. Day-trip spending on arts and heritage experiences jumped 16.8 per cent, while spending at local attractions grew 4.7 per cent.
International visitors contributed $124.5 million to the region, with holiday expenditure up 14 per cent, hotel and resort spending up 11.5 per cent and arts and heritage spending up 14.2 per cent. Visitor nights from New Zealand rose 5.8 per cent.
Despite the strong annual figures, Edwards acknowledged the industry had faced tougher trading conditions in recent months.
“Like many destinations across Queensland and Australia, we’ve seen softer trading conditions since May, particularly for experience-based tourism operators, as consumer confidence was impacted by broader economic uncertainty and the fuel supply disruption,” he said.
In October 2025, Tourism Research Australia data showed that Moreton Bay set a record for international tourism growth.
