Moreton Bay Visitor Economy Surpasses $2 Billion Milestone

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Moreton Bay’s visitor economy has reached another significant milestone, with new Tourism Research Australia data revealing visitors spent more than $2.03 billion across the region in the year ending March 2026, reinforcing the city’s position as one of Australia’s fastest-emerging tourism destinations.

The latest National Visitor Survey and International Visitor Survey data shows 6.44 million visitors travelled to Moreton Bay over the 12-month period, generating 6.86 million visitor nights and delivering record economic benefits to local businesses.

The results highlight a clear shift towards higher-value visitation, with visitors staying longer, spending more and engaging with a broader 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 market also continued to strengthen, with 4.58 million visitors contributing an average spend of $151 per visitor, driving a 6.9 per cent increase in expenditure. Spending on arts and heritage experiences increased 16.8 per cent, while expenditure at local attractions grew 4.7 per cent.

International visitation delivered encouraging results, with visitors spending $124.5 million across Moreton Bay. Holiday expenditure increased 14 per cent, hotel and resort spending rose 11.5 per cent, arts and heritage spending increased 14.2 per cent, while visitor nights from New Zealand grew 5.8 per cent.

Tourism and Events Moreton Bay CEO Luke Edwards said the results demonstrated why Moreton Bay continues to emerge as one of Australia’s most exciting destinations for tourism investment.

“These results are about much more than visitor numbers – they demonstrate the opportunity that exists for tourism businesses to invest in Moreton Bay,” Edwards said.

“We’re seeing visitors stay longer, spend more and seek out a broader range of experiences across the region. 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.

“As we look towards Brisbane 2032, Moreton Bay is uniquely positioned. We are Brisbane’s playground, offering everything from world-class nature and outdoor adventure to coastal experiences, signature events, arts and culture – all within easy reach of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Businesses that invest in Moreton Bay today are investing in a destination with enormous momentum and an incredibly exciting future.”

Edwards acknowledged that while the annual data paints a positive long-term picture, the tourism industry has experienced more challenging 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.

“Tourism is a long game. That’s why continuing to invest in destination marketing, industry capability and growing awareness of Moreton Bay is so important. It ensures we’re building demand not just for today, but for the years ahead.

“The long-term fundamentals are incredibly strong. We’re seeing visitors increasingly choosing to stay overnight, spend more, experience more and discover parts of Moreton Bay they may not have visited before. That’s exactly the type of sustainable growth we want to see because it delivers greater value to local businesses and our community.”

The latest figures reinforce this trend, with strong growth across holiday travel, commercial accommodation, local attractions, arts and heritage experiences and nature-based tourism, demonstrating that visitors are exploring more of the region and contributing more broadly across the local economy.

The City of Moreton Bay continues to invest in the region’s visitor economy through its support of Tourism and Events Moreton Bay. This investment enables destination marketing, industry development, trade engagement and event attraction initiatives that grow visitation and expenditure, while helping local operators capitalise on the opportunities emerging in one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions ahead of Brisbane 2032.

Visitor Economy Snapshot: Year Ending March 2026