Tourism Australia has big plans for 2025. Chief among them? Focusing on visitor growth following a multi-year period of post-pandemic rebuilding.
“We've moved from a recovery mindset to a growth mindset,” said Phillipa Harrison, managing director of Tourism Australia. “The visitor economy in Australia is worth about $177 billion, and there are about 300,000 businesses around Australia that rely on it. So, it's really important for us to look at how we continue to grow that, but in a way that is sustainable and gives back to the country while providing an incredible experience for the people who come and visit us.”
To this end, Australia has been working to make significant improvements to the visitor experience to better showcase its scenery, food and wine, wildlife and other offerings with enhanced infrastructure, including new hotels and more air connectivity.
Visitation and Air Updates
As of December 2024, Tourism Australia reported a 7.59% annual increase in visitation over December 2023, and a 10% increase in the vacation travel segment specifically.
“It’s a very competitive environment at the moment, with big destinations like New Zealand, Japan and Europe competing for travel dollars and visitation,” said Chris Allison, vice president of the Americas for Tourism Australia. “So, we’re really pleased to see that continued growth.”
One area the country has struggled with post-pandemic is limited air connectivity, which has resulted in higher airfare compared to other destinations and a perceived cost barrier for travelers — but fortunately, that should soon be resolved.
“By the end of this year, we’ll be back to full aviation connectivity, where we were prior to COVID-19,” Allison said. “And the important thing for North American travel advisors is that we’ve seen a real change in the makeup of the airlines flying to Australia. Prior to the pandemic, the lion’s share would have been operated by Quantas and Virgin Australia, but [since then], we’ve seen a real growth in connectivity from North American airlines including United, Delta and American.”
By the end of this year, we’ll be back to full aviation connectivity, where we were prior to COVID-19.
Recent additions have included new seasonal flights from Delta Air Lines (nonstop service between Los Angeles and Brisbane from mid-December through the end of March) and American Airlines (nonstop flights between Dallas and Brisbane from November to the end of March). Fiji Airways also added nonstop flights from Dallas to Nadi, Fiji, last December, with connections to Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and, soon, Cairns (starting this April). And next year, Qantas is expected to debut the first direct, ultra-long-haul New York-to-Sydney flights.
Opportunities for Travel Advisors
As always, travel advisors remain a key part of Australia’s strategy for attracting more visitors from the U.S., one of the country’s most important and coveted markets.
Tourism Australia knows that travelers are attracted to the country’s nature and wildlife.
Credit: 2025 Tourism AustraliaTo remain top of mind with advisors, Tourism Australia is working to get agents out to the destination as much as possible, including running a “robust” program of fam trips over the next few months with key consortia partners such as Virtuoso and Signature Travel Network (it also works extensively with Travel Leaders Network). The organization is also operating a fam trip for its Premier Aussie Specialists, the upper tier of its travel advisor specialist program.
Allison notes that Tourism Australia has about 3,000 qualified Aussie Specialists in the U.S., including some 50 Premier Specialists, and the team is committed to supporting top advisors with a proven track record of selling Australia travel.
“We really invest in those advisors with extra tools and resources; we also profile them on Australia.com for lead generation from consumers,” Allison said. “So, it’s great that we can offer deeper education by taking them to Australia.”
Another 80 North American advisors will head to Brisbane/Meanjin for this year’s Australian Tourism Exchange from April 27 to May 1, its biggest delegation ever from the region. Agents can also mark their calendars for Australia Marketplace North America — during which Australian tourism industry representatives visit the U.S. to meet with agencies and tour operators — the event is set to take place stateside this September, with more details yet to be announced.
Reasons to Visit
Thanks to a survey Tourism Australia has conducted every six months for the last 15 years, the organization understands the key motivators that drive travelers’ vacation decisions. Top drivers identified by the study include wanting a safe and secure environment, good value for their money, nature and wildlife, culture and heritage, and good food and wine.
The Tourism Australia team is working to raise awareness of the destination’s top-notch culinary opportunities.
Credit: 2025 Tourism Australia“We have found that when people can see a strong combination of those things in one destination, they’re going to choose that place for their vacation,” Harrison said. “We’re really strong in areas like nature and wildlife, but we’re less known for things like our food and wine, which is why we need to educate people on the aspects that we’re not so famous for. All that combined will make us a much more compelling destination.”
In addition to working on getting the messaging out about the country’s top-notch culinary products and makers, the team is counting on upcoming events to drive visitation, citing the ongoing trend of travel for concerts, sports and other live opportunities.
“We’ve got an incredible runway of events leading up the Olympics, which are happening in 2032 in Southeast Queensland,” Harrison said.
That list includes the annual TCS Sydney Marathon, which has gained prominence among runners thanks to a scenic course that crosses Sydney Harbour Bridge and finishes at the iconic Opera House; the Australian Open tennis tournament, which Harrison says is drawing an increasing number of Americans; and the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, an event that’s signed to run each year in Melbourne from 2025 to 2035.
“Our No. 1 job is to figure out how to get people thinking about Australia,” Harrison said. “We need to tell the breadth and depth of the Australian story, get them thinking about where they might go and encourage them to stay longer and go further. That’s where our partnerships and our travel agents come in — and that’s our plan in a nutshell.”
