Economic value of tourism

Victoria's Visitor Economy

Total tourism expenditure in Victoria was $31.5 billion in the year ending December 2022, an increase of 113% compared to the year ending December 2021. Overall total tourism spend was back to 97% of the pre-pandemic level (year ending December 2019).

Total visitors to and within Victoria increased at a slower pace than spend, up 44% from the year ending December 2021 to 83.1 million. Total visitors were back to 83% of the pre-pandemic result (year ending December 2019).

The infographic below shows results taken from the International and National Visitor Surveys for the year ending December 2022, published by Tourism Research Australia in April 2023.

Figure 1. Victoria's Visitor Economy – year ending December 2022

Infographic explaining the chain of figures previously described on this page under the heading Victoria's Visitor Economy. The graphic uses a man symbol representing total visitors of 83.1 million linked to a bed symbol representing total visitor nights of 110.0 million linking a stack of coins symbol for total tourism spend of $31.5 billion. The graphic also illustrates the sub-components of tourism spend of $3.3 billion in international overnight spend, $7.9 billion in domestic daytrip spend and $20.3 billion in domestic overnight spend. Together this equals to total spend as described in the above text representing a decline of $979 million dollars, 97% of the year ending December 2019 (pre-COVID-19) level.

Domestic spend and visitors

Total domestic spend has fully recovered above the pre-pandemic year ending December 2019 (+19%) to reach $28.2 billion, noting very strong growth of 96% year-on-year.

Domestic overnight expenditure has fully recovered above pre-COVID-19 levels (+19% above the year ending December 2019) to $20.3 billion in the year ending December 2022 and noted a substantial increase compared to the same time in 2021 (+103%).

Daytrip spend to/within Victoria has fully recovered and surpassed the year ending December 2019 result to reach $7.9 billion (+19%).

Total domestic visitors to and within Victoria increased at a slower pace than spend, up 42% from the year ending December 2021 to 82.0 million. Total visitors were back to 84% of the pre-pandemic result (year ending December 2019).

International spend and visitors

International overnight expenditure in Victoria was $3.3 billion in the year ending December 2022, a return to 37% of the pre-COVID-19 year ending December 2019. However, spend was $2.9 billion higher than the same time last year.

International overnight visitors to Victoria have increased substantially in the year ending December 2022 to 1.0 million (up from 61,600), recovering to 33% of the pre-COVID level.

Economic Value

Tourism is an important economic driver for Victoria. In 2020-21 tourism in Victoria was estimated to be worth $10.7 billion to the economy in Gross State Product and generated approximately 120,000 jobs.1

Further detail about Victoria's visitor economy is available on the Tourism Industry Resources website.

1. Source: 2020-21 State Tourism Satellite Account, Tourism Research Australia, released May 2022.