Page last updated: 28 April 2025
Canberra is Australia’s capital city, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Known for its national institutions and designed landscape, Canberra’s tourism sector has evolved over the past decades from primarily government-focused to an increasingly leisure destination.
How many tourists visit Canberra each year?
Over 5.5 million tourists visit Canberra annually, and in 2024, the number of visitors is expected to reach 5.5 million.
- Over 6.13 million tourists visited Canberra in 2019, marking a pre-pandemic peak.
- Visitor numbers dropped to approximately 3.42 million in 2020 (a decrease of about 44% year-on-year), due to the pandemic.
- Tourism continued to struggle with only 3.10 million arrivals in 2021, a 9% decrease from the previous year.
- Arrivals increased to approximately 5.57 million in 2022, an 80% increase from 2021.
- Canberra recorded 5.80 million visitors in 2023, a 4% increase from 2022, indicating a continued recovery trend.
- Canberra is projected to record approximately 5.5 million visitors in 2024, a decrease from 2023.
How many tourists visited Canberra in 2024?
Canberra is expected to receive 5.5 million visitors in 2024, an approximate 5% decrease from 2023. In the 12 months to September 2024, there were about 5.2 million visits.
- Visitor numbers have returned to near pre-pandemic levels, though were still below the 2019 peak of 6.13 million.
How many tourists visited Canberra in 2023?
Canberra welcomed 5.80 million visitors in 2023, a 4% increase from 2022. This marked the fourth-highest 12-month visitation on record.
- Visitor numbers reached 95% of the pre-COVID visitor count compared to 2019. Domestic travel drove the recovery, but international visitors also began returning.
How many tourists visited Canberra in 2022?
Canberra recorded 5.57 million visitors in 2022, an 80% increase from 2021. This jump was fueled almost entirely by domestic Australian travelers.
- The 2022 figures represented a near doubling from the pandemic-era low of 2021, though they remained about 9% below the pre-pandemic record set in 2019.
How many tourists visit Canberra each day?
- The average daily visitors in Canberra peaked at 16,800 in 2019, dropped to 9,370 in 2020 due to the pandemic, and increased to 15,900 in 2023.
- Projected daily visitors for 2024 are expected to be around 15,000 per day.
How much do tourists spend in Canberra each year?
Over $3.8 billion is generated annually from Canberra’s tourism industry, and in 2024, revenue is expected to be around $3.7 billion.
- Tourism revenue reached $2.82 billion before the pandemic in 2019.
- A 54% decline followed, bringing revenue down to $1.29 billion in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
- Revenue continued to struggle at $1.22 billion in 2021, remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
- Revenue more than doubled YoY to $3.03 billion in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 7%.
- Further growth (25%) was noted the following year, reaching $3.80 billion in 2023, 35% higher than 2019 levels.
- Revenue is projected to remain stable at approximately $3.7 billion in 2024, based on trends through September 2024.
How much did tourists spend in Canberra in 2024?
Projected tourist spending is expected to reach $3.7 billion in 2024, based on the year to September 2024 total of $3.66-3.70 billion, essentially on par with 2023’s record.
- International spending in 2024 reached approximately $625 million (year ending September 2024), the highest since 2019 and 33% higher than the previous year, while domestic travel spend held steady.
How much did tourists spend in Canberra in 2023?
Total spending reached $3.8 billion in 2023, rising 25% from $3.03 billion in 2022 and nearly triple the pandemic low of $1.29 billion in 2020.
- This shattered the previous spending record, exceeding 2019’s total by $980 million. The surge was driven by longer stays and strong domestic demand.
How much did tourists spend in Canberra in 2022?
Tourist expenditure was $3.03 billion in 2022, a more than double surge from $1.22 billion in 2021 and $1.29 billion in 2020.
- The strong 2022 spending was driven by domestic tourists, with locals compensating for the reduced number of international travelers as travel restrictions eased.
How much does it cost to visit Canberra?
Tourists spent an average of $655 per visitor in 2023, an increase from the pre-pandemic average of $460 per visitor in 2019.
- Tourists in Canberra spend approximately $655-$700 per trip, with domestic overnight visitors spending $213 per night, international visitors spending $96 per night, and day-trippers spending $150 per trip on average.
Which countries visited Canberra the most?
China accounts for the largest share of international visitors, making up 20% of international visitors in 2019.
Other key source markets include the United States (15%), the United Kingdom (10%), India (10%), and New Zealand (8%) in 2019.
Why do people visit Canberra?
People visit Canberra for various purposes, primarily for visiting friends/relatives (45%) and holidays (27%).
- Business Purposes: Business travelers make up 20% of visitors, attending government meetings, conferences, and professional engagements.
- Education/Other: Education and other purposes account for 8% of visitors.
- Main Activities: The top activities include visiting national institutions (85% of visitors), dining out (65%), attending festivals and events (40%), nature walks/outdoor activities (35%), and visiting museums and galleries (60%).
How popular is Canberra as a tourist destination?
Canberra has gained the rank #3 among the world’s top 10 cities to visit in Lonely Planet’s prestigious Best in Travel 2018 rankings, the highest ranking ever achieved by an Australian city.
- The ACT tourism industry received a record seven awards at the 2023 Australian Tourism Awards, including three Gold awards.
- Canberra has transformed its image from just a “boring capital” to being known for its “cool” factor, vibrant short-break destination, and quality experiences.
- Events like Floriade, Enlighten, and the National Multicultural Festival have become internationally recognized attractions.
What are the peak tourist months in Canberra?
September, October, and December are the peak tourist months in Canberra tourism.
- September is the busiest month, accounting for 11% of total visitors, followed by October with 11%.
- December sees about 11% of annual visitors, January accounts for 9% of annual visitors, and April accounts for 9% of annual visitors.
Canberra Travel Resources
How long do visitors stay in Canberra?
The average length of stay for visitors is about 2.5-3 nights.
- In 2023, the average length of stay was approximately 2.7 nights per domestic overnight visitor, similar to 2.8 nights in 2022.
- The typical stay has consistently hovered around 2.5-3 nights for domestic overnight visitors over the period from 2017 to 2023.
- This relatively short average stay reflects Canberra’s appeal as a weekend getaway destination for many Australians.
- For international visitors, stays are much longer, usually 20+ nights on average, with many visiting for education or family purposes.
Outbound Tourism Statistics for Canberra
- Canberrans are avid travelers with outbound international trips estimated at 250,000+ in 2019 (pre-pandemic).
- Outbound travel dropped by more than 95% in 2020-21 due to border closures and travel restrictions.
- By late 2023, ACT resident outbound travel had rebounded to approximately 80-90% of pre-pandemic levels.
- Canberra Airport lost international flights during the pandemic but has gradually regained connections, with services to Singapore, Fiji, and other destinations resuming.
- In 2023, international visitor arrivals to the ACT (which includes returning residents) were at 86% of 2019 levels, the highest recovery rate of any Australian state.
Economic Impact – Canberra Tourism Statistics 2024
- Tourism’s direct contribution to ACT’s economy is approximately 5-6% of Gross State Product.
- The tourism sector supported around 16,800 jobs in the territory pre-pandemic.
- Visitor expenditure recovered to 135% of 2019 levels by the end of 2023, highlighting the sector’s strong rebound.
- The ACT Government’s goal is to build a visitor economy worth $5 billion by 2030.
Impact of COVID-19 on Canberra Tourism (2020-2021)
- Total visitors dropped from 6.13 million in 2019 to approximately 3.42 million in 2020, a decline of 44%.
- Visitor numbers fell further to about 3.10 million in 2021, remaining at roughly half of pre-pandemic levels.
- International arrivals virtually ceased, down 85% in 2020, with only 39,000 overseas visitors (mostly before March 2020).
- Visitor expenditure fell from $2.82 billion in 2019 to $1.29 billion in 2020, a 54% decline, representing over $1.5 billion in lost revenue.
- Major events, including Floriade, were cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, further impacting tourism.
International vs Domestic Visitors Spending in Canberra
- A total of $2.82 billion in tourism spending was recorded in 2019, with approximately $0.57 billion (about 20%) coming from international visitors and $2.25 billion (about 80%) from domestic travelers.
- An overall $1.29 billion was spent in 2020, including about $0.02 billion (about 2%) from international visitors and $1.27 billion (about 98%) from domestic tourists.
- Around $1.22 billion was spent in 2021, with approximately $0.02 billion (about 2%) from abroad and $1.20 billion (about 98%) from within Australia.
- A total of $3.03 billion was spent in 2022, comprising about $0.33 billion (around 11%) international and $2.70 billion (around 89%) domestic.
- About $3.80 billion in tourism revenue was generated in 2023, with $0.47 billion (about 12%) coming from international visitors and $3.33 billion (about 88%) from domestic travelers.
- Approximately $3.70 billion in tourism spending was recorded in 2024, with $0.63 billion (about 17%) coming from overseas visitors and $3.07 billion (about 83%) from within Australia.
Unique Festivals and Events in Canberra
- Floriade: Australia’s largest flower festival attracts over 400,000 visitors each year (433,271 in 2023), generating approximately $35-40 million in economic impact annually.
- National Multicultural Festival: Broke records in 2023 with 380,563 total attendances over three days (273,965 unique attendees), with an economic impact estimated at $20.8 million.
- Enlighten Festival: Attracts about 115,000 attendees over its run, with light installations projected onto national buildings at night.
- Summernats: Car festival drawing 130,000 attendees over four days in 2024, a record attendance.
- Canberra Balloon Spectacular: Launches approximately 25 hot air balloons at dawn each day for a week in March, attracting tens of thousands of spectators.
Unique Markets and Bazaars to Visit in Canberra
- Old Bus Depot Markets: Houses over 200 vendors weekly, attracting approximately 5,000 visitors each Sunday, with tourists accounting for about 35% of all customers.
- Capital Region Farmers Market: Features 100+ producers every Saturday, drawing approximately 5,000 visitors weekly and generating an estimated annual revenue of $15 million, with over 300,000 annual visitors.
- Handmade Market: Showcases 270 independent designers quarterly, bringing in 20,000+ shoppers over a weekend, with an average transaction value of $85 per customer and an estimated $1.7 million in sales per event.
- Christmas markets and Enlighten Night Noodle Markets: The Night Noodle Markets feature 25 food stalls over 10 nights during the Enlighten Festival, attracting approximately 30,000 visitors with an average spend of $45 per person.
What to visit in Canberra?
- Australian War Memorial: The most visited attraction with close to 900,000 visitors annually.
- National Institutions: Parliament House, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, and Questacon (which had a record 514,000 visitors in 2018-19).
- Floriade: The month-long spring flower festival in Commonwealth Park draws over 400,000 attendees annually.
- Other: Lake Burley Griffin, Mount Ainslie Lookout.
Australia Travel Statistics Resources
Australia Outbound Travel Statistics Resources
- Travel Between Australia and Indonesia
- Travel Between Australia and Japan
- Travel Between Australia and New Zealand
- Travel Between Australia and UK
- Travel Between Australia and USA
Other Statistics Resources
- Car Rental Statistics in Australia
- EV Sales Statistics in Australia
- Fuel Cost Statistics in Australia