Darwin Tourism Statistics

Darwin is the capital of Australia's Northern Territory. This lively tropical city offers rich multicultural influences and breathtaking natural landscapes. Visitors flock to Darwin to access iconic destinations like Kakadu National Park, and explore its beautiful coastal reserves, vibrant markets, and unique blend of history and wildlife.

Over 800,000 tourists visit Darwin annually.

• Darwin welcomed around 861,000 visitors in 2024, marking a 6.2% increase from the previous year.
• Darwin had 909,000 visitors before the pandemic in 2019, marking its pre-pandemic peak year.
• Due to the COVID-19 impact, 2020 saw 438,000 visitors, a 51.8% decrease from 2019.
• 2021 saw a partial recovery with 666,000 visitors, a 52.1% increase from 2020.
• Tourism rebounded in 2022, reaching 972,000 visitors, an increase of 45.9% from 2021.
• The number dropped to 811,000 in 2023, reflecting a 16.6% decline compared to 2022.

How many tourists visited Darwin in 2024?

• Darwin welcomed 861,000 visitors in 2024, suggesting a 6.2% increase over 2023.
• The figure marked 5.3% lower than the 2019 pre-pandemic peak.

How many tourists visited Darwin in 2023?

• 811,000 people visited Darwin in 2023, marking a 16.6% decline compared to 2022.
• The figure remained 10.8% lower than the 2019 pre-pandemic peak.

How many tourists visited Darwin in 2022?

• 972,000 visitors were recorded in 2022, marking a 45.9% increase from the previous year and a 6.9% increase from the pre-pandemic year 2019.

The UK and USA were the main source countries of tourists for Darwin between 2022-2024, with approximately 11,000 and 10,000 visitors (3-year average) respectively, followed by New Zealand, Germany and France.

1. UK: Approximately 11,000 visitors.
2. USA: Approximately 10,000 visitors.
3. New Zealand: Approximately 8,000 visitors.
4. Germany: Approximately 8,000 visitors.
5. France: Approximately 3,000 visitors.

The main reason for people visiting Darwin between 2022-2024 was to have a holiday. Tourists also visited to meet relatives and friends, as well as for business purposes. Some tourists visited for employment, education, and a few other reasons.

• Holiday: 47.9%
• Visiting Friends and Relatives: 18.5%
• Business: 24.7%
• Other: 8.8%

• Most international, inter-state and intra-territory visitors preferred to stay in hotels and similar accommodation between 2022-2024, with 48%, 63%, and 33% of total visitors staying there respectively.

• Most of the visitors visited Darwin for eating out and dining (70%) between 2022-2024.
• A lot of visitors also visited Darwin for pubs, clubs, and dancing (34%), visiting national parks (30%) and markets (30%).

• Before the pandemic, over 35,000 passengers arrived Darwin every year via cruise ships, with over 60 ships every year.
• Due to the pandemic, the number of passengers dropped to 1000 and 4000 in 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively.
• By 2022-23, numbers increased significantly to 44,000 passengers and 91 ships.
• Ship arrivals totaled 105 in 2023-24, while passenger numbers remained stable at 44,000.
• Ship arrivals reached a record 111 in 2024-25, while passenger numbers increased to 61,000.

• The majority of international visitors were either travelling alone (44%) or as adult couples (44%).
• 62% of international visitors were over 40 years old, while 38% were below 40.
• Approximately one in ten visitors (11%) participated in Aboriginal cultural experiences while visiting the Greater Darwin region.
• Average hotel occupancy rate was 59% at the year ending June, 2025.