Japanese tourists are flocking to Brisbane in record numbers as spending by international visitors rose nearly 15 percent in a single year.
Figures released by the Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) today show international visitors spent a record $3.6 billion in the city in 2025, up 14.8 percent on 2024.
This came off the back of 8.1 million international holiday visitor nights recorded for the city.
Japanese tourism was one of the big growth areas, with 54,000 visitors (2.4 million visitor nights), up 17.3 percent during the 12 months.
UK tourism also surged, with 155,000 visitors in 2025 (up 9.6 percent) driven by major events like the British & Irish Lions rugby tour and the Ashes cricket series.
An estimated $17 billion was spent by all visitors to Brisbane in 2025 (domestic and international), according to the research conducted by Tourism Research Australia.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the results reflected the city’s rising appeal and the growth of the “experience economy”.
“Brisbane’s reputation as Australia’s lifestyle capital continues to soar as more people discover our incredible tourism experiences, major events and vibrant precincts,” Cr Schrinner said.
“Brisbane offers an unbeatable mix of culture, outdoor adventure and world-class events. These strong results put Brisbane in a great position as we navigate uncertain global conditions ahead.”
The Tourism Research Australia data for the year ending December 2025 showed that 1.3 million international visitors stayed 27.3 million nights in Brisbane.
“Brisbane accounted for more than a third (36 percent) of Queensland’s domestic visitor spending, reaching $13.4 billion, with 9.6 million overnight visitors staying 27 million nights,” BEDA said in a statement.
“Across Queensland, nearly half of all day trips (49 percent) were to Brisbane, with day trip expenditure reaching $4.5 billion.
“Internationally, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and China had the most visitors to the city, while in Australia travellers from New South Wales and Victoria topped the list.”
Brisbane Economic Development Agency CEO Anthony Ryan said the “extraordinary” results reflected the strength of Brisbane’s visitor economy and the impact of sustained investment in industry, events and global destination marketing.
“With potential headwinds in international travel, we’re focused on maintaining momentum by strengthening domestic demand while continuing to grow our international pipeline through targeted international engagement and sustained investment in key regional markets,” he said.
