Brisbane Ranked Australia’s Most-Visited Destination in 2024: Report

An image of The Star's Queen Wharf casino and leisure complex from the Neville Bonner Bridge connecting the CBD to South Bank in Brisbane, Australia on Sept. 14, 2024. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times

Brisbane is the most-visited domestic destination in Australia due to its popularity as a stepping stone to other holiday hotspots.

Bus company, Greyhound Australia, released its Top 10 Destinations of 2024 report saying 100,000 passengers were set to disembark in the Queensland capital by the end of the year.

The report, released on Dec. 3, found Brisbane retained its position at the top, with Sydney and Melbourne securing second and third place.

The report also highlights that these passengers contribute up to $20.8 million annually to the local economy.

A full Greyhound busload spends about $6,000 per night on average. With ten Greyhound services arriving at the Brisbane Coach Terminal each day, the city’s appeal remains strong.

“We are stoked to announce that Brisbane has maintained the top spot as the most-visited destination for Greyhound Australia passengers again in 2024,” said Michael Leard, Greyhound Australia’s marketing and communications manager.

“Brisbane continues to be the heart of our network, linking the north and south of the east coast, as well as out west to Mount Isa and beyond,” Leard added.

An image of The Star's Queen Wharf casino and leisure complex and the Neville Bonner Bridge on the left, which connects the CBD to South Bank in Brisbane, Australia on Sept. 14, 2024. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times

Backpackers make up 40 percent of the passenger load, many of whom travel to Brisbane using a Greyhound travel pass, to link to holiday destinations like Airlie Beach, Noosa, Cairns, Surfers Paradise, Toowoomba, and Rainbow Beach.

The state’s tourism industry is expected to grow, particularly with the 2032 Olympics on the horizon.

Domestic Travel: Patterns and Trends

Meanwhile, a report by insurance giant Budget Direct earlier this year showed Sydney and Melbourne as the two most popular cities for domestic travellers.

Brisbane came in third, with almost 60 percent of respondents saying they had holidayed there at least once. Darwin, however, ranked the lowest, with only 16 percent of survey participants having visited the city.

The report also highlighted that over three-quarters, respondents felt domestic travel had become more expensive since the pandemic.

More than 40 percent of respondents travelled domestically in the last six months.

Spending Patterns by Age Group

The survey revealed differences in spending habits.

Women were more likely to spend less than $500 on domestic holidays, while men tended to spend more.

For a domestic holiday, respondents most commonly paid between $500 and $1,000 for the entire trip.

This was closely followed by 28 percent of respondents saying they had a budget of $1,000 to $2,000 for their last domestic holiday.

Interestingly, respondents aged over 65 were the most likely to spend more than $4,000 on a holiday, three times as much as younger travellers.

For longer trips, respondents over 65 were also the most likely to travel for extended periods, correlating with their higher spending.