Noosa’s visitor economy continues to demonstrate strong value, with new figures confirming that overnight visitors are responsible for the vast majority of tourism spending across the shire.
Tourism Research Australia has released its latest domestic and international visitor statistics for the September quarter, published just before Christmas.
The data shows Noosa welcomed 519,000 visitors during the three-month period, including domestic and international overnight guests as well as day-trippers.
Those visitors generated 1.049 million visitor nights and an estimated $345 million in total expenditure, reinforcing tourism’s ongoing importance to the local economy.
While overall visitor numbers are evenly split between overnight guests and day-trippers, the economic contribution is not.
Overnight visitors account for around 50 per cent of all visitors but contribute almost 90 per cent of total tourism spend. By comparison, day-trippers also make up roughly half of visitors but deliver just 11 per cent of total expenditure.
The figures highlight the significance of attracting and retaining overnight guests, with Noosa’s tourism marketing strategy continuing to prioritise higher-yield visitors who stay longer and spend more locally.
Domestic overnight visitor data further underscores Noosa’s strong position within Queensland. Average spend per trip and average daily spend by domestic overnight visitors in the Noosa Shire both exceed the Queensland average, pointing to the comparatively high value of visitors choosing Noosa as their destination.
International tourism results for the year ending September 2025 were also robust. International visitor expenditure reached $167 million, making it the second-highest annual total on record, narrowly behind the peak recorded in the year ending June 2025.
The average international length of stay matched a record eight nights, underlining Noosa’s appeal as a longer-stay destination for overseas travellers.
Tourism Noosa CEO Sharon Raguse said the results were particularly encouraging for the region.
“These results are wonderful news for Noosa, particularly the continued growth in international visitor expenditure, with visitors staying longer and spending more during their time in the region,” Ms Raguse said.
“This high-value visitation has a strong ripple effect across Noosa, benefiting a wide range of local businesses, supporting existing jobs and helping create new ones.”
Ms Raguse said Tourism Noosa remained focused on attracting travellers who align with Noosa’s positioning as a premium and sustainable destination.
“We concentrate on attracting high-value travellers who stay longer, spend more and align with Noosa’s values as a premium, sustainable destination,” she said.
“We target specific interstate and international consumers who generally share our love of Noosa and have a greater interest in supporting our community, environment and long-term destination health.”
The United Kingdom remains Noosa’s largest international market by visitor numbers, while New Zealand emerged as the highest-spending market, with expenditure up 45 per cent year-on-year. These outcomes align closely with Noosa’s international marketing focus on both markets.
Overall, the latest data points to a resilient and high-value tourism sector, with overnight and international visitors continuing to play a critical role in supporting Noosa’s local economy.
