Woman stand up paddleboarding on the Wooli Wooli River, Wooli.

New South Wales in Australia has surpassed $50 billion in expenditure for the first time in history and is leading the way for the country post-pandemic.

The state which is in the southeast of the country and has Sydney as its capital has seen travelers contribute a total of $51.4 billion to the New South Wales economy in the year ending December 2023.

People from the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom were amongst the tourists, remaining as the state’s top international source markets.

Around 3.2 million international visitors explored Sydney, staying 73.1 million nights and spending $10 billion between them.

Domestic visitors surged by 9.3% too, with many said to be exploring the area due to its abundance in nature-based activities and camping vacations.

Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox shared more: “The NSW visitor economy is leading the country’s recovery from the pandemic and attracting the majority of international visitors to Australia as well as setting new benchmarks domestically.

“The diversity of natural and cultural experiences in NSW is unrivalled and puts our state in a unique position to attract visitors from around the world.

“These results are a testament to the world-class visitor experiences on offer in NSW from Ballina to Broken Hill and Narooma to Newcastle. Congratulations and well done to the thousands of people working hard each and every day to grow our visitor economy, support local jobs and inject billions into our state.

“It is gratifying to see Western Sydney’s visitor economy go from strength to strength. It is already Australia’s third largest economy and is on the runway to becoming an even bigger powerhouse for the state’s visitor economy. 

“When Western Sydney International Airport opens in 2026 it will have capacity for 10 million passengers per year from day one, further boosting visitation to Greater Sydney and regional NSW.”

When will Western Sydney International Airport open?

The Western Sydney International Airport is currently under construction within the suburb of Badgerys Creek and is expected to be complete and open by December 2026.

Qantas and Jetstar will be amongst the first airlines to fly from the base.

Featured Image: Via Destination NSW Press Release

By Sophie

Sophie is a digital journalist and content writer for a range of B2B and B2C clients. Her work as been published by The Femedic, Readwrite, Hull Daily Mail, and more. She started out her career winning a Print Futures Award for her commitment to journalism.