| 1 |
🏙️ Sydney – Harbour, Opera House, Bridge, Bondi |
NSW |
≈ 16.0 m |
+14 % |
Still national #1; Vivid 2025 > 2 m attendees; China seat capacity at SYD airport at record high. |
| 2 |
🌆 Melbourne – CBD, laneways, sports precincts |
VIC |
≈ 14.5 m |
+16 % |
Fastest-growing capital-city precinct; quarterly survey only 3 % below pre-COVID peak. |
| 3 |
🏞️ Blue Mountains NP – Three Sisters, Scenic World |
NSW |
≈ 6.4 m |
+16 % |
Almost all Sydney day-trippers; Scenic World monthly visits in 2025 tracking at or above 2022 levels. |
| 4 |
🏖️ Great Ocean Road – 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge |
VIC |
≈ 6.0 m |
+43 % |
Biggest mover inside old Top-10; domestic road-trip boom + Chinese coach circuits after borders reopened. |
| 5 |
🏄 Gold Coast – Surfers, theme parks |
QLD |
≈ 5.3 m |
+6 % |
Domestic tourism at record; Asian short-break seat capacity back to 97 % of 2019 level. |
| 6 |
🌉 Brisbane – South Bank, river strip |
QLD |
≈ 5.1 m |
+11 % |
New cruise terminal, strong convention calendar, and interstate drive traffic. |
| 7 |
🐧 Phillip Island – penguins, GP circuit |
VIC |
≈ 2.9 m |
–17 % |
Lost overseas coach groups during COVID; overnight stays still 20 % below 2015 but remains VIC’s #2 regional draw. |
| 8 |
🍷 Hunter Valley wine region |
NSW |
≈ 2.0 m |
–26 % |
Day-trips steady at 2 m, but overnight stays flat; competition from Orange/Mudgee and fewer large conventions post-COVID. |
| 9 |
🐠 Great Barrier Reef (Cairns + Whitsundays) |
QLD |
≈ 2.0 m |
–5 % |
Two bleaching events + cruise suspensions cut dive/snorkel numbers; marketing pivot to “reef & islands” only stabilized the fall. |
| 10 |
🏔️ Tasmania (whole state) – Cradle Mt, Freycinet, MONA |
TAS |
≈ 1.4 m |
+27 % |
MONA effect, Wilderness Railway re-opening, and extra Spirit-of-Tasmania sailings; 2025 airport arrivals already 11 % above Sep-2024. |
