Western Australia has officially welcomed more than one million international visitors in a single year for the first time in the state’s history, marking a milestone achievement for the local tourism sector.
New data from Tourism Research Australia reveals WA received 1.024 million overseas visitor arrivals in the 12 months to October 2025, smashing the pre-COVID-19 benchmark of 996,000 arrivals and delivering full recovery from the pandemic two years ahead of national forecasts.
The record-breaking numbers position WA as Australia’s strongest performer in the international tourism recovery, with the state recording the nation’s largest year-on-year percentage increase in overseas visitor numbers.
Tourism currently ranks as WA’s fifth-largest employer, supporting more than 120,000 jobs across the state in 2023-24 and sustaining over 30,000 tourism and hospitality businesses.
The international market recovery follows the interstate market’s full recovery in March 2023, providing a comprehensive tourism sector rebound across all visitor segments.
Global campaigns drive visitor surge
Tourism Minister Reece Whitby attributed the milestone to strategic marketing investments, including the award-winning Walking On A Dream global tourism brand, celebrity-led campaigns like Drive the Dream featuring Daniel Ricciardo, and targeted conversion campaigns with international trade partners.
“More than a million international visitors in a year is an incredible achievement, and to not only deliver international visitor recovery ahead of the nation, but exceed it by 28,000 visitors, is a phenomenal result for Western Australia,” Whitby said.
“Thanks to our global brand cutting through the competitive world stage, and a strong conversion and trade focus helping deliver more bookings, we’ve achieved what no other State has managed, and put our tourism industry back in the strong position it was in before the COVID-19 pandemic, and ready to hit the new heights set out in our 10-year plan for tourism.”
Major events, including WWE: Crown Jewel and the Bledisloe Cup, have also drawn international attention to the state, whilst growing interest in Aboriginal tourism experiences has contributed to increased visitor participation.
Aviation expansion fuels growth
WA’s expanded aviation network has played a crucial role in the tourism boom, with the state now connected to 20 global cities and serviced by 24 international airlines. International seat capacity into WA hit 131% of January 2019 levels, whilst interstate seat capacity topped 110%.
The cruise industry has emerged as another strong performer, reaching 160% of pre-COVID-19 levels and bringing thousands of visitors to Perth and regional ports.
