More than 40 million people visited Western Australia last year. That’s the combined tally of 11 million overnight visitors and 29.1 million day-trip visitors, whose collective spend totalled $19.2 billion across the state in 2025 — a record for WA’s visitor economy.
The numbers come from Tourism Research Australia and were released by the Cook Government yesterday. They paint a picture of a tourism sector accelerating across nearly every category, with international visitation as the key driver.
Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said, “This new visitor data shows that Western Australia’s tourism sector continues to go from strength to strength, contributing $19.2 billion in 2025 to WA’s powerhouse economy.”
“Through the Cook Government’s economic diversification strategy, we’ve identified tourism as a key sector that creates jobs and supports local businesses across the State, and it’s fantastic to see these figures reaffirm the return on our investment into tourism’s success.”
International visitors at an all-time high
WA welcomed 1.1 million international visitors in 2025 — the highest figure ever recorded — who spent $3.4 billion. Eight of the state’s top ten international markets posted year-on-year growth, largely driven by new and expanded aviation routes.
The United Kingdom remains WA’s top international market by visitor numbers. In 2025, 163,000 UK visitors spent $414 million here — a 38% increase in visitor numbers and a 73% jump in spend compared to 2024.
China is now the largest market by dollar value, with visitor spend climbing 66% on the previous year to reach $503 million. The Cook Government is currently leading a tourism and trade delegation to China focused on strengthening aviation connections and growing inbound visitation.
France and Japan were also notable movers. French visitor numbers grew 80%, with spend up 68%. Japan jumped from WA’s 10th-largest international market by spend to fourth, posting an 85% increase — a result attributed in part to the established direct Qantas route between Perth and Tokyo.
Interstate and intrastate travel both strong
Interstate overnight visitors hit 1.2 million — the highest number of interstate trips to WA in a single 12-month period since 2019 — with that cohort contributing $3.3 billion in spend. WA’s interstate visitor growth of 11% was more than double the national rate of 5%.
Intrastate travel grew, too, with 8.7 million WA residents travelling within the state and spending $7.9 billion. WA was one of only two states to record growth in intrastate visitors.
Regional WA attracted $6 billion in visitor spend across the year.
Major events a big driver of demand
The government points to a combination of major events, new aviation capacity, and targeted booking campaigns as the key drivers behind 2025’s growth. Drawcard events included WWE: Crown Jewel, the Bledisloe Cup, and the Ashes West Test. Increased cruise ship arrivals — including the Scenic Eclipse and Crown Princess — also contributed.
Whitby added “The work doesn’t stop here though – we’re committed to driving these results even higher by continuing to add drawcard events to our blockbuster calendar of major events; establishing new aviation services; showcasing WA to the world through the newest chapter of our tourism brand, Walking On A Dream; and attracting new investment to increase the supply and quality of our tourism experiences, accommodation and attractions.”
WA is also the only state or territory to have surpassed pre-COVID international visitor volumes. Nationally, the average sits around 5% below 2019 levels.
Tourism now supports more than 120,000 jobs in WA and sustains over 30,000 tourism and hospitality businesses across the state.
