Minns Labor Government looks to new opportunities to grow NSW tourism

The Minns Labor Government is focused on growing NSW’s visitor economy, attracting more visitors and ensuring the state remains a leading destination as travel preferences and expectations evolve.

With domestic travel habits changing, new research is identifying the emerging trends and opportunities that will shape tourism in NSW over the next decade, from ‘quietcations’ and ‘roomrotting’ to analogue escapes and luxury on a budget.

The report, Future Demand – Unlocking NSW Visitor Economy Growth, examines the social, cultural, economic, lifestyle and technological forces influencing how Australians will choose where, when, and why they travel.

The findings highlight growing demand for experiences that offer respite from the pressures of modern life, including reconnecting with nature, improving wellbeing, switching off from digital distractions, pursuing niche interests and simply slowing down.

The report will be unveiled today at the NSW Visitor Economy Forum 2026 at ICC Sydney, bringing together more than 500 visitor economy decision-makers, researchers and industry leaders to discuss the trends and opportunities shaping the future of tourism in NSW.

Based on research conducted by FiftyFive5, part of Accenture Song, Future Demand identifies key seven macrotrends including:

• Reassured travel: the rise of the “known quantity”, experiences that are verified, guaranteed and familiar.
• Actual intelligence: a return to reading, writing, making, talking, being around people and exploring nature without digital distractions.
• Mirror travel: travel shaped by the places that reflect personal obsessions, niche interests and pursuits.
• Poles apart: travel splitting in two opposite directions -at one end, the ultra-luxe, ultra-curated and the private traveller; at the other, the travel hacker who makes it work and finds a way inside the budget.
• Travel prescription: travellers swapping passive trips for active, nature-driven experiences that genuinely transform their health.
• Time travel: searching for comfort in nostalgia and revisiting childhood travel destinations.
• Heat is on: visitors restructuring their itineraries based on climate change.

The latest Tourism Research Australia (TRA) data shows NSW was number one in the country, welcoming 130.6 million domestic and international visitors, up 5.1 per cent year-on-year, who spent a record $62.9 billion in NSW, up 12.8 per cent, and stayed 225.7 million nights.

The results highlight the strength of NSW’s visitor economy and the importance of the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing work to attract visitors, support tourism businesses and deliver on the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said:

“One year on from the launch of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035, our focus is firmly on turning ambition into action.

“NSW visitor expenditure reached a record $62.9 billion in the year ending June 2026, but we cannot take future growth for granted. How people travel, what they value and what they expect from a destination are changing.

“This research gives government and industry a clearer picture of those changes so we can identify the opportunities now and ensure NSW continues to deliver the experiences visitors will be looking for in the decade ahead.”

Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones said:

“Understanding what will motivate tomorrow’s traveller is critical to growing the NSW visitor economy.

“These insights give destinations and tourism businesses a valuable window into changing consumer expectations and where new opportunities could emerge.

“For NSW, the opportunity is to use those insights to continue evolving our visitor experiences and give people compelling reasons to choose NSW, stay longer and explore more of the state.”

FiftyFive5 Director – Cultural Intelligence Alana Hartley said:

“The modern traveller wants to switch off completely and make every moment count. Both are true, and both are driven by the same thing: a world that has felt unstable for too long.

“The destinations that thrive will be the ones that can offer both rest and celebration, and NSW is one of the few that can.”

Nine Future Demand buzzwords

• 34 per cent of travellers are seeking “gentle adventuring” -experiences that offer excitement without risk
• 38 per cent are drawn to “roomrotting” – a deliberately anti-productive and anti-discovery escape where visitors simply rest
• 31 per cent desire “analogue travel” – opportunities to disconnect from screens and head offline
• 30 per cent are celebrating “mini-stones” – escapes that mark small accomplishments in life
• 25 per cent are seeking “microvacations” -spontaneous 24-hour trips
• 41 per cent are planning to be “bougie on a budget” – sourcing affordable deals on luxe experiences
• 41 per cent are interested in “quietcations” – uncrowded, peaceful experiences
• 24 per cent are inspired by “celestial sojourns” – stargazing, dark sky and astronomy experiences
• 25 per cent are considering “coolcations” – escapes to cooler environments.