Visitors to Albury Wodonga are spending more, staying longer and engaging more deeply with the region online, according to the 2024 Albury Wodonga Visitor Economy Trends (AWVET) report.
Tourism contributed more than $1 billion in economic impact to the Albury Wodonga region in 2024. Encouragingly, the average spend by domestic day visitors increased by 66 per cent to $265, and overnight visitors stayed an average of 2.3 nights - both key indicators of a deepening connection between visitors and the region.
Digital engagement has also surged, with a 55 per cent increase in visits to visitalburywodonga.com, along with a notable rise in enquiries and interactions across social and digital media platforms.
In addition to leisure tourism, Visit Albury Wodonga secured 19 successful business event and conference bids, generating an estimated $2.8 million in economic benefit.
“We’re incredibly proud of the role our region continues to play in attracting and welcoming visitors,” said Albury Mayor Kevin Mack.
“These results reflect the resilience of our tourism industry and the strong community spirit that makes Albury Wodonga such a compelling place to visit and invest in.”
The Albury Wodonga Destination Management Plan (DMP) 2024–2028 outlines a clear strategy to further grow the visitor economy. The plan focuses on attracting more visitors, increasing visitor expenditure, encouraging longer stays, improving visitor experiences and raising the destination’s profile both nationally and internationally.
“These findings are invaluable in recognising our region not only as one of the most visited areas across NSW and Victoria, but also as an important destination in Australia’s broader tourism market,” said Wodonga Mayor Michael Gobel. “We will continue to invest in and support events and infrastructure that ensures our region remains one of the top destinations to visit and enjoy.”
Tourism is integral to Albury Wodonga’s liveability and ongoing economic development. Its influence extends well beyond accommodation and hospitality, benefiting a wide range of local industries and supporting employment throughout the region.
While the annual economic impact to the region decreased by 18 per cent, the 2024 data reflects broader industry trends, including an increase in outbound international travel and domestic economic pressures such as rising living costs. Albury Wodonga’s performance remained consistent with other destinations across the Murray region, despite overall visitation and spending declining slightly.
In 2024, the region welcomed 825,000 domestic day visitors. Of these, 41 per cent came for holiday or leisure purposes, 19 per cent visited friends and relatives, 8 per cent travelled for business, and the remaining 31 per cent visited for other reasons including medical and educational purposes.
Day visitors collectively spent more than $218 million, with the average daily spend rising from $160 in 2023 to $265.
Albury Wodonga also hosted 724,000 domestic overnight visitors during 2024 - a 16 per cent decrease from the previous year. These visitors stayed an average of 2.3 nights. Of these, 40 per cent were visiting friends and relatives, 27 per cent came for holiday or leisure, 25 per cent travelled for business, and 9 per cent visited for other reasons. Collectively, overnight visitors spent more than $336 million, with an average daily spend of $221 per visitor.
The Albury Wodonga Visitor Economy Trends Report is prepared annually in partnership with the City of Wodonga. It provides valuable insights into visitor behaviour and benchmarks Albury Wodonga against other regional destinations in New South Wales and Victoria. The report is a key tool in informing strategic marketing, business planning, funding applications and measuring progress against objectives identified in Towards Albury 2050 and the Albury Wodonga Destination Management Plan 2024-2028.