Business tourist visitor nights in Australia - Data and Analysis (2007-2034)

IBISWorld anticipates that the number of business tourist visitor nights will increase by 5.6% in 2026–27, reaching 96.2 million. This increase in business tourist nights is supported by Australia's growing calendar of industry events, conferences and exhibitions, which attract domestic and international delegates. Examples include the International Mining and Resource Conference (IMARC) and Australian Manufacturing Week. Accommodation providers and related service industries are expected to benefit from these events, with business travel contributing to a significant portion of revenue. However, the sector continues to contend with elevated travel costs and tighter corporate budgets, which are limiting business travel. These issues stem from elevated costs of fuel because of the Russia-Ukraine war since 2021-22, and more recently, the Iran-Israel-US conflict in 2025-26. Booming travel demand after the pandemic also strained airlines' previously reduced capacity, adding to ticket price increases. Inflationary pressures have persistently weighed on discretionary and non-discretionary incomes, also negatively influencing business confidence over the past few years and eating into corporate appetite for business travel. Despite these challenges, business visitor nights have largely shown strong growth over the past few years, according to data from Tourism Research Australia.Business tourist visitor nights have experienced significant volatility over the past five years, driven primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent recovery phases. The sector saw a dramatic decline in 2020 and 2021 as lockdowns, border closures and the rapid shift to remote work sharply curtailed corporate travel. This saw a low base year for business tourist visitor nights in 2021-22. As restrictions eased and economic activity resumed, business travel began to recover. However, the pace has been uneven and influenced by ongoing changes in workplace practices and the adoption of virtual meeting technologies. The period has also gradually normalised business travel habits, with increasing demand for networking, training and client engagement opportunities that require in-person presence. By 2024-25, the sector had largely regained momentum, with business tourist visitor nights approaching pre-pandemic levels and business travel reaffirming its importance to Australia's broader tourism and hospitality industries. In 2025-26, the Iran-Israel-US conflict heavily impacted fuel supply and prices as the Strait of Hormuz, a major gateway for global fuel supply, was blocked. This disrupted business travel for both domestic and international visitors, as some airlines cut flights. Overall, IBISWorld forecasts the total number of business tourist visitor nights to grow at a compound annual rate of 8.0% over the five years through 2026-27.