Tourism ‘speccy’ in April – highest visitor spend on record

South Australia has continued to kick goals for tourism in April, with the best ever monthly visitor spend.
 
New data released this week by Tourism Research Australia shows total visitor expenditure in South Australia in April was $954 million – making it the strongest month on record.
 
The new all-time high was driven by strong interstate and domestic day trips spend, boosted by the inaugural AFL Gather Round and LIV Golf Adelaide.
 
It comes as new figures from hotel data analytics firm STR show Adelaide ranked #2 highest occupancy in April out of 14 major cities across Australia and New Zealand.
 
With average occupancy for the month of 70 per cent, it was second only to Perth.
 
New National Visitor Survey statistics for the month of April 2023 show:

• Total visitor expenditure in South Australia in April was $954 million – making it the strongest month on record and up 38 per cent on pre-COVID levels (compares to $692 million in April 2019).
• Interstate overnight spend for the month was $360 million, up 44 per cent on pre-COVID levels (compares to $249 million in April 2019).
• Intrastate overnight spend was $312 million, up 28 per cent on pre-COVID levels (compares to $243 million in April 2019).
• Domestic day trips spend was $209 million, up 56 per cent on pre-COVID levels (compares to $134 million in April 2019).

The data comes after the AFL Gather Round economic impact report was released last month, with $83 million injected into the state’s economy from the event.
 
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said South Australia has continued to kick goals for tourism.
 
"Further proof that the nation’s first AFL Gather Round and LIV Golf tournament were huge successes, we’ve reached a new record-high monthly tourism spend," Minister Bettison said.
 
"In April we saw more than $950 million spent by visitors and our city ranked one of the highest for hotel occupancy across Australia and New Zealand. 
 
"This is exactly why we invest in major events and in securing new and exciting nation-firsts – it brings people and dollars into our state and it strengthens our economy."
 
Adelaide Oval CEO, Nick Addison said April was a historic month for Adelaide Oval as it welcomed tens of thousands of footy fans from all over the country to the inaugural AFL Gather Round.

"Our functions and events team also hosted the LIV Golf welcome party which set the tone for another fantastic South Australian event, while Oval Hotel was packed with footy fans golf fans and other visitors all month long," Mr Addison said.
 
"We know that major events held at Adelaide Oval reverberate beyond the stadium, across the CBD and the state, with the economic benefits felt particularly by the hospitality and tourism industries. 
 
"It’s fantastic to see that economic impact continue to grow in line with the state’s expanding calendar of events."