• Batemans Bay, Jervis Bay, Robe, Victor Harbor, Rye, Lakes Entrance, Burleigh Heads, Noosa Heads, Busselton and Swansea among tourist hotspots that saw biggest summer spending boost
• Accommodation, restaurants, cafes, bars and service stations see spending skyrocket over holidays
• Average spending across key tourism sectors in holiday hotspots up by more than 130%

Aussie holidaymakers have helped boost the fortunes of local businesses across the country’s booming tourism hotspots which have soaked up a surge in peak summer spending.

Accommodation, restaurants, bars, cafes and service stations saw the biggest spending increases as Australians took the opportunity to hit the road, head away for a holiday, camp out and dine out.

New NAB merchant terminal data reveals an average 130% jump in spending across key tourism sectors in some of Australia’s busiest holiday hotspots over the last fortnight compared to normal:

• Accommodation including hotels, motels and caravan parks saw a huge jump in spending with the highest increases in Robe (+714%), Lakes Entrance (+478%), Batemans Bay (+242%), Byron Bay (+228%), Burleigh Heads (+226%), Busselton (203%), Lorne (+178%), Jervis Bay (+174%), Noosa Heads (+131%), and Swansea (130%).
• Restaurants and bars experienced a spike in spending with highlights in Jervis Bay (+300%), Rye (+271%), Merimbula (+217%), Victor Harbor (+141%) and Margaret River (+104%).
• Australians embraced a summer road trip with spending jumping at service stations in Busselton (+572%), Victor Harbor (+536%), St Helens (127%), Rye (+94%), Jervis Bay (+88%) and Kingscote (+57%).
• Other notable spending increases include candy stores in Jervis Bay (+239%) and Batemans Bay (+230%), alcohol stores in Byron Bay (+193%) and Broadbeach (+157%), golf courses in Merimbula (+87%), and bakeries in Broadbeach (+23%).

NAB Business Direct and Small Business Executive Krissie Jones said the summer tourism spending injection was providing a welcome boost for local businesses across the country.

“This summer, as Australians enjoy their well-deserved break, they’re also continuing to play a crucial role in supporting local businesses and smaller economies that are more reliant on tourism,” Ms Jones said.

“While most of us are relaxing on our summer holidays, business owners are making the most of a surge in tourism numbers, which translates into higher spending and, in turn, supports the local economy.

“We know many businesses in holiday hotspots count on the peak summer period to drive much of their annual turnover, and the boost in trade helps them hire more local casual staff.

“This summer has seen a huge increase in spending on accommodation, hotels, motels and caravan parks, cafes, bars and restaurants and service stations as Australians hit the road.

“The population of holiday hotspots swells over summer and booked out accommodation, busy eateries, long lines for takeaway coffee or petrol and even difficulty finding a park on the main street are all welcome signs for businesses in these places.

“The data also points to the continued popularity of holidaying at home as Australians make thoughtful spending decisions to manage the higher cost of living and avoid a recent dip in overseas exchange rates,” Ms Jones said.

Nerida Baker, who operates Beach Grill and Salt Bar at Ballina Byron Gateway Airport, said the Christmas and New Year period is usually their busiest period of the year.

“We saw so much activity from Schoolies this year and then it just seemed to stay busy through to Christmas. This year it felt like everyone was relaxed leading into the end of the year, and it was busy with people sitting down, grabbing a bite to eat and a drink, and excited for the festive season and travel.” Ms Baker said.

“We always plan ahead for this busy period; we streamline procedures and hire more staff, especially casuals and juniors who might be on school or uni holidays, and my husband Jake and I dive back in to help the team.

“We’re the only food and beverage outlet in the airport and we believe a huge percentage of our business comes from tourism, we see such a diverse crowd travelling through arriving for their holiday, whether they’re off to Byron, Ballina, or to Lennox Head, Iluka or Yamba.

“You might get people heading away for a short break, traveling for music festivals, in transit for the ‘holiday of a lifetime’ or people celebrating milestones and, in an airport, they can be ordering food and drink in the early hours or late at night.

“You get departing travellers who are carrying bags from the local shops, they’ve really embraced the culture we have up here, and you can tell they’ve enjoyed the experience,” Ms Baker said.

Additional information:

• * Estimates taken from NAB merchant terminal data from Saturday 21 December 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025 compared to a normal period of trade (May 2024) excluding Christmas Day.
• Across Australia, 17 indicative tourist hot spot locations surveyed include Jervis Bay 2540, Merimbula 2548, Batemans Bay 2536, Byron Bay 2481, Lorne 3232, Lakes Entrance 3909, Rye 3941, Noosa Heads 4567, Broadbeach 4218, Burleigh Heads 4220, Victor Harbor 5211, Robe 5276, Kingscote 5223, Busselton 6280, Margaret River 6285, Swansea 7190, St Helens 7216.
• Pre-settlement data has been used to indicate trends and % movements. Final, exact figures are subject to change.