Tourism statisticsState2026

New South Wales Tourism Statistics: 959,887 Airbnb Stays

Q: How many tourists visit New South Wales?

Australia as a whole had 7.6 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, according to Tourism Research Australia. AirROI puts New South Wales at 31.3% of Airbnb stays in Australia in the 12 months to October 2026. AirROI estimates 959,887 Airbnb stays in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026, which counts bookings and not tourists.

Q: What is the quietest month in New South Wales?

May was the quietest Airbnb month in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and June ranked 11th. Stays in May were booked about 45 days ahead, against 82 days for December.

Q: How long is a typical Airbnb stay in New South Wales?

A typical Airbnb stay in New South Wales lasted 4.7 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 60 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.0 nights in September to 5.5 nights in July.

AirROI estimates 959,887 Airbnb stays in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026, with Sydney the most booked town. The busiest month was January. All of Australia had 7.6 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, Tourism Research Australia reports.

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

Airbnb figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026. Read the method

Estimated Airbnb nights: 4,500,039
Typical Airbnb stay: 4.7 nights
Busiest Airbnb month: January
From within Australia, among guests who left a review: 77%

Key facts

New South Wales Tourism Facts

Each sentence names its place, period and source, so it can be quoted alone.

Official

Tourism Research Australia puts all of Australia at 7.6 million international tourist arrivals in 2024.

Airbnb stays

AirROI puts Airbnb stays in New South Wales at 959,887 in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in New South Wales added up to 4,500,039 nights in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates a typical Airbnb stay in New South Wales lasted 4.7 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 60 days ahead.

Busiest months

AirROI ranks January the busiest Airbnb month in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026, followed by December and October, with May the quietest.
AirROI estimates Airbnb in New South Wales had no single high season in the 12 months to October 2026: the three busiest months were January, December and October.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in New South Wales in December were booked furthest ahead, about 82 days, against 38 days for June, in the 12 months to October 2026.

Guests

AirROI estimates 77% of New South Wales Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 were from within Australia, and the United Kingdom at 5.9% and the United States at 4.3% were the top countries abroad.

By place

AirROI estimates New South Wales took 31.3% of all Airbnb stays in Australia in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Sydney had the most Airbnb stays of the 78 towns it lists in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026, at 273,952, ahead of Byron Bay and Shoalhaven City Council.

Official numbers

How Many Tourists Visit Australia?

Tourism Research Australia counted 7.6 million international tourist arrivals for all of Australia in 2024. On AirROI's estimates, New South Wales accounted for 31.3% of Airbnb stays in Australia in the 12 months to October 2026.

Official tourism figures for Australia: what each counts, its year and its publisher
Figure	What it counts	Year	Publisher
7.6 millionInternational tourist arrivals, all of Australia	International visitor trips to Australia in the year ending December 2024	2024	Tourism Research Australia

Airbnb stays

Airbnb Stays in New South Wales

New South Wales had 39,033 Airbnb homes in the 12 months to October 2026. They took an estimated 959,887 stays and 4,500,039 nights. A typical stay lasted 4.7 nights and was booked about 60 days ahead. AirROI's figures cover the 267 towns it tracks in New South Wales; places it does not track are not counted, so every total is a floor.

Airbnb homes: 39,033
Airbnb stays, estimate: 959,887
Airbnb nights, estimate: 4,500,039
Typical stay: 4.7 nights
Booked ahead: 60 days

Busiest months

When Is the Busiest Time in New South Wales?

On Airbnb, January was the busiest month in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026, then December and October. May was the quietest. The busiest months do not sit together, so there is no single high season.

January ranks first, May last

Airbnb months in calendar order, 12 months to October 2026. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.

Three busiest months
Other months

From busiest to quietest: January, December, October, March, November, September, April, July, February, August, June, May.

Month by month: rank, typical stay and days booked ahead

Airbnb months in New South Wales by rank, with share of nights, typical stay and days booked ahead, 12 months to October 2026
Rank	Month	Share of nights	Typical stay	Booked ahead
1	January	9.5%	5.2 nights	67 days
2	December	9.5%	5.3 nights	82 days
3	October	8.9%	4.4 nights	63 days
4	March	8.6%	4.5 nights	50 days
5	November	8.6%	4.9 nights	66 days
6	September	8.3%	4.0 nights	47 days
7	April	8.1%	4.5 nights	55 days
8	July	8.1%	5.5 nights	47 days
9	February	8.0%	5.0 nights	57 days
10	August	7.9%	4.5 nights	54 days
11	June	7.2%	4.7 nights	38 days
12	May	7.2%	4.6 nights	45 days

Share is each month's part of the year's Airbnb nights. Typical stay and days booked ahead are AirROI estimates for stays in each month.

Where guests come from

Where Do New South Wales Airbnb Guests Come From?

About eight in ten New South Wales Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 were from within Australia (77%), and the top countries abroad were the United Kingdom at 5.9% and the United States at 4.3%, AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, Sydney was the top origin city at 12%, and New South Wales itself came second at 5.7%. The figures rest on 2,786,322 reviews, written over many years.

77% from within Australia

Among guests who left a review, as of October 2026

Top countries abroad

Among guests who left a review

United Kingdom 5.9%
United States 4.3%
New Zealand 2%
Germany 1.1%

Top origin cities

Among guests who left a review

Sydney 12%
New South Wales 5.7%
Melbourne 2.7%
Canberra 1.5%
London 1.2%
Brisbane 1.1%

By town

Most Booked Towns in New South Wales

Sydney, Byron Bay and Shoalhaven City Council took 34% of Airbnb stays in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026. January is the busiest Airbnb month in 44 of the 78 towns, led by Byron Bay, and December in 10, led by Cessnock. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across the 25 most booked towns runs from 6% in Wagga Wagga to 42% in Sydney.

Most Booked Towns in New South Wales: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	Sydney	273,952	1,521,772	5.5 nights	42%	UK	November
2	Byron Bay	26,758	124,794	4.7 nights	38%	UK	January
3	Shoalhaven City Council	23,542	98,095	4.2 nights	11%	UK	January
4	Newcastle-Maitland	22,969	111,813	4.9 nights	12%	UK	January
5	Cessnock	18,069	51,657	2.9 nights	16%	UK	December
6	Central Coast Council	16,369	69,664	4.3 nights	10%	UK	January
7	Gosford	15,388	63,614	4.1 nights	12%	UK	January
8	Wollongong	14,959	69,808	4.7 nights	16%	UK	October
9	Orange	12,696	48,166	3.8 nights	6.5%	UK	September
10	Vincentia	11,346	44,411	3.9 nights	26%	UK	January
11	Coffs Harbour	10,900	47,217	4.3 nights	15%	UK	October
12	Port Macquarie	10,407	49,975	4.8 nights	22%	UK	December
13	Kiama	9,977	40,925	4.1 nights	15%	UK	January
14	Nelson Bay	9,649	38,576	4.0 nights	19%	UK	January
15	Jindabyne	9,434	39,977	4.2 nights	9.5%	UK	July
16	Blackheath	9,038	29,955	3.3 nights	17%	UK	July
17	Kingscliff	8,757	41,069	4.7 nights	8.8%	New Zealand	December
18	Huskisson	8,559	28,869	3.4 nights	23%	UK	January
19	Mudgee	8,282	27,281	3.3 nights	6.3%	UK	April
20	Yamba	8,089	43,624	5.4 nights	11%	UK	January
21	Wagga Wagga	8,037	33,765	4.2 nights	6%	UK	September
22	Eurobodalla Shire Council	7,655	35,715	4.7 nights	11%	US	January
23	Forster	7,555	38,054	5.0 nights	7.2%	UK	January
24	Bowral	7,508	23,716	3.2 nights	9.7%	UK	October
25	Mid-Western Regional Council	6,489	19,068	2.9 nights	8.1%	UK	July
26	Bathurst	6,340	24,455	3.9 nights	4.9%	US	September
27	Port Stephens Council	6,194	25,577	4.1 nights	18%	UK	January
28	Dubbo	5,975	26,542	4.4 nights	4.1%	UK	October
29	Albury	5,848	27,623	4.7 nights	6%	UK	October
30	Kangaroo Valley	5,845	16,847	2.9 nights	14%	UK	December
31	Mid-Coast Council	5,530	24,846	4.5 nights	8.5%	UK	January
32	Lennox Head	5,472	30,234	5.5 nights	17%	UK	January
33	Byron Shire Council	5,463	20,257	3.7 nights	16%	UK	December
34	Shoal Bay	5,190	20,294	3.9 nights	14%	UK	January
35	Lithgow	4,928	16,571	3.4 nights	12%	UK	September
36	Terrigal	4,829	22,632	4.7 nights	11%	UK	January
37	Snowy Monaro Regional Council	4,826	18,961	3.9 nights	6.1%	UK	July
38	Merimbula	4,775	24,639	5.2 nights	11%	UK	January
39	Shellharbour City Council	4,640	17,480	3.8 nights	13%	UK	January
40	City of Lake Macquarie	4,560	18,198	4.0 nights	8.7%	UK	January
41	Berry	4,487	13,180	2.9 nights	9.2%	UK	January
42	Singleton Council	4,314	10,842	2.5 nights	11%	UK	December
43	Sawtell	4,274	17,930	4.2 nights	8.6%	UK	January
44	Suffolk Park	4,135	24,988	6.0 nights	30%	UK	October
45	Crescent Head	4,007	20,388	5.1 nights	11%	UK	January
46	Callala Beach	3,864	14,606	3.8 nights	13%	UK	January
47	Armidale	3,825	16,137	4.2 nights	8.1%	US	May
48	Gerringong	3,806	13,554	3.6 nights	12%	UK	January
49	Tamworth	3,647	17,893	4.9 nights	4.7%	UK	October
50	Tweed Shire Council	3,324	12,989	3.9 nights	11%	UK	October
51	Thredbo	3,306	13,212	4.0 nights	8.4%	UK	July
52	Bellingen	3,292	13,407	4.1 nights	13%	UK	January
53	South West Rocks	3,288	17,004	5.2 nights	8.4%	UK	January
54	Wingecarribee Shire Council	3,281	9,749	3.0 nights	8.5%	UK	July
55	Bogangar	3,101	16,842	5.4 nights	12%	UK	January
56	Manly	3,035	20,630	6.8 nights	45%	UK	October
57	Bondi Beach	2,965	20,932	7.1 nights	60%	UK	March
58	Brunswick Heads	2,931	14,503	4.9 nights	12%	UK	December
59	Ballina Shire Council	2,913	14,076	4.8 nights	14%	UK	January
60	The Entrance	2,848	12,072	4.2 nights	11%	UK	January
61	Sanctuary Point	2,829	12,407	4.4 nights	24%	UK	January
62	East Jindabyne	2,775	11,620	4.2 nights	7.3%	UK	July
63	Callala Bay	2,667	10,348	3.9 nights	20%	UK	January
64	Casuarina Beach	2,527	13,039	5.2 nights	9.6%	UK	December
65	Hyams Beach	2,523	11,426	4.5 nights	25%	UK	January
66	Sussex Inlet	2,474	9,173	3.7 nights	22%	UK	January
67	Tweed Heads	2,424	13,252	5.5 nights	20%	New Zealand	January
68	Malua Bay	2,196	10,332	4.7 nights	9.5%	UK	December
69	Anna Bay	2,098	7,319	3.5 nights	18%	UK	January
70	Narooma	2,075	9,894	4.8 nights	16%	UK	January
71	Smiths Lake	2,062	10,150	4.9 nights	13%	UK	December
72	Hawks Nest	2,003	11,276	5.6 nights	9.2%	UK	January
73	Fingal Bay	1,970	8,283	4.2 nights	15%	UK	January
74	Bawley Point	1,920	7,970	4.2 nights	10%	UK	January
75	Ulladulla	1,867	8,896	4.8 nights	11%	UK	January
76	Bermagui	1,720	8,722	5.1 nights	9%	UK	January
77	Boomerang Beach	1,626	8,539	5.3 nights	14%	UK	January
78	Tuncurry	1,317	7,186	5.5 nights	9.7%	UK	January

* Among guests who left a review. Stays, nights and other figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and cover Airbnb only. Australia is the top origin in every town, among guests who left a review, so this column names the top country abroad. Lists the 78 of New South Wales' 267 towns with 100 or more Airbnb homes. A town with no tourism page of its own links to its Airbnb market page.

FAQ

Questions About Tourism in New South Wales

How many tourists visit New South Wales?

Australia as a whole had 7.6 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, according to Tourism Research Australia. AirROI puts New South Wales at 31.3% of Airbnb stays in Australia in the 12 months to October 2026. AirROI estimates 959,887 Airbnb stays in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026, which counts bookings and not tourists.

When is high season in New South Wales?

The busiest Airbnb month in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026 was January, then December and October.

What is the quietest month in New South Wales?

May was the quietest Airbnb month in New South Wales in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and June ranked 11th. Stays in May were booked about 45 days ahead, against 82 days for December.

How long is a typical Airbnb stay in New South Wales?

A typical Airbnb stay in New South Wales lasted 4.7 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 60 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.0 nights in September to 5.5 nights in July.

Where do Airbnb guests in New South Wales come from?

Of New South Wales Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 77% were from within Australia, AirROI estimates. The top countries abroad were the United Kingdom at 5.9% and the United States at 4.3%. Among the same guests, the top origin city was Sydney at 12%, and New South Wales itself came second at 5.7%.

What is the most booked town in New South Wales on Airbnb?

Sydney was the most booked town in New South Wales on Airbnb, with an estimated 273,952 stays in the 12 months to October 2026, ahead of Byron Bay and Shoalhaven City Council.

Are Airbnb stays the same as tourists?

No. Tourism Research Australia counts international tourist arrivals (7.6 million in 2024 across Australia). An Airbnb stay is one booking on one platform, however many guests it holds. AirROI's 959,887 stays are estimates for the 12 months to October 2026.

Method

How These Numbers Are Made

Official figures come from their publishers, linked above, and were last checked in November 2026. Stays and nights are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. Nights add up each town's stays times its typical stay, across 267 towns. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 2,786,322 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. Read the method page.