Tourist Bucks Weigh in With Record Economy Boost

People climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge (background R) as tourists hold umbrellas and take photographs of the Sydney Opera House on a rainy day in Australia on Dec. 21, 2023. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

Travel and tourism is expected to contribute more to Australia’s economy in 2024 than any previous year on record.

Four years after COVID-19 brought the sector to its knees with border closures and widespread restrictions on people movement, it’s poised to surpass its 2019 peak by generating $265.5 billion (US$177 billion), according to World Travel and Tourism Council forecasts.