Sports-loving visitors from the United Kingdom have played a major role in driving record tourism spending across New South Wales, as tens of thousands travelled to Sydney and regional centres for a blockbuster calendar of world-class sporting events throughout 2025.
New figures released by Tourism Research Australia reveal that NSW welcomed 350,800 visitors from the UK in the year ending September 2025 an increase of 6.2 per cent year-on-year. These visitors injected a record $869.4 million into the NSW visitor economy, up 10 per cent on the previous year and the highest level ever recorded.
The surge was underpinned by a packed events calendar delivered by the Minns Labor Government, positioning NSW as a premier global destination for major sporting events while delivering flow-on benefits to hotels, pubs, restaurants and local businesses across the state.
Overall visitor expenditure in NSW reached a new milestone of $59.4 billion in the year to September, up 7.3 per cent year-on-year.
August 2025 proved particularly strong, with Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing UK arrivals exceeding pre-pandemic levels. 14,240 UK visitors arrived in NSW during the month, surpassing the 13,070 arrivals recorded in August 2019.
One of the standout events was the British & Irish Lions rugby tour, which drew an estimated 40,000 international fans between June and August. The sold-out final at Accor Stadium attracted 83,000 spectators, while Sydney hotel occupancy peaked at 92.9 per cent on the night of the match.
UK runners also featured strongly in the TCS Sydney Marathon 2025, with British applicants among the largest international cohorts in the ballot for the event, which saw 35,000 participants take to the streets on 31 August.
Momentum is continuing into summer and beyond. Tickets for the Ashes New Year Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground sold out months in advance, with thousands of the UK’s famed “Barmy Army” arriving for the final Test, which began on 4 January.
Looking ahead to 2026, NSW is preparing for another bumper year. SailGP Sydney will return to the harbour from 28 February to 1 March, with Great Britain aiming to defend back-to-back Impact League titles. Later in the year, football giants Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will headline the Sydney Super Cup 2026, alongside a marquee women’s match featuring Chelsea Women. The event is expected to inject more than $25 million into the NSW visitor economy.
Further ahead, England’s participation in the Rugby League World Cup 2026 is forecast to attract more than 32,000 fans to NSW, generating over $19 million in visitor spending. NSW will then take centre stage during the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, hosting more matches than any other state, including both semi-finals and the final, a tournament expected to inject more than $610 million into the NSW economy.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper, said the results demonstrated the power of major events to drive economic growth.
“The Minns Labor Government’s world-class sporting events calendar in 2025 drove record visitor spending and boosted tourism numbers across the board, including tens of thousands of sport-mad Brits,” Mr Kamper said.
“If 2025 was a stacked year for sporting events in Sydney and NSW, 2026 looks set to be just as big, and our state is ready to reap the rewards.
“Our refreshed NSW Visitor Economy Strategy puts world-class events at the heart of our tourism offering in the next decade, attracting visitors and delivering economic benefits across the state.”
With sports tourism now estimated to account for 10 per cent of global tourism spending, NSW’s winning formula of iconic venues, global events and strong international appeal looks set to keep the visitor economy breaking records well into the future.
Follow Us
