Regional Australia accounts for almost half of the nation’s tourism expenditure, supporting jobs, local businesses and long-term economic resilience.
In regional NSW, agritourism continues to grow as both a visitor drawcard and a valuable diversification opportunity for agricultural enterprises.
Beyond the economic benefits, local tourism builds community pride, preserves heritage and encourages people to see their own backyard through fresh eyes. Adventure, it turns out, does not always require travelling far from home.
01 December 2025
Insight from: Robbie Sefton
How often do we hear someone say the first time they visited a local landmark, or went to a nearby town, was when they were showing a visitor around. It’s too often the case that we don’t really appreciate what we have locally – we may even pass something regularly, or drive through a place, but we never stop and take the time to see it through the eyes of a visitor. We’ll pack a bag and travel halfway around the world or halfway across the country, but how many of us really know and appreciate our local region and what it has to offer?
And, when you look at the statistics, rural and regional NSW has a lot to offer. Tourism Research Australia reports that nearly half of the nation’s tourism expenditure (46% or $107 billion) occurs in regional Australia, and regional tourism directly employs over half a million people. And, for rural and regional NSW, agri-tourism is a recognised growth industry. In a 2019 CSIRO report, it was predicted agri-related tourism, including accommodation, transport and retail sectors, would reach about $18.6 billion by 2030 [1].
Last year, Destination NSW reported that in 2024, regional NSW attracted 32.7 per cent of domestic overnight visitors participating in agritourism experiences in regional Australia, the highest share of any regional area in the country. And, 700,000 international visitors participated in agritourism experiences during their stay, contributing about $2.5 billion to the economy.
Tourism has become increasingly important to our regions, in terms of new jobs and fuelling economic growth. But it is also a source of business diversification, particularly in the case of primarily agricultural enterprises looking for different income streams when times are tough. Research also tells us that beyond the economic benefits, it builds community pride, and can preserve heritage and stimulate infrastructure development. Tourism can also drive growth in other community sectors through increasing visitor numbers to regional towns and cities.
Beyond the statistics though is the simple joy of getting to know your own area better, and seeing it through the eyes of a tourist. Whether it be a local waterfall, national park, lookout or man-made landmark, know that many people have come great distances to see what you may have taken for granted. They’ve snapped photos and shared the “amazing” experience with their family and friends. And, you have this amazing thing or place in your own backyard.
Recently I took some time to stop in a village I’d passed through on many occasions but was always on my way to somewhere else and hadn’t taken the time to stop. But this day I did and found some great businesses where I spent some money and vowed to visit again. There’s so many places within a few hours of where many of us live that we have yet to discover, and if you choose to spend some money while you’re there, you do it knowing you’re supporting your local area and its people.
So, this year, when you’ve got a little time to spare, make a list of some local attractions or destinations you haven’t been before and start ticking them off. Adventure is often marketed as the appeal of far-flung destinations, but in fact adventure can be much closer than we think.
