Tourism

SECTOR OPPORTUNITY

Ecotourism – Luxurious regional accommodation – Premium food and wine – Arts and culture – Aboriginal tourism

Highlights

South Australia’s tourism sector is underpinned by the state’s reputation as a world-class holiday destination with unique experiences such as the wilderness of Kangaroo Island, the vineyards of the Barossa Valley, and shark diving in Port Lincoln.

With high visitation numbers, the industry is booming and set to continue with the government committed to increasing the state’s visitor economy to $12.8 billion with 16,000 new tourism jobs to be created by 2030.

To meet this massive future demand, South Australia’s tourism sector is open to foreign investment, notably in ecotourism experiences and luxurious accommodation.

Growth and government support

Successful regional investment projects:

The Bend Motorsport Park - $150 million
Monarto Safari Park upgrade - $56 million
Bridgeport Hotel - $45 million
d’Arenberg Cube - $15 million

d'Arenberg Cube
Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission. Photo: Marc Mandica.

Growth in South Australia:

Best performing state in hotel occupancy in Australia 2020-21
15th highest hotel occupancy rate in the world in March 2021 (from data analysed across 180 countries by global hotel data analytics firm, STR)
Regional visitor expenditure up 29%
Record visitor expenditure of $5.8 billion
Government invested almost $200 million towards regional tourism infrastructure
5-star Sofitel and EOS hotels, and 4-star Indigo Hotel now open in Adelaide
10 new hotels planned for Adelaide creating over 5,000 new rooms
Highest attendance in 15 years at the OzAsia Festival opening week in October 2021
2022 Adelaide Fringe ticket sales up 22% on previous year

Kangaroo Island
Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission. Photo: Jonathon van der Knaap.

Government support initiatives:

Great State Voucher initiative generated 60,000 bookings resulting in $90 million economic impact
Co-investment fund - $130 million improving national parks
Tourism Industry Development Fund – supporting 80 tourism projects worth $60 million
Building Better Regions – supporting tourism projects worth $16 million

Flinders Ranges
Credit: Rawnsley Park Station. Photo: Randy Larcombe.

Investment advantages

South Australia is globally connected and provides superior business stability and continuity afforded by the state’s higher employee retention rates, payroll tax advantages and land tax opportunities. This contributes to a reputation for a robust and resilient economy.

Adelaide has developed an arts and entertainment identity drawing visitors from all over the world with year-round experiences at arts and music festivals and events, international sporting events, great restaurants, hotels, and boutique laneway bars.

Adelaide differs from other major interstate city centres with a smaller CBD and greater access to surrounding suburbs and regions. Efficient road and public transport networks mean a short trip to the city, hills, beaches or international airport, with direct and easy travel to popular regional areas.

Regional tourism is booming with South Australia’s unique and diverse natural assets and experiences, amazing fresh food, and 18 distinctive, internationally recognised wine regions set on stunning landscapes.

Leading the way with experiential travel, South Australia lends itself to unique, funky, off-grid cabins or eco-pods or luxury accommodation in the most astonishing locations – along pristine beaches, in dense forests, amongst vineyards, above hidden coves, majestic gorges, and on top of rolling hills.

Flinders Ranges
Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission. Photo: Adam Bruzzone.

Connected ecosystem

To ensure South Australia’s tourism sector thrives, the Department for Trade and Investment has a dedicated Tourism team works closely with the South Australian Tourism Commission to deliver investment opportunities and high-class experiences.

The Department for Trade and Investment works across all levels of government, with the Regional Development Authority and the government’s overseas offices to provide support to investors.

The Tourism sector team provide a bespoke client management service to investors looking to develop a tourism offering in South Australia. The team can facilitate introductions and engagement with stakeholders such as regulators, transport and infrastructure, training providers and are on hand to showcase the sector and all it offers.