Aussie holidaymakers have boosted the fortunes of hospitality and liquor businesses at the country’s top tourism hotspots. Accommodation, restaurants, bars, cafes and service stations saw the biggest spending increases as Australians took the opportunity to head away for a holiday.

New NAB merchant terminal data has revealed an average 130% jump in spending across key tourism sectors in some of Australia’s busiest holiday hotspots over the last fortnight compared to normal.

The data was compiled from from December 21 to January 5 and was compared to a normal period of trade (May 2024), excluding Christmas Day.

Leading the spending surge for alcohol stores were the home of Stone & Wood Brewing Co, Byron Bay (+193%), and Broadbeach (+157%).

Restaurants and bars experienced a spike in spending with highlights in Jervis Bay (+300%), Rye (+271%), Merimbula (+217%), Victor Harbor (+141%) and Margaret River (+104%).

Other booming sectors:

• Accommodation including hotels, motels and caravan parks saw a huge jump in spending with the highest increases in Robe (+714%), Lakes Entrance (+478%), Batemans Bay (+242%), Byron Bay (+228%), Burleigh Heads (+226%), Busselton (203%), Lorne (+178%), Jervis Bay (+174%), Noosa Heads (+131%), and Swansea (130%).
• Australians embraced a summer road trip with spending jumping at service stations in Busselton (+572%), Victor Harbor (+536%), St Helens (127%), Rye (+94%), Jervis Bay (+88%) and Kingscote (+57%).
• Other notable spending increases include candy stores in Jervis Bay (+239%) and Batemans Bay (+230%), golf courses in Merimbula (+87%), and bakeries in Broadbeach (+23%).

NAB Business Direct and Small Business Executive Krissie Jones said: “This summer, as Australians enjoy their well-deserved break, they’re also continuing to play a crucial role in supporting local businesses and smaller economies that are more reliant on tourism.

“While most of us are relaxing on our summer holidays, business owners are making the most of a surge in tourism numbers, which translates into higher spending and, in turn, supports the local economy.

“We know many businesses in holiday hotspots count on the peak summer period to drive much of their annual turnover, and the boost in trade helps them hire more local casual staff.

“This summer has seen a huge increase in spending on accommodation, hotels, motels and caravan parks, cafes, bars and restaurants and service stations as Australians hit the road.

“The population of holiday hotspots swells over summer and booked out accommodation, busy eateries, long lines for takeaway coffee or petrol and even difficulty finding a park on the main street are all welcome signs for businesses in these places.

“The data also points to the continued popularity of holidaying at home as Australians make thoughtful spending decisions to manage the higher cost of living and avoid a recent dip in overseas exchange rates,” Jones said.

Nerida Baker (above), who operates Beach Grill and Salt Bar at Ballina Byron Gateway Airport, said the Christmas and New Year period is usually her busiest period of the year.

“We saw so much activity from Schoolies this year and then it just seemed to stay busy through to Christmas,” Baker said.

“This year it felt like everyone was relaxed leading into the end of the year, and it was busy with people sitting down, grabbing a bite to eat and a drink, and excited for the festive season and travel.

“We always plan ahead for this busy period; we streamline procedures and hire more staff, especially casuals and juniors who might be on school or uni holidays, and my husband Jake and I dive back in to help the team.

“We’re the only food and beverage outlet in the airport and we believe a huge percentage of our business comes from tourism, we see such a diverse crowd travelling through arriving for their holiday, whether they’re off to Byron, Ballina, or to Lennox Head, Iluka or Yamba.

“You might get people heading away for a short break, traveling for music festivals, in transit for the ‘holiday of a lifetime’ or people celebrating milestones and, in an airport, they can be ordering food and drink in the early hours or late at night.

“You get departing travellers who are carrying bags from the local shops, they’ve really embraced the culture we have up here, and you can tell they’ve enjoyed the experience.”