Indigenous tourism is a measurable and expanding part of travel, but its statistics differ by country and definition. Global forecasts point to a US$67 billion market contribution by 2034, while Australia recorded 2.986 million trips involving First Nations activities in 2023–24. In Canada, the sector generated C$3.7 billion in revenue and supported 54,693 full-year jobs in 2023.
Contents
- Global and Canadian benchmarks
- Australia’s First Nations trip volume
- Domestic and international participation in Australia
- Most recorded activities
- Australian state and territory patterns
- Canada’s economic impact
Global and Canadian benchmarks
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) projected that the global Indigenous tourism market would contribute US$67 billion to the global economy by 2034. The same forecast estimated compound annual growth of 4.1% over the decade from 2024 to 2034. These are forecasts, not observed historical totals. WTTC, “Indigenous Tourism to Inject $67BN USD into Global Economy”
Canada’s Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) has set a different kind of benchmark: its 2030 vision targets C$6 billion in annual Canadian Indigenous tourism GDP. That figure is a target rather than a measured result. The Conference Board of Canada, “Indigenous Tourism Sector Impact in Canada—January 2025”
The distinction between forecast, target, and measured performance matters when planning travel or comparing destinations. WTTC’s figure describes an expected future global contribution; ITAC’s figure describes a desired Canadian annual outcome; country-level surveys and economic-impact studies describe activity during a specified period.
Australia’s First Nations trip volume
Australia’s official First Nations tourism statistics count a domestic day trip, domestic overnight trip, or international trip involving one or more First Nations activities. A domestic overnight trip requires at least one night more than 40 kilometres from the traveller’s usual residence. The report’s activity counts are rounded to the nearest 1,000, while the 2023–24 trip totals are shown more precisely in the underlying table. Tourism Research Australia, “First Nations tourism statistics”
Recorded trips developed unevenly across the available financial years:
| Financial year | Trips involving First Nations activities |
|---|---|
| 2013–14 | 1,458,000 |
| 2014–15 | 1,355,000 |
| 2015–16 | 2,041,000 |
| 2016–17 | 2,044,000 |
| 2017–18 | 2,164,000 |
| 2018–19 | 2,361,000 |
| 2019–20 | 1,134,000 domestic trips |
| 2020–21 | 1,167,000 domestic trips |
| 2021–22 | 1,275,000 domestic trips |
| 2023–24 | 2,986,000 total trips |
The 2013–14 through 2018–19 figures are total recorded trips, while the 2019–20 through 2021–22 figures listed here are domestic trips. International visitor data are unavailable from 2019–20 through 2022–23 because Australia’s International Visitor Survey was suspended during COVID-19. This makes the pandemic-era series unsuitable for a simple uninterrupted total-trip comparison.
By 2023–24, Australia recorded 2,986,000 total trips incorporating First Nations activities. The figure is higher than the 2,361,000 recorded in 2018–19, but the source presents the surrounding measures with different pandemic-era coverage, so comparisons should retain those definitions and periods.
Domestic and international participation in Australia
Domestic travellers accounted for 63% of Australia’s 2023–24 trips involving First Nations activities, while international visitors accounted for 37%. Within the same year, domestic day trips totalled 663,600, domestic overnight trips totalled 1,223,300, and international trips totalled 1,099,500. Tourism Research Australia, “First Nations tourism statistics”
The domestic and international measures also showed different recovery comparisons. Domestic day trips in 2023–24 were 17% higher than the year-ending-December-2019 pre-pandemic peak. Domestic overnight trips were 25% higher than that peak. International trips were 14% higher than the 2018–19 pre-pandemic level.
First Nations activities appeared in 15% of all Australian international trips in 2023–24, up from 11% in 2018–19. Separately, Tourism Australia research found that 82% of out-of-region international travellers were interested in Indigenous experiences when travelling internationally in a May 2024 survey. That 82% is a respondent percentage, not a count of visitors or a share of completed trips.
For travel planning, these statistics show why “interest” and “participation” should not be treated as interchangeable. The survey percentage describes stated interest among respondents, whereas the trip figures describe recorded travel containing at least one qualifying activity.
Most recorded activities
Activity patterns differed between domestic and international trips in Australia during 2023–24. Among domestic trips involving a First Nations experience, visiting an Aboriginal site or community appeared in 882,000 trips, or 47%. Experiencing Aboriginal art, craft, or cultural displays appeared in 761,000 trips, or 40%.
Other recorded domestic activities were traditional activities in 455,000 trips, or 24%; tours with an Aboriginal guide in 255,000, or 14%; Aboriginal performances in 204,000, or 11%; Aboriginal food experiences in 145,000, or 8%; and camping on Aboriginal land in 72,000, or 4%. Activity percentages can overlap because one trip may include more than one activity. Tourism Research Australia, “First Nations tourism statistics”
International trips showed a different order of recorded activities. Aboriginal art, craft, or cultural displays appeared in 813,000 international trips, or 74% of international First Nations trips. Visiting an Aboriginal site or community appeared in 195,000 trips, or 18%, while Aboriginal performances appeared in 160,000, or 15%.
Traditional activities appeared in 101,000 international trips, or 9%; tours with an Aboriginal guide in 83,000, or 8%; Aboriginal food experiences in 66,000, or 6%; and camping on Aboriginal land in 29,000, or 3%. These are activity appearances within trips, not mutually exclusive visitor groups.
| Activity | Domestic trips | International trips |
|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal art, craft, or cultural displays | 761,000 (40%) | 813,000 (74%) |
| Visiting an Aboriginal site or community | 882,000 (47%) | 195,000 (18%) |
| Aboriginal performances | 204,000 (11%) | 160,000 (15%) |
| Traditional activities | 455,000 (24%) | 101,000 (9%) |
| Tours with an Aboriginal guide | 255,000 (14%) | 83,000 (8%) |
| Aboriginal food experiences | 145,000 (8%) | 66,000 (6%) |
| Camping on Aboriginal land | 72,000 (4%) | 29,000 (3%) |
The comparison suggests that cultural displays were especially prominent in international First Nations trips, while visiting a site or community was the most frequently recorded domestic activity. The figures describe recorded activity incidence, not a ranking of cultural value or visitor satisfaction.
Australian state and territory patterns
Across 2021–22 to 2023–24, New South Wales averaged 240,000 domestic overnight trips with a First Nations activity per year, representing 22% of Australia’s national total. Queensland averaged 220,000 per year and represented 20%, while the Northern Territory averaged 200,000 and represented 19%.
Victoria averaged 170,000 per year, or 15% of the national total. Western Australia averaged 150,000, or 14%; South Australia averaged 60,000, or 5%; Tasmania averaged 30,000, or 3%; and the Australian Capital Territory averaged 30,000, or 3%. Tourism Research Australia, “First Nations tourism statistics”
| State or territory | Average annual domestic overnight trips | Share of national total |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 240,000 | 22% |
| Queensland | 220,000 | 20% |
| Northern Territory | 200,000 | 19% |
| Victoria | 170,000 | 15% |
| Western Australia | 150,000 | 14% |
| South Australia | 60,000 | 5% |
| Tasmania | 30,000 | 3% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 30,000 | 3% |
The Northern Territory had the highest reported share when measured against all domestic overnight trips to the destination: First Nations activity trips accounted for 15.0% during 2021–22 to 2023–24. Western Australia’s corresponding share was 1.4%. These percentages use a different denominator from the national-share figures above, so they should not be read as a direct ranking of total trip volume.
Canada’s economic impact
Canada’s Indigenous tourism sector included 2,757 entrepreneurs and organizations in 2023, up from 1,889 in 2021. In 2023, the sector generated C$3.7 billion in revenue, contributed C$3.7 billion to GDP, supported 54,693 full-year jobs, and contributed nearly C$1.3 billion in government tax revenue. The Conference Board of Canada, “Indigenous Tourism Sector Impact in Canada—January 2025”
Transportation accounted for 40% of Canadian Indigenous tourism sector revenue in 2023. Attractions accounted for 19%, and accommodations accounted for 14%. The sector’s GDP impact consisted of C$1.6 billion direct impact, C$1.3 billion indirect impact, and C$803.2 million induced impact.
Employment followed the same three-part impact structure. Direct Indigenous tourism activities accounted for more than 34,700 Canadian full-year jobs in 2023. A further 12,708 indirect jobs and 7,275 induced jobs were supported.
Tax contributions were reported by government level: C$548.8 million in federal taxes, C$649.4 million in provincial taxes, and C$70.8 million in municipal taxes during 2023. Destination BC separately reported C$1.1 billion in annual economic impact for Indigenous tourism in British Columbia in 2023. Destination BC, “Characteristics of the Indigenous Tourism Industry”
Together, these Canadian figures show the sector through several lenses: business participation, revenue, GDP, employment, tax contribution, and provincial economic impact. They should be kept tied to their stated geography and year, especially when comparing the national 2023 measures with British Columbia’s reported annual impact.