We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples and the Traditional Custodians of Ngunnawal Country, the land on which we meet today. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and also recognise any other people or families with connection to the ACT and Region.
Andrew Barr MLA, ACT Chief Minister, on the ACT Budget being released this week and matters relating to his role as Tourism Minister
The Chief Minister outlined a confident, growth-focused vision for Canberra’s visitor economy, centred on a clear ambition: to grow visitor expenditure by $1 billion over the next five years.
Recognising tourism as the ACT’s second largest export sector and a major employer, he reinforced the Government’s commitment to continued investment in the experiences, infrastructure and partnerships that drive visitation and support industry growth.
“One of our great success stories over the last decade has been leveraging our Major Events Fund to drive both new events and to grow our existing event base.”
A major announcement was the extension and enhancement of the Major Events Fund, building on more than a decade of investment that has helped attract and grow major events across the territory. A dedicated allocation will also support business events, giving the Canberra Convention Bureau greater capacity to secure conferences and business tourism opportunities for the city.
“The Budget will see a $71 million investment focused not only on those major events, but on year-round marketing and investment in the institutions the ACT Government owns that are tourism drivers.”
The Chief Minister announced a $71 million investment across tourism, events and territory venues to support year-round destination marketing, major events and government-owned attractions. He also highlighted future tourism infrastructure, including the new Lyric Theatre, the convention and entertainment centre precinct, Canberra–Sydney rail improvements and expanded aviation connectivity.
On the Canberra–Sydney rail corridor, he pointed to targeted works already underway across key sections of the line, noting that these upgrades, together with new trains, would support a faster and more reliable service within this decade.
Looking ahead, he encouraged industry to respond to changing visitor behaviour, highlighting opportunities in the drive market, EV travellers and the growing over-55s segment seeking cultural and regional experiences. He also urged operators to participate in next year’s Australian Tourism Exchange in Sydney and connect with VisitCanberra to explore accessible ways to engage with international markets.
Georgia Hendy, Executive Director, Canberra Theatre on the new theatre construction and the current and future performances planned for 2026/2027
Georgia outlined the important role Canberra Theatre Centre plays in shaping the city’s visitor economy, positioning live performance as a powerful driver of memorable, experience-led travel.
“When people travel, they don't just travel to visit a place, they want to feel it.”
In 2024–25, Canberra Theatre Centre welcomed more than 272,000 visitors across 570 performances and 181 events, with audience satisfaction consistently sitting between 93 and 95 per cent. Georgia highlighted that these figures represent more than arts attendance; they reflect movement through the city, evening economy activity and broader engagement with Canberra as a cultural destination.
With around 30,600 out-of-town visitors attending performances each year, and an average visitor spend of $603 per trip, theatre audiences currently contribute an estimated $18.5 million in visitor expenditure. Georgia noted that this spend extends well beyond the theatre, supporting restaurants, bars, accommodation, transport and retail.
She highlighted the strength and diversity of the theatre’s programming, from comedy, musical theatre and children’s shows to dance, drama, major touring productions and Australian stories. This mix is designed to serve local audiences while giving regional and interstate visitors compelling reasons to choose Canberra.
Looking ahead, Georgia pointed to the new Lyric Theatre as a transformational opportunity for both the arts and tourism sectors. With a 2,000-seat capacity and state-of-the-art infrastructure, the venue will enable Canberra to attract major productions previously unable to be staged in the city.
“The Lyric Theatre provides us with a unique and significant opportunity, not just for the arts, but for the entire tourism ecosystem.”
Georgia encouraged tourism, hospitality and business event operators to work with Canberra Theatre Centre on partnerships, dining packages, cross-promotion, city activations and tailored corporate experiences — turning a night at the theatre into a reason to visit, stay longer and return.
Justin Garrett, Director Strategy, Insight and Industry Development, VisitCanberra with an update on current consumer trends impacting the visitor economy
Justin provided a clear, data-led view of the current visitor economy landscape, acknowledging the pressures facing consumers and operators while reinforcing that the Canberra region has strong opportunities to pursue by focusing effort where it matters most.
He recognised that cost-of-living pressures, fuel prices and broader global uncertainty are weighing on consumer confidence, with some households making more cautious travel decisions. Industry is also feeling the impact through rising operating costs, softer demand in some areas and pressure on margins. However, the data shows Australians continue to value travel, and many are still finding ways to prioritise it when there is a compelling reason to go.
For industry, the opportunity lies in focusing on the segments where demand remains strongest. At an operator level, this means understanding which audiences are still travelling, what motivates them, and how to make the decision to visit feel easy, worthwhile and good value.
“This is one of the reasons why events are really important. Because if you've got a reason to travel or something to go and do when you travel or a show to go and see, you will make it happen.”
For the Canberra region, visitors from Sydney and regional New South Wales remain central to the visitor economy, with most visitors arriving by car. This reinforces the importance of the drive market, including emerging opportunities with EV travellers, and the need to position Canberra as accessible, appealing and rewarding for short-break visitors.
Justin also highlighted the 55-plus market as a key opportunity, noting this cohort is generally showing stronger consumer confidence and aligns well with the region's strengths in culture, events, food, wine and regional experiences.
He pointed to shifts in travel behaviour, with some visitors taking shorter trips or choosing day trips over overnight stays. Given day trips deliver significantly lower visitor spend, the opportunity for industry is to create stronger reasons for visitors to stay longer, spend more and experience more of the region.
The call to action was clear: focus on the right segments, sharpen the value proposition, and work together to convert demand into overnight stays, deeper engagement and greater visitor spend across the Canberra region.
Dr David Marshall, Chair of the Leaders Forum highlighted:
The National Wine Festival will be held at the Hyatt Hotel this Friday and Saturday, with details available on the event website.
Doma Hotels’ Burbury Hotel and Apartments was recognised by Booking.com as one of the world’s best Travel Proud Escapes. Congratulations to Doma on this outstanding result.
Nominations for the Canberra Region Tourism Awards are open until 31 July.
A recent Federal Government Behavioural Economics Team report found Canberra Airport achieved the highest customer satisfaction rating in Australia, at 94 per cent
The City Renewal Authority will hold a Shared Vision Workshop for the City Hill precinct on Saturday 27 June, with more information available on their website.
The next forum will be held on Thursday 2 July
Upcoming speakers include Matt Anderson, Director of the Australian War Memorial, who will discuss the Memorial’s ongoing development. Brodie Fleming, Director of ACT Events Development, will also present Floriade 2026 and upcoming territory event opportunities for industry.
Upcoming forum dates and recaps of all previous forums are available on our website.