Australia’s Domestic Tourism Statistics (DoTS) uses mobile data and surveys to provide accurate, timely insights, boosting tourism planning and policy decisions.
Australia has launched Domestic Tourism Statistics (DoTS) — a quarterly reporting tool that marks a significant leap forward in monitoring domestic tourism trends. Rather than solely relying on traditional surveys, DoTS integrates mobile phone location data and household surveys, offering a more accurate, timely, and cost-effective means to understand travel behavior across the nation.
Why DoTS Was Introduced
For decades, Tourism Research Australia has depended on the National Visitor Survey, which uses telephone interviews (approximately 120,000 annually) to estimate domestic and international travel patterns. However, response rates have sharply declined—from around 50% in 2016 to just 10–12% by late 2023—raising concerns about data reliability and cost. Simultaneously, stakeholders demanded more granular and faster insights—push factors that spurred innovation.
Cutting-Edge Methodology DoTS uses a hybrid model
Mobile positioning data obtained via telecommunications providers, with bias adjusted through demographic survey calibration.
Supplementary household surveys, census information, and financial transaction data, enriching the data fabric for overnight trips, day tours, and overall tourism movements.
Partnership between Tourism Research Australia and data firm DSpark, active since 2021, culminating in the first data rollout in June 2025.
Key Findings: Insights from March 2025 Quarter
The inaugural DoTS release for the March 2025 quarter revealed 29 million overnight domestic trips and over A$27 billion in domestic tourism expenditure across Australia. These figures highlight the strength of the domestic market, which accounts for around 70% of total tourism spending, even as Australians increasingly resume traveling abroad.
The Domestic Tourism Statistics (DoTS) tool is important for several reasons. First, it leverages mobile data to provide near real-time insights, allowing for dynamic reporting and detailed geographic analysis down to specific regions and events. This precision and speed enable more responsive decision-making. Additionally, as traditional survey response rates decline and costs rise, DoTS offers a scalable and cost-effective alternative without compromising accuracy. The quarterly reporting schedule ensures timely intelligence for government agencies, tourism organizations, and private sector stakeholders to effectively plan marketing campaigns, infrastructure projects, and seasonal promotions. Furthermore, the system’s flexible infrastructure is designed to integrate new data sources, such as financial transactions, supporting ongoing innovation and adaptability in tourism data analysis.
Broader Impacts & Industry Response
Minister Don Farrell lauded DoTS as “world-leading,” enabling better-informed decisions to promote taking vacations “at home.” The tool also aligns with the Albanese Government’s broader LIVE Framework, launched in November 2024, which monitors tourism across economic, social, environmental, and institutional indicators.
However, challenges remain: outbound travel to overseas destinations like Bali and Japan has surged, sometimes at the expense of domestic tourism. This underscores the importance of insights from DoTS to guide strategic policymaking and promotional efforts.