Regional towns such as Echuca on the Murray River face challenges in attracting international tourists.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
However,regional Australia also holds little appeal for a significant number of affluent domestic travellers,according to Austrade'sThe Beach,Bush and Beyond report.
Asians visiting friends and relatives and Asian Gen Y and Z travellers were among the least likely to venture outside capital cities,the report said.
"Day trips are the main source of international tourism for some of these regional destinations,as they find it difficult to convert international day trips to overnight stays."
Apart from the Great Barrier Reef,regional destinations that attract significant tourist numbers - the Blue Mountains in NSW,Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria - are close to capital cities.
Most regional destinations that attract significant tourist numbers such as the Hunter Valley are close to capital cities.Credit:Max Mason
India isAustralia’s fastest growing tourist market,but Austrade data suggests Indians are the most likely to avoid regional Australia,spending 92 per cent of their nights in a capital city.
Visitors from China (91 per cent),Japan (80 per cent),Korea (85 per cent) and Singapore (87 per cent) also largely shunned regional and rural areas.