2025 SA tourism target exceeded in regional centres

Set last year, the state's annual visitor expenditure target for 2025 was $4 billion, but that target was almost realised in 2021, with expenditure just shy on $3.6b.

Additionally, regions including the Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and Clare Valley have topped their targets years ahead of schedule.

The EP's target of $397m annual expenditure by 2025 was realised and then some in 2021, reaching a whopping $488m for the year, while KI and Clare Valley defeated their targets by $40m.

The Barossa, Fleurieu Peninsula and the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong have also exceeded their annual expenditure targets ahead of schedule.

The 2025 strategy is the second iteration, after the 2020 plan saw the then regional tourism target of $3.55b by December 2020 met more than one year early.

Regional tourism now makes up 60 per cent of South Australia's total visitor expenditure - up from 44pc at the end of 2019.

Kangaroo Island Tourism Alliance deputy chair Pierre Gregor said the 2019/20 bushfires and the pandemic had been devastating for the island's tourism sector, but the industry had started to bounce back in 2021.

"In April 2020 we realised a 90pc reduction in visitation and 50pc in May the same year," he said.

"In 2021 we saw numbers start to bounce back, but they haven't met the visitation we saw in 2019.

"Although visitation numbers were down, what we did see was longer stays and bigger spends."

With international travel off the table and border restrictions on the eastern states making interstate travel almost impossible, it was up to South Aussies to travel to the island.

"Anecdotally we know approximately only one in four South Australians had been to the island before the pandemic," Mr Gregor said.

"We believe it has increased a bit due to border restrictions, but there's always room to improve.

"We've got a fantastic experience just a ferry trip away here which is being realised by those on mainland SA and we're hopeful that uptake will continue to grow."

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Over 2020 and 2021, regional visitation was just five points behind pre-COVID levels, and for much of 2021, performance was at a record-high with seven consecutive months of record-breaking accommodation occupancy rates according to the South Australian Tourism Commission.

Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said regional tourism was driving the recovery of visitor economy, with 60 cents of every dollar spent on tourism spent in regional South Australia.

"This is up from 44 cents in 2019 - this is a real testament to the innovation and dedication of operators and industry," she said.

"Through working together, investing in new tourism product and experiences, and finding new ways to attract domestic visitors who will stay longer and spend more - the South Australian Regional Visitor Strategy is helping drive outcomes.

"It is not only making a huge contribution to the state's economy, but it is boosting the vibrancy and social fabric of our regional communities."

Tourism figures for KI in 2022 are steady according to Mr Gregor.

"January this year was down on marginally down on last year, and certainly significantly down on 2019," he said.

"February was a nice increase on last year, but still down on 2019 and March was much the same as last year, while April was similar to last year but actually better than 2019 by a couple of percent.

"We're traveling pretty well in 2022, we're heading into our off-season though so we'll see a dip, but we're going to embark on a significant marketing campaign shortly.

"People were in the starting blocks during COVID - they wanted to go somewhere, they wanted to have a break and they were prepared to spend locally, which was great for us.

"We just need to need to put initiatives and incentives in place to continue that trend."