As Lismore moves into the planning and construction phase of its 2022 flood rebuild, Lismore City Council has released new data from Tourism Australia, which shows Lismore’s visitor economy is recovering from the 2022 floods and has exceeded pre-flood levels.

There were 629,000 visitors in 2021/22, which had grown to 761,000 by the end of 2024.

In terms of the contribution to the local economy, those visitors helped generate $181 million in 2024, an increase of $64 million in a little under four years.

Of the 761,000 visitors, 262,000 were overnight visitors, and the domestic overnight spend is up from $58M (2021/22) to $83 Million by the end of 2024.

Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told the Lismore App, "It's great to see the Lismore economy recovering and with council actively pursuing events and experiences in the Lismore LGA.

"We hope that these numbers are only going to grow to put Lismore back on the map as a major destination for people in NSW, South East Queensland and the rest of Australia to visit."

You could expect the 2025 visitor numbers to be higher than the newly released 2024 numbers because of the strength of events this year, such as the Legends of Cricket, A-League trial soccer game, Lismore Lantern Parade, Masters Games, and a successful Lismore Cup.

Still to come is the return of Eat the Street to the Lismore CBD in November, further bolstering visitor numbers.

Lismore City Council is excited to announce the return of Eat the Street, the city’s signature food, arts and culture festival, on Saturday, 15 November 2025