British and Irish Lions Tour boosted hotel performance across Australian markets

A number of Australian hotel markets saw significant jumps in performance during the British and Irish Lions Tour, including Brisbane posting record highs in average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR), according to data from CoStar, a global leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets.

Six Australian cities hosted matches over the course of June, July and August. The highest occupancy for a single night was recorded in Canberra (95.9%) on Wednesday, 9 July. Year over year, the market’s ADR (AUD247.17) and RevPAR (AUD237.00) for that night were up 10.3% and 12.8%, respectively.

In Brisbane, ADR and RevPAR peaked on the night of the Wallabies match (Saturday, 19 July) at AUD504.91 and AUD447.30, respectively. Those were the market’s highest levels on record for each metric with year-over-year growth of 109.3% (ADR) and 125.7% (RevPAR).

“Major events drive additional demand and create peaks in room rates,” said Matthew Burke, regional director at STR. “Such events are even more valuable through the Australian winter, typically the lowest occupancy months of the year.”

Adelaide and Sydney saw their highest matchday occupancy levels at 94.8% (Saturday, 12 July) and 92.9% (Saturday, 2 August), respectively. Melbourne followed closely with occupancy peaking at 91.4% on the night (Saturday, 26 July) of the second test between the Wallabies and Lions.

Perth hosted a ‘Western Force vs. Lions’ match on Saturday, 28 June, which drove occupancy to 79.1%.

“Beyond the host cities, British and Irish fans also contributed to regional destinations through July with high-single to double-digit RevPAR gains in North Queensland, Sydney surrounds, Great Ocean Road and Gold and Sunshine Coasts,” Burke said.

The last time Lions toured Australia was in June and July 2013, with occupancy peaking in Canberra (99.4%) on the night of the match between the Lions and ACT Brumbies (Tuesday, 18 June). The highest ADR and RevPAR levels were posted in Brisbane at AUD355.73 and AUD348.41, respectively, for the Lions’ match with Australia on Saturday, 22 June. That night, Brisbane saw occupancy at 97.9%.

Starting in November 2025, Australia is set to host yet another large English contingent for the Ashes 2025-2026 cricket tour. The event will be held across five cities, with Adelaide’s occupancy on the books (as of 4 August) already showing as high as 80.1% on the second night of the Third Test (Thursday, 18 December).For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.costargroup.com.