New Research Reveals What Drives Business Events Destination Decisions and Australia's Appeal
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Tourism Australia's 2026 research examines AI use, sustainability, destination appeal and funding priorities among association and incentive planners.
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21st Oct, 2026
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Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
New global research from Tourism Australia’s specialist business events unit, Business Events Australia, finds that Australia ranks highly for sustainability credentials and its experiential appeal, while AI is changing how planners discover destinations.
Conducted annually, the Business Events Consumer Demand Project (CDP) research looks at perceptions of Australia as a business events destination, factors influencing decision-makers’ destination choices, and trends across the incentive and association sectors.
AI-powered Search Influences Destination Discovery
The 2026 global research shows that the path to destination selection for business events is increasingly AI-assisted. Half (51%) of association decision-makers and nearly two-thirds (66%) of corporate incentive decision-makers now use AI platforms for destination inspiration, ahead of the 35% of leisure travellers who do the same.
Tourism Australia Executive General Manager of Industry & Business Events, Sally Cope, said that, given the shift in how event planners are researching destinations, search discoverability was now a key priority.
“With more planners using AI platforms to search for destination information as part of the planning process, we need to ensure Australia is properly represented when the AI systems are giving the answer,” Ms Cope said. “That means accurate, structured, authoritative information about Australian business events experiences, venues and operators, so the machines reading it get us right.”
“Targeting our marketing to both humans and machines is how we make sure Australia is the answer, wherever the question is being asked and it’s why we identified it as one of four immediate priorities in our Tourism 2035 strategy.”
Experiential Attributes Keep Australia High on Decision-makers’ Lists
In terms of perceptions of Australia as a business events destination, Australia’s competitive advantage in both the incentive and association sectors is anchored in experiential attributes.
“Compared to our competitor destinations, Australia is ranked number one for associations and number two for incentives on attributes like natural beauty, appealing climate and authentic First Nations experiences. These are the stories we hero in our marketing efforts, and the ones delegates talk about long after an event ends,” Ms Cope said.
The sector is stabilising and appetite for long-haul travel is recovering, even as some markets continue to navigate a complex global environment. Two-thirds (67%) of association decision-makers say their consideration of long-haul destinations has increased in the past 12 months.
Australia is also high on decision-makers’ lists of destinations for upcoming events. More than half (51%) of corporate incentive decision-makers surveyed are considering Australia for an incentive programme over the next two to four years, while nearly a quarter (23%) of association decision-makers are actively planning an event in Australia.
The research also shows that familiarity with Australia as a destination can influence future consideration. Association decision-makers who have attended a business event in Australia are far more likely to consider it again than those who have not visited (59% vs 16%), a trend echoed among incentive decision-makers (62% vs 31%). A personal holiday to Australia (56%) is nearly as influential as previous business event experience.
"This is why our annual familiarisation program with Convention Bureau partners matters, it turns firsthand experience into future demand. For example, our most recent incentive showcase events in Cairns and Melbourne has converted event leads into AUD 37 million (approx. €23.1 million) of economic value for Australia," Cope said.
Sustainability Increasingly Influences Destination Choice
Beyond AI-driven discovery, sustainability is a major factor influencing destination decisions.
Eighty-one per cent of incentive decision-makers (up 5% year-on-year) and 77% of association decision-makers (up 13% on the previous year) rank sustainability credentials as a significant driver of destination choice. The latest research shows that Australia has a competitive advantage in sustainability, ranking first for associations and second for incentives for having strong sustainability credentials.
The findings follow the launch of Tourism Australia’s Green is our Gold initiative, which brings the Australian tourism and business events industries together around a shared vision for sustainable tourism.
“The Green is our Gold initiative means when choosing Australia and developing their events, planners know they’re engaging with a network of industry partners, committed to a shared vision for delivering world-class experiences that are sensitive to our natural environment, our culture and communities,” Sally Cope said.
Subvention Funding Helps Decision-makers Scale and Reduce Event Risks
Subvention funding is also an important factor in destination decisions: 84% of incentive decision-makers and 75% of association decision-makers have received subvention funding for their largest recent event.
The most recognised benefit of receiving subvention funding for both association and incentive decision-makers is being able to enhance the overall quality of the event for delegates. Associations also acknowledge the advantage of being able to mitigate risk, while incentive decision-makers use subvention funding to increase the number of delegates being hosted.
Since its inception in 2018, Business Events Australia’s Bid Fund Program has supported 234 international event wins for Australia, worth AUD 1.65 billion (approx. €1.03 billion). Earlier this year, the Bid Fund Program was extended to support events out to 2032.
The research surveyed 162 association decision-makers (in North America, the UK and Europe) and 507 corporate decision-makers from the incentive sector (in North America, the UK, Europe, Greater China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea) between June and July 2026.
For more insights into Australia’s business events sector, download HQ Magazine’s Australia Destination Report 2026.
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