Perth business travel jumps 14% as economy shifts beyond mining

Brisbane, Australia, 24 Febraury 2026  – Perth is shedding its hard-hat-only reputation, with new booking data revealing a 14 per cent year-on-year surge in corporate travel as the Western Australian capital diversifies beyond its mining roots. It highlights the importance of travel beyond the ‘Golden Triangle’.

Key findings:

• Corporate Traveller bookings for Perth up 14 per cent in H2 2025 vs H2 2024
• Transportation and warehousing breaks into the top five industries with 62 per cent growth
• All top five domestic routes show growth, with Kalgoorlie-Perth jumping 39 per cent

Second-half 2025 figures from Corporate Traveller, the SME specialist division of Flight Centre Travel Group, show domestic bookings climbing 14 per cent, with transportation and warehousing breaking into the city's top five travelled industries, growing 62 per cent versus the same period in 2024.

While resources remain Western Australia's economic engine—accounting for roughly half of Australia's total goods exports—the business travel story emerging from Perth increasingly reflects the city's broadening economic base.

"Perth has gone from up-and-coming to unmissable – it’s now a main artery for the country’s economy," says Tom Walley, Global Managing Director, Corporate Traveller.

"We're seeing investment pouring into infrastructure, logistics, and business events. That diversification is creating new business and leisure opportunities, and regional Western Australia is reaping the rewards alongside its capital."

What’s driving Perth’s business travel growth?

Perth's 14 per cent increase in corporate travel is driven by economic diversification, new infrastructure projects, and expanded airline connectivity. Transportation and warehousing grew 62 per cent as Australia positions itself as a key player in battery minerals and clean energy.

Emerging sectors drive new travel patterns

Transportation and warehousing's 62 per cent growth reflects how Perth's economy is evolving. As Australia positions itself as a key player in battery minerals and clean energy, more executives and specialists are travelling through Perth to oversee operations and assess new facilities.

Conferences and events are also reshaping travel patterns, with over one-third of SMEs spending more than half their travel budget on events and conferences, according to Flight Centre Travel Group's Corporate State of the Market survey.¹

Perth is capitalising on this trend. Business Events Perth recently secured contracts for over 350 national and international business events scheduled through to 2030. These events are expected to generate more than 293,000 hotel room nights across Western Australia, delivering sustained economic benefits for the state.

“One key trend shaping business travel into Western Australia is the diversification of industry sectors choosing the state to host business events,” says Gareth Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Business Events Perth.

“This has strengthened Western Australia’s growing reputation as a desirable destination for high-value conferences and corporate events."

“Improved accessibility, supported by airline investment and expanded international flight connectivity, continues to enhance global access and drive growth in international business travel.”

Which routes are growing most?

Every one of Perth's top five domestic routes posted growth in the second half of 2025. Business travel between Perth and the major capital cities grew steadily, while the mining boom drove a 39 per cent surge for the Kalgoorlie-Perth route.

All routes show growth

"That rise in regional travel presents real opportunities for businesses expanding into new markets and for communities benefiting from that investment," Walley notes.

The Kalgoorlie spike is particularly telling. While mining remains a major driver, the growth also reflects infrastructure projects, renewable energy developments, and government investment in regional connectivity.
 

International routes open business corridors

International confidence in Perth is building as Perth Airport recorded 17.5 million passengers in FY25, up 8.5 per cent on the previous year. Western Australia now leads the nation in international tourism recovery at over 99.5 per cent of pre-COVID levels.

The route map is expanding fast. China Southern Airlines has moved its Guangzhou–Perth service to year-round, while All Nippon Airways is running daily Tokyo–Perth flights through summer. Qantas launched direct Perth–Auckland and Perth–Johannesburg services in December 2025, adding 80,000 seats annually.

These routes have real business implications as Johannesburg creates a faster link between two of the world's most resource-rich regions. Tokyo strengthens ties with Japanese trading houses and tech partners in battery manufacturing. Guangzhou connects Perth directly to Chinese buyers and supply chain partners.

Domestically, QantasLink is launching Perth–Newcastle and Perth–Hobart routes, adding over 45,000 seats annually.

Longer stays create bleisure opportunities

Business travellers are also staying longer at their destination. The average trip has grown from five to six days, creating opportunities beyond the boardroom.

An extra day or two means travellers can stretch into the weekend to explore Margaret River, the Pinnacles, or Rottnest Island. With tourism and aviation investment growing as part of WA's economic diversification strategy, Perth is becoming a natural bleisure destination.

"The infrastructure is there, the events are there, and increasingly, the desire to stick around after the conference ends is there too," Walley says. "Perth is certainly not a stopover - it's a destination."

Those extra days mean more hotel nights, more restaurant bookings, and more tourism dollars flowing through the city and regions. It's another sign that Perth's business travel growth is built on more than fly-in, fly-out traffic.

[1] Flight Centre Corporate State of the Market Survey 2025