“Major events are important to Brisbane – they draw in visitors, fill our hotel rooms, boost our hospitality, service and retail sectors and profile our city on the world stage.”

International visitors also splashed more cash during their Brisbane visits than before.

The survey found visitor expenditure grew 11.4 per cent to a record-breaking $2.2 billion.

In the past year, holiday visitors from Canada grew by 28.1 per cent to 21,000, German holiday markets rose by 15.6 per cent to 51,000 while Taiwanese holidaymakers jumped 47.1 per cent to 31,000.

Cr Quirk said the launch of direct flights from Beijing, Shenzhen, Vancouver, Tokyo and Christchurch over the past few years along with increased air capacity from Taipei helped contribute to a rise in international tourism.