The Northern Territory has recorded the lowest growth in international tourist numbers of all Australian jurisdictions, except Western Australia.

Key points: Nationally, tourists spent record $36.6 billion in year ending Dec 2015

Nationally, tourists spent record $36.6 billion in year ending Dec 2015 WA and NT worst performing destinations

WA and NT worst performing destinations Nights spent in NT down 15 per cent

While more international tourists are visiting Australia, spending more time and more money in the country, not all states and territories are benefiting from the boom.

A report by the government's Tourism Research Australia intelligence organisation showed international visitors to Australia spent $36.6 billion from December 2014 to December 2015, up 18 per cent.

Nationally, those travellers were mostly coming from New Zealand, China, the UK, USA and Singapore, according to the report, with the China market growing with particular speed.

International tourists swarmed to Tasmania last year, largely driven by China's tourism boom, which saw numbers jump by a fifth.

That is attributed to the visit to the state by China's leader at the end of 2014.

By the numbers, New South Wales saw the largest volume of tourists, and grew by 7 per cent.

But the WA and the NT came in last, tying with 3 per cent growth in the year to December 2015.

Night stayed, money spent in NT down

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The number of nights visitors stayed plummeted in the NT, down 15 per cent, while it rose in most other states.

The amount of money tourists spent also dropped by 1 per cent.

The Northern Territory, like the rest of Australia, is aiming to attract more tourists as governments try to steer the economy from mining over to service industries such as tourism.

In its 2020 Vision report, Tourism NT stated that the economy relied on the tourism sector far more than the rest of Australia, and the NT Government is looking to grow the sector to a $2.2 billion industry by 2020.

Tourists spent a record $36.6 billion in Australia last year, but spending in the NT was down 1 per cent. ( Supplied )

Tourism is the Northern Territory's largest employer.

The Government is looking to boost the vital sector, especially with tourists from China.

Efforts by the Government to lure tourists to the NT included the 'Million Dollar Fish' campaign, where barramundi were tagged and released across fishing locations in the Top End, one of them carrying a $1 million prize tag and the remaining 75 carrying $10,000 cash prize tags.

Ahead of the report's public release, Tourism NT's chief executive said it had begun adjusting its 'Do the NT' campaign.

Tony Mayell is leading a delegation of 23 Territory representatives to the world's largest travel show in Berlin next week.

He said Tourism NT was also working on its domestic messages, because although Australians were putting the Territory on their bucket list, it was not at the top.

"We're second to Queensland in terms of a holiday destination, but in terms of actual conversion, it's a very small percentage of Australians that actually get here," Mr Mayell said.

"So it's on their bucket list, but the message has to be 'get on with it before you croak it'."

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