CANBERRA: ‘Leisure travel’ is still the main driving force behind the record 6.4m (+8%) international arrivals into Australia last year, according to the latest International Visitor Survey by Tourism Research Australia (TRA).
Top highlights included the findings that total trip expenditure rose by 7% to a new high of $31.1bn; leisure travel dominated growth in visitors, with holiday arrivals up 8% to 2.9m, and those visiting friends and relatives up 10% to 1.8m; fourteen of Australia’s top 20 markets reported record arrivals; and Asian markets grew strongly, with increases in visitors and their total trip spend (both up 11%).
In a statement, the Tourism Research Australia organisation said: “Four of the top five markets saw record visitation, with visitor numbers from China up 18% to 784,000 and trip spend up 19% to $5.7bn. China now accounts for 18% of total trip spend.
Chinese tourists having a great time in Sydney Harbour. [Source: Tourism Research Australia].
“Visitation from the USA continued at record levels, with visitors up 11% to 523,000 and trip spend up 9% to $2.8bn. Visitor numbers from Singapore increased 10% to 325,000 and trip spends increased 9% to $1.2bn. New Zealand also saw strong growth, with visitors up 5% to 1.1m and trip spend up 6% to $2.4bn, however, UK visitors were down by 1% to 615,000.”
Tourism Research Australia’s Assistant General Manager, Spiro Kavadias said that given the current record performance, the lower Australian dollar, Australia’s proximity to the growth markets of Asia and the continued economic recovery in Western markets, the outlook for inbound travel remains positive.
He said: “With record international arrivals and strong growth in the investment pipeline, the tourism industry is in a good position to attain its Tourism 2020 goal of increasing overnight tourism expenditure to between $115bn and $140bn by 2020.”
