Asia Leads Growth in Overseas Visitors to Australia

Tourism Research Australia's International Visitor Survey shows visitor numbers increased 5% in 2010 year-on-year. Visitor arrivals from Asia were up 11%, nights spent in Australia were up 13% and spend in Australia was up 11%.

Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP, and Minister Assisting on Tourism, Senator Nick Sherry, have welcomed the results, which show Australia, having increased its share of global arrivals through the Global Financial Crisis, is holding those gains.

Visitor arrivals in the December Quarter 2010 from China (up 26%), Korea (up 22%) and India (up 17%) outline the continued dominance of growth from Asia. While the slower economic recovery in the USA (down 8%) and Germany (down 5%) has resulted in a softening out of those markets.

Minister Ferguson explained "the growth may be uneven, but the strength of the Asian economy is paying dividends for the Australian tourism industry.

"The strong growth from China is set to continue. Australia negotiated a capacity increase of 4,000 airline seats into Australia's four major gateways and Chinese carriers are now making use of almost all their current seat allocation.

"Business visits continued to rebound strongly from the effects of the Global Financial Crisis with numbers in the December Quarter up 14% benefiting capital cities.

"Regional Australia had a mixed December quarter- Tropical North Queensland (up 7%), Flinders Ranges (up 24%) Ballarat (up 53%) and four of Western Australia's five regions experienced strong growth yet seven of Queensland's eleven regions saw declines."

Minister Sherry added that "while not all our markets are performing as well as Asia, the Government is working with industry to counteract some of the sluggish economic factors affecting other travel markets.

"Targeted campaigns such as the Oprah Winfrey shows and the Tourism Industry Support Package are playing an important marketing role.

"The practical measures we're taking to help many tourism operators get back on their feet after the natural disasters earlier this year will also help this $34 billion industry to take full advantage of future growth."

Queensland Tourism Minister Jan Jarratt welcomed the increase in overall international tourists "overall visitor numbers were up 4% to more than two million and international travellers spent an extra 725,000 nights in Queensland."

Minister Jarratt added that "China is Queensland's fastest growing international market with strong long-term growth potential and Tourism Queensland has invested heavily in China to ensure Queensland remains top of mind for Chinese visitors planning an overseas trip.

"The other good news for Queensland is that the Japanese market, Queensland's third largest, and which has been in decline for some time, has seen its best result in five years.

"In 2010, the number of Japanese who travelled to Queensland increased by 9% to 223,000, and also increased their spending one percent to $375 million."

This week has also seen the launch of a new $10 million marketing package, 'Nothing but Queensland', that authorities hope will revive the disaster-hit state's tourism industry.

Campaigns will also be rolled out targeting overseas markets, stressing the message that Queensland is open for business. Social media will be among the methods used.

Details of the Tourism Research Australia's survey, for the year ending December 2010 and December quarter 2010, include:

• Overall visitor numbers increased (5% and 4% respectively), as did visitor nights (six% and five%) and expenditure in Australia (4% and 6%);
• Visitor arrivals from Asia were up (11% and 12% respectively), nights (13% and 12%) and expenditure (11% and 15%);
• Visitor numbers from Europe were down (1% and 2% respectively) as were nights (four% and eight%) and expenditure down (5% and 9%); and
• Visitor numbers from North America were down (2% and 8% respectively) as was expenditure down (7% and 5%).

For more information go to www.ret.gov.au 

Images: Asian tourists in Sydney (top) and Oprah Winfrety at Uluru (below).

20th January 2011 - OPRAH AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE SCREENED TO US AUDIENCES