Business tourism may save the day for Australia

The latest International Visitor Survey results show that business travel was a particularly good performer during the year to September 2011, proving the resilience of tourism to Australia.
Business numbers for visitors, nights and expenditure during the 12-month period achieved their highest ever 12-month totals.
Tourism Research Australia found 1% growth in overseas visitors to Australia over the past year but a 2% decline in the most recent quarter. Nights for the year grew by 4% and expenditure rose a healthy 5%.
Growth in visitor numbers from Asia displaced declines from traditional markets such as Europe, North America and Japan. China led growth out of Asia, with visitor numbers from China growing by 20% for the year. Strong growth was also recorded for Indonesia and India where visitor numbers increased 12% and 9% respectively.
In the September quarter, international visitor numbers fell 2% ï¾ but the picture is rosier than it seems, because visitors stayed longer and spent more. Nights and expenditure rose by 4% and 3% respectively on the back of strong business growth. Inbound business nights were up 18% for the quarter and spending by 13%.
Business travel grew throughout the year with international business travel now exceeding pre-GFC levels.
The Japanese tsunami, volcanic eruptions and tough economic conditions weighed on the results in traditional markets. Visitor numbers from Europe, North America and Japan are down 3%, 5% and 13% respectively for the year to September. Nights and expenditure were also down in these markets other than for North American visitors with nights up 2% and spend unchanged.
Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson explains that "these figures reinforce that the tourism sector is in transition with traditional markets making way for emerging ones.
"While this transition has many challenges for the industry, it also offers opportunities. The successful tourism businesses of the future will be those that can adapt to these trends, invest for growth and take full advantage of all the help on offer to improve skills.
"Many service providers to the mining industry are seizing new opportunities, especially with the trend towards fly-in fly-out travel and the growth in business travel more generally."
The results released yesterday do not cover the period of the Qantas grounding.
Tourism Research Australia's National Visitor Survey is at

http://www.ret.gov.au/tra