Value of Australian tourism exports exceeds $30 billion

Australian tourism exports reached AUD $30.1 billion for the last year to June, a 7% increase on the previous 12 month period.

Commenting on the contribution of tourism to the Australian economy, Australian Export Tourism Counci (ATEC) Managing Director Peter Shelley said that the figure shows that Australia is an in-demand international destination.

Shelley stated “Australia is recognised as a leading international tourism destination and this strong position has seen an amazing rate of visitor growth, particularly from the leisure sector with 11% growth in the past 12 months, bringing the total number of visitors annually to 6.1 million.

“Our industry has worked hard and advocated strongly for more investment in Australian tourism to help us compete effectively in the international market, and we are now seeing the benefits of these efforts.”

The Asian market has largely been behind the rise, with 47% of tourism spend in Australia coming from Asia.

Shelley also said that Australia is receiving continued interest from mature European markets, adding “what is also promising is the strong and continued growth out of our traditional markets including the US, UK, Germany and France – providing our industry with a good mix of visitors and opportunities to cater to their niche needs,” Mr Shelley said.

“These figures confirm the value of investment in our industry and recognise the fantastic international marketing efforts of Tourism Australia and our State tourism bodies in promoting Australia to the international market.

“While competition for the international tourist remains strong, Australia is proving to be a highly desirable and engaging destination and we must continue to build on this positive growth into the future.”

1st May 2014 - VISITORS FROM TRADITIONAL TOURISM MARKETS HEAD BACK TO AUSTRALIA