INTERNATIONAL visitor arrivals and expenditure to Australia for the year ending June 2015 have reached new records.
According to the latest International Visitor Survey by Tourism Research Australia, international visitor numbers increased seven per cent to a new high of 6.6 million while spending grew 10 per cent to a record A$33.4 million (US$23.4 million) – the strongest growth since the Sydney Olympic Games in 2001.
Visitor nights also increased by eight per cent to 236 million, with holiday arrivals increasing five per cent to 2.9 million and those visiting friends and relatives up by six per cent to 1.8 million.
Australia’s top five markets by spend this year consists of China, the US, New Zealand, the UK and Japan. The countries that recorded growth were China (up 22 per cent to 864,000), the US (up nine per cent to 544,000) and New Zealand (up three per cent 1.2 million). Visitors from the UK (629,000) and Japan (297,000) remained steady.
Due to the ICC Cricket World Cup hosted in Australia and New Zealand this year, visitor numbers from India rose 20 per cent to 207,000, which moves the country three places up to become Australia’s eighth largest source market. India’s trip spend grew 39 per cent and exceeded A$1 billion for the first time.
