Over $60 Billion Spent on Tourism in Australia in 2003

A new report issued by Tourism Research Australia (TRA) Tuesday reveals that $62.5 billion was spent on tourism in Australia during 2003. While the majority of this expenditure was spent by domestic overnight visitors ($39.6 billion) and day visitors ($11.7 billion), 18 per cent was accounted for by international visitors ($11.2 billion).

The report shows that international visitors took 4.4 million trips in Australia during 2003. Over the same period Australians took 73.6 million overnight and 139.1 million day trips domestically and three million trips overseas.

Tourism Research Australia Director, Dr Peter Robins said, “Although international visitors contributed to just 6 per cent of overnight trips in Australia, they accounted for 29 per cent of total visitor nights (413.2 million).” The contribution of international visitors was strongest in New South Wales and Victoria, accounting for almost one third of visitor nights in these states.

Travel for holiday/leisure contributed most to both international (39 per cent) and domestic (46 per cent) visitor nights in 2003, while visiting friends and/or relatives accounted for a more prominent share of domestic nights (33 per cent) than international nights (18 per cent).

The property of a friend or relative was a popular form of accommodation, with 28 per cent of international and 40 per cent of domestic visitor nights spent in this style of accommodation. Hotels, resorts, motels and motor inns were also commonly used, accounting for 16 per cent of international and 25 per cent of domestic visitor nights. A rented house, apartment, unit or flat was a larger contributor to total international nights (29 per cent) than domestic nights (10 per cent).

The report shows that domestic visitor nights have remained relatively stable compared to nights spent in Australia by international visitors. There was strong growth (25 per cent) in international visitor nights between the year ending December 1999 and September 2001, before a decline of 7 per cent to December 2003.

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