Over the past decade, there has been a continuous upward trend in the number of international visitors arriving in Australia. However, with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the middle of the 2020 financial year saw international visitors to Australia drop to 6.2 million visitors from 8.6 million in the the financial year 2019. With lockdowns and travel restrictions all around the world, this trend continued into the financial year 2021 with international visitors to Australia only around 138 thousand people.
International tourists’ reasons for visiting Australia
During the financial year 2021, visiting friends and family who live in Australia was the most popular reason to go to Australia among international travelers. Around 73 thousand visited for a holiday, and there were approximately 20 thousand business visitors. Elsewhere, there were about 17 thousand job seekers who travelled to Australia for employment reasons.
How long did tourists spend in Australia, and where did they spend the most time?
By number of visitor nights, Western Australia attracted the longest trips with visitors spending on average 27 nights in the territory. Victoria was the next most popular state, with 23 visitor nights spent on average by travelers. This can potentially be attributed to a higher concentration of visitor attractions there.
In 2020, the average trip expenditure for international visitors increased significantly to over five thousand Australian dollars per trip. In total, travelers who visited Australia for holidays spent around 16.5 million AUD in 2018. Those who visited for education spent about 12.6 million Australian dollars in the same year.
Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from 2010 to 2021
(in millions)
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Tourism Research Australia. (June 15, 2021). Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from 2010 to 2021 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 02, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/
Tourism Research Australia. "Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from 2010 to 2021 (in millions)." Chart. June 15, 2021. Statista. Accessed July 02, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/
Tourism Research Australia. (2021). Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from 2010 to 2021 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 02, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/
Tourism Research Australia. "Number of International Visitor Arrivals to Australia from 2010 to 2021 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 15 Jun 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/
Tourism Research Australia, Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from 2010 to 2021 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/620187/australia-number-of-international-visitors/ (last visited July 02, 2022)