International Visitors Provide $685 Million Boost
Download this page in PDF formatSouth Australia continues to outstrip the national average in international visitor growth, recording increases in international visitors, nights and expenditure in 2009-10, as highlighted in the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS), released today by Tourism Research Australia.
Tourism Minister John Rau says the results provide yet more encouraging news for South Australia’s tourism industry, and shows the State Government’s tourism marketing messages are resonating with an international audience.
“South Australia welcomed 363,600 international visitors in the year ending June 2010, up 5% on the previous 12 months and well ahead of the national increase of 3% over the same period,” Mr Rau says.
“The latest results also show these visitors are staying longer, with international visitors spending 8.2 million nights in the State for the 12 months ended June 2010 – an all time high.
“This represents an increase in international visitor nights of 16% on the previous 12 month period, and is well above the national average of 5% growth for the same period.
“The rise in international visitor nights was fuelled in part by education and business nights, but we also recorded good increases in holiday purpose visitor nights, compared with the previous 12-month period, showing South Australia’s appeal as a world-class tourism destination continues to grow.
“International visitor expenditure in South Australia in the 12 months ended June 2010 was $685 million, an increase of 14% on the previous year and well ahead of the 3% increase nationally.
“For South Australia, spending by holiday purpose visitors was up 12% on the previous 12 month period, showing that South Australia continues to reap the benefits provided by holiday visitors to our State.
“Key emerging eastern hemisphere markets are the real success story of the past year, and the strategic decision to increase our presence in mainland China with the opening of a SATC office in Shanghai in early 2010 was a decision that is paying dividends.
“In the 12 months ending June 2010, we welcomed 17,000 international visitors from mainland China, an increase of 110% compared with the previous 12 month period.
“Our focus on attracting more visitors and growing visitor expenditure has provided us with a healthy mix of higher yield travellers and regional dispersal of visitor spending, moving us closer to our State Strategic Plan goal of $6.3 billion in visitor expenditure by 2014.”
