3401.0 - Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, Aug 2013 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/10/2013   
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MAIN FEATURES


SHORT-TERM VISITOR ARRIVALS

In trend terms, short-term visitor arrivals to Australia during August 2013 (534,800 movements) increased 0.5% when compared with July 2013 (532,100 movements). Currently, short-term visitor arrivals are 4.3% higher than in August 2012.

SHORT-TERM VISITOR ARRIVALS, Australia
Graph: SHORT-TERM VISITOR ARRIVALS, Australia


The following table presents the top ten source countries (based on original estimates) for short-term visitor arrivals during August 2013. When trend estimates for short-term visitor arrivals for August 2012 and August 2013 were compared, the highest percentage increase was recorded for China (14.1%) followed by Singapore (9.7%). The highest percentage decrease was recorded for Japan (7.2%), followed by South Korea (0.4%).

Short-term Visitor Arrivals, Australia - August 2013

Trend
Seasonally Adjusted
Original
Jul 13 to Aug 13
Aug 12 to Aug 13
Source countries(a)
'000
'000
'000
Trend % change
Trend % change

New Zealand
100.0
101.0
107.4
0.6
1.8
China
63.2
62.7
60.9
-0.2
14.1
Japan
27.2
27.6
39.7
0.6
-7.2
Malaysia
23.9
25.7
35.3
2.7
6.5
United States of America
39.7
40.5
32.9
-0.3
0.2
UK, CIs & IOM(b)
50.8
49.0
32.7
0.9
4.4
Singapore
33.4
35.3
31.0
2.8
9.7
Indonesia
12.8
13.2
24.2
2.4
7.0
Hong Kong
16.0
15.7
16.2
0.7
8.6
South Korea
16.0
15.7
14.8
-0.1
-0.4

(a) Top 10 source countries based on original estimates.
(b) United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.



'What if'....? Future scenarios

The most recent trend estimates for short-term visitor arrivals are likely to be revised when the next month's seasonally adjusted estimates become available. To assist in analysing these movement trends, the approximate effects of two possible scenarios on the previous trend estimate of short-term visitor arrivals are presented:
      1 The September 2013 seasonally adjusted estimate of visitor arrivals is 2.4% higher than August 2013.
      2 The September 2013 seasonally adjusted estimate of visitor arrivals is 2.4% lower than August 2013.
WHAT IF...? REVISIONS TO STVA TREND ESTIMATES, Australia
Graph: WHAT IF...?  REVISIONS TO STVA TREND ESTIMATES, Australia


The figure of 2.4% for visitor arrivals represents the average absolute monthly percentage change for visitor arrivals over the last ten years. For further information on the effect of new seasonally adjusted estimates on short-term visitor arrival trend estimates, see paragraph 29 of the Explanatory Notes.


SHORT-TERM RESIDENT DEPARTURES

In trend terms, short-term resident departures from Australia during August 2013 (739,500 movements) increased 0.5% when compared with July 2013 (735,900 movements). Currently, short-term resident departures are 8.0% higher than in August 2012.

SHORT-TERM RESIDENT DEPARTURES, Australia
Graph: SHORT-TERM RESIDENT DEPARTURES, Australia


The following table presents the top ten destination countries (based on original estimates) for short-term resident departures in August 2013. When trend estimates for short-term resident departures for August 2012 and August 2013 were compared, the highest percentage increase was recorded for Italy (21.9%), followed by the United Kingdom (20.0%). The only percentage decrease was recorded for Thailand (0.8%).

Short-term Resident Departures, Australia - August 2013

Trend
Seasonally Adjusted
Original
Jul 13 to Aug 13
Aug 12 to Aug 13
Source countries(a)
'000
'000
'000
Trend % change
Trend % change

New Zealand
100.8
98.7
98.7
0.5
9.6
United States of America
81.4
81.7
86.2
0.7
12.0
Indonesia
78.5
80.1
83.2
0.5
4.1
UK, CIs & IOM(b)
46.5
45.1
55.9
0.5
20.0
Thailand
52.0
49.9
44.6
-0.3
-0.8
Fiji
30.0
29.6
32.9
0.7
5.8
China
32.3
33.1
27.9
-1.2
2.8
Singapore
28.7
28.7
24.8
-0.2
7.0
Italy
15.6
15.4
21.5
2.7
21.9
Malaysia
22.9
22.4
19.2
-0.5
4.1

(a) Top 10 destination countries based on original estimates.
(b) United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.



'What if'....? Future scenarios

The most recent trend estimates for short-term resident departures are likely to be revised when the next month's seasonally adjusted estimates become available. To assist in analysing these movement trends, the approximate effects of two possible scenarios on the previous trend estimate of short-term resident departures are presented:
      1 The September 2013 seasonally adjusted estimate of resident departures is 2.9% higher than August 2013.
      2 The September 2013 seasonally adjusted estimate of resident departures is 2.9% lower than August 2013.
WHAT IF...? REVISIONS TO STRD TREND ESTIMATES, Australia
Graph: WHAT IF...?  REVISIONS TO STRD TREND ESTIMATES, Australia


The figure of 2.9% for resident departures represents the average absolute monthly percentage change for resident departures over the last ten years. For further information on the effect of new seasonally adjusted estimates on short-term resident departure trend estimates, see paragraph 29 of the Explanatory Notes.


PERMANENT AND LONG-TERM MOVEMENTS

Statistics on overseas arrivals and departures relate to the number of movements of travellers rather than the number of travellers. Care should be taken when using permanent and long-term movements data as it is known that some individuals who travel multiple times in a year are counted each time they cross Australia's borders. For example, in the financial year 2006-07, there were over 10 million multiple movements accounting for 44% of all movements (see paragraph 5 of the Explanatory Notes). Permanent and long-term movements in this publication are not an appropriate source of migration statistics. For further information refer to Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0); the Information Paper: Statistical Implications of Improved Methods for Estimating Net Overseas Migration, Australia, 2007 (cat. no. 3107.0.55.005); and the Technical Note: '12/16 month rule' Methodology for Calculating Net Overseas Migration from September quarter 2006 onwards in Migration, Australia (cat. no. 3412.0) under the Explanatory Notes tab.

There were 13,490 people who stated they were permanent (settler) arrivals to Australia during August 2013, an increase of 2.0% compared with August 2012 (13,220 movements). People born in China accounted for the largest proportion of settlers (13.6%), followed by people born in India (12.8%), New Zealand (11.7%) and the United Kingdom (6.3%).

There were 8,560 Australian residents who stated their intention was to depart permanently from Australia during August 2013, which increased 6.8% when compared with August 2012 (8,020 movements). However, analysis shows that the majority of those with an intention of permanently departing, return to Australia within the following year. For example, in the financial year 2006-07, out of the 72,100 Australian residents who stated they were departing permanently, only 14,370 spent 12 months or more overseas.


STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The above presentation of movements in estimates does not take into account whether the change in movement is statistically significant. Care should be taken when interpreting the impact of numeric and/or percentage change. Please see the Standard Errors section of this issue for more detail.