PURCHASE OF ARTS AND CRAFTS
Between July and December 1997, BTR conducted a survey which collected information on the purchase of arts and crafts by the 2.0 million international visitors to Australia aged 15 years and over.
The survey found that over 90% of those visiting in the six-month period had been shopping while in Australia, and of these, 41% had spent some money on art and handcraft. Arts were purchased by 7% of shoppers and handcrafts by 39% (5% purchased both).
Expenditure on art in the six-month period totalled $10.1m, while total expenditure on handcraft equalled $137.4m. Handcrafted clothing ($63.6m) and leather goods ($38.5m) were the main items purchased. Over half the expenditure on art and handcraft was for Aboriginal items ($77.7m out of $147.5m).
2.3 PURCHASES OF ARTS AND CRAFTS BY INTERNATIONAL VISITORS - July to December 1997 |
|  |
| | Percentage of total visitors who purchased item(a) | Average expenditure by all visitors(a) | Total expenditure | |
| | % | $ | $m | |
| |
| Arts | | | | |
| Paintings, drawings or prints | 6.0 | 4.5 | 8.6 | |
| Sculpture | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.5 | |
| Total | (b)7.1 | 5.3 | 10.1 | |
| Handcrafts | | | | |
| Wood or furniture | 7.8 | 6.1 | 11.5 | |
| Ceramics or pottery | 5.2 | 2.4 | 4.5 | |
| Glass | 4.1 | 1.5 | 2.8 | |
| Handcrafted clothing | 19.3 | 33.5 | 63.6 | |
| Other textiles | 2.0 | 1.6 | 3.1 | |
| Metal | 2.6 | 2.1 | 3.9 | |
| Leather | 11.8 | 20.3 | 38.5 | |
| Other handcrafts | 7.3 | 5.0 | 9.5 | |
| Total | (b)38.9 | 72.4 | 137.4 | |
| Total art and handcrafts | (b)41.0 | 77.7 | 147.5 | |
| |
| (a) Who had some expenditure on shopping while in Australia. This was estimated to be 1,898,000 persons. |
| (b) Components do not add to the total as some visitors purchased more than one type of item. |
| BTR, Cultural Tourism in Australia: Visual Art & Craft Shopping by International Visitors, 1997, prepared for DCITA. |
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