5249.0 - Australian National Accounts: Tourism Satellite Account, 2003-04  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/05/2004   
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MEDIA RELEASE

May 24, 2004
Embargoed 11:30am (AEST)
83/2004

Growth in Australian tourism: ABS

Tourism in Australia contributed $32 billion (in current prices) to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2002-03, an increase of over $1 billion from the previous year, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This represented a growth of 3.6%, compared to a 5.4% growth in GDP for the whole economy.

While tourism continued to grow in 2002-03, its share of Australia's GDP was at its lowest level in five years (4.2% in 2002-03) after peaking at 4.6% during the year of the Sydney Olympics.

Tourism contributed $26 billion to industry gross value added (see media note) in 2002-03. During this period the whole economy’s gross value added increased by 5.4%, while tourism's gross value added increased by 2.6%.

In 2002-03, domestic and overseas visitors consumed $73 billion worth of goods and services, up 3% percent on the previous year.

International visitors contributed just under a quarter (23%) to tourism GDP in 2002-03, slightly lower than the peak of 24% in 2000-01. At the same time, domestic visitors generated more than three-quarters (77%) of tourism's contribution to GDP (a 1.2% increase over the previous year).

Domestic visitor numbers experienced marginal growth of 1% during 2002-03, while short-term international visitor arrivals fell by 2.3% compared to the previous year.

Tourism exports declined in both 2001-02 and 2002-03 after experiencing strong growth between 1997-98 and 2000-01. Despite this, tourism's share of exports of goods and services remained steady at 11% in 2002-03.

In 2002-03, just over 540,000 people were employed in tourism, up 1.3% from the previous year.

Further information is in National Accounts: Australian Tourism Satellite Account 2002-03 (cat. no. 5249.0).

Media Note: Industry gross value added measures the value of production exclusive of product taxes such as the GST.