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INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS
There were 5.2 million short-term international visitor arrivals in 2004, up 10% from 2003 (table 21.5). This is the highest number of arrivals ever recorded for a calendar year.
The level of arrivals to Australia increased by 1.9 million (55%) between 1994 and 2004. It is likely that the Asian economic crisis impacted on the decrease in arrivals in 1998. Between 2003 and 2004 the number of international visitors increased by 10%.
21.5 SHORT-TERM INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS
|
| Visitors | Change(a) |
| '000 | % |
|
1994 | 3,361.6 | 12.2 |
1995 | 3,725.9 | 10.8 |
1996 | 4,164.9 | 11.8 |
1997 | 4,318.0 | 3.7 |
1998 | 4,167.3 | -3.5 |
1999 | 4,459.6 | 7.0 |
2000 | 4,931.3 | 10.6 |
2001 | 4,855.8 | -1.5 |
2002 | 4,841.2 | -0.3 |
2003 | 4,745.8 | -2.0 |
2004 | 5,215.0 | 9.9 |
|
(a) From previous year.
Source: Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia (3401.0). |
The top source countries for short-term international visitor arrivals to Australia during 2004 were New Zealand (over one million visitor arrivals), followed by Japan (710,300), the United Kingdom (676,200) and the United States of America (433,500) (table 21.6).
Between 2003 and 2004 the number of short-term international visitor arrivals from China increased by 43%; from New Zealand by 23%; and from Japan by 13%.
21.6 SHORT-TERM INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS, By major source countries
|
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | Change(a) |
| ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | % |
|
New Zealand | 728.7 | 817.0 | 814.8 | 790.2 | 839.1 | 1,032.8 | 23.1 |
Japan | 707.4 | 721.1 | 673.6 | 715.4 | 627.8 | 710.3 | 13.1 |
United Kingdom | 528.4 | 580.5 | 617.3 | 642.7 | 673.0 | 676.2 | 0.5 |
United States of America | 417.1 | 488.1 | 446.5 | 434.4 | 422.2 | 433.5 | 2.7 |
China (excl. SARs and Taiwan Prov.) | 92.6 | 120.3 | 158.0 | 190.1 | 176.1 | 251.2 | 42.6 |
Singapore | 267.0 | 285.6 | 296.1 | 286.9 | 253.4 | 251.1 | -0.9 |
Korea | 108.6 | 157.2 | 175.6 | 189.7 | 207.2 | 211.8 | 2.2 |
Malaysia | 139.9 | 152.1 | 149.5 | 159.0 | 155.6 | 166.9 | 7.3 |
Germany | 144.6 | 143.2 | 147.7 | 134.7 | 137.8 | 140.5 | 2.0 |
Hong Kong (SAR of China) | 139.6 | 154.3 | 154.3 | 151.0 | 129.1 | 137.2 | 6.3 |
|
(a) From 2003 to 2004.
Source: Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia (3401.0). |
December accounted for the highest number of visitor arrivals (11.4% of total arrivals) in 2004, while May accounted for the lowest (6.5% of total arrivals) (table 21.7). These months also had the highest and lowest number of 'holiday' short-term international visitor arrivals, respectively. November had the highest number of 'business' visitor arrivals (67,600) while January had the lowest (36,800).
People whose main purpose for their trip was a holiday accounted for the highest number of short-term international visitor arrivals to Australia in 2004 (3,721,200).
21.7 SHORT-TERM INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS, By month and main purpose of trip - 2004
|
| Business(a) | Holiday(b) | Employment | Education | Other and
not stated | Total
visitors | Proportion
of total |
| ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | % |
|
January | 36.8 | 293.3 | 12.1 | 34.9 | 43.0 | 420.2 | 8.1 |
February | 60.3 | 291.8 | 10.4 | 52.0 | 40.4 | 454.8 | 8.7 |
March | 62.1 | 305.9 | 8.4 | 17.3 | 38.6 | 432.3 | 8.3 |
April | 45.9 | 291.9 | 8.8 | 16.4 | 39.8 | 402.8 | 7.7 |
May | 57.4 | 231.0 | 9.0 | 10.1 | 33.7 | 341.3 | 6.5 |
June | 48.0 | 257.3 | 9.0 | 16.4 | 36.5 | 367.3 | 7.0 |
July | 52.9 | 313.6 | 7.1 | 49.5 | 48.8 | 472.0 | 9.1 |
August | 59.4 | 290.2 | 6.2 | 14.0 | 36.0 | 405.8 | 7.8 |
September | 56.5 | 283.4 | 6.2 | 10.9 | 38.7 | 395.6 | 7.6 |
October | 60.4 | 323.1 | 7.7 | 14.1 | 44.5 | 449.9 | 8.6 |
November | 67.6 | 350.9 | 7.8 | 9.0 | 44.6 | 479.9 | 9.2 |
December | 38.2 | 488.8 | 7.4 | 8.8 | 49.9 | 593.1 | 11.4 |
Total | 645.5 | 3,721.2 | 100.1 | 253.4 | 494.5 | 5,215.0 | 100.0 |
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(a) Includes visitors who attended a convention or conference.
(b) Includes visitors whose main purpose was visiting friends and relatives.
Source: Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia (3401.0). |
International visitor nights refers to the number of nights all visitors aged 15 years and over spent in Australia.
In 2004, New South Wales had the largest share of visitor nights with 36%, followed by Victoria (22%) and Queensland (21%) (table 21.8).
Holidays accounted for 39% of short-term international visitor nights in 2004; 19% were by people visiting friends and relatives; and 5.2% were for mainly business purposes.
21.8 SHORT-TERM INTERNATIONAL VISITOR NIGHTS(a), By state/territory and main purpose of trip - 2004
|
| Business | Visiting
friends/
relatives | Holiday | All other
reasons | Total | Proportion
of total |
| ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | ’000 | % |
|
New South Wales | 3,085 | 9,468 | 16,860 | 17,897 | 47,309 | 36.1 |
Victoria | 1,506 | 5,540 | 7,197 | 14,437 | 28,680 | 21.9 |
Queensland | 1,168 | 4,636 | 16,457 | 5,635 | 27,896 | 21.3 |
South Australia | 266 | 1,169 | 1,895 | 2,564 | 5,895 | 4.5 |
Western Australia | 573 | 3,569 | 5,742 | 4,656 | 14,540 | 11.1 |
Tasmania | 45 | 484 | 654 | 879 | 2,061 | 1.6 |
Northern Territory | 103 | 277 | 2,107 | 281 | 2,767 | 2.1 |
Australian Capital Territory | 120 | 160 | 355 | 1,140 | 1,774 | 1.4 |
Australia(b) | 6,869 | 25,303 | 51,266 | 47,502 | 130,940 | 100.0 |
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(a) All visitors aged 15 years and over. Includes backpackers.
(b) Total nights are less than visitor nights in Australia because nights spent in transit are excluded.
Source: Tourism Research Australia, 'International Visitors in Australia', December quarter 2004. |
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