1367.5 - Western Australian Statistical Indicators, Mar 2009  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/04/2009   
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SECTION 11 TOURISM


Short-term arrivals on holiday

  • More than 243,000 overseas visitors holidayed in Western Australia in the year ending June 2008. The top five countries of origin were the United Kingdom (25%); Singapore (16%); Japan and Malaysia (both over 8%); and New Zealand (just under 6%).
  • Western Australia had a smaller number of short-term overseas arrivals during the December quarter 2008 than in the same quarter of the previous calendar year (nearly 5% less). In particular, there were fewer visitors from Japan (36% less) and Thailand (60% less).
  • Some seasonal variation in visitor arrivals is apparent. Visitors from the United Kingdom have been the predominant group in the December and March quarters while visitors from Singapore were the largest group in the June quarter 2008.
  • In the December quarter 2008, Malaysia overtook Japan as the third most common country of origin for short-term visitors, with 7,750 arrivals from Malaysia during that 3 month period. This was 42% higher than the number of Malaysian visitors during the December quarter 2007.

33 SHORT-TERM OVERSEAS VISITOR ARRIVALS(a), Top 10 countries of origin: Original
2007
2008
2007-2008
December
March
June
September
December
Countries
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
VISITOR ARRIVALS(b)
United Kingdom(c)
60 755
21 982
21 611
8 138
8 548
20 471
Singapore
39 927
13 798
7 787
10 140
6 543
13 544
Japan
20 490
6 220
4 254
2 806
5 230
4 009
Malaysia
19 629
5 455
5 284
4 135
3 296
7 750
New Zealand
13 840
3 928
2 633
3 393
3 042
3 048
Indonesia
7 535
2 555
1 889
1 506
2 105
2 778
Thailand
6 338
1 915
528
1 528
598
768
South Africa
6 023
2 311
1 391
1 440
1 613
2 303
United States of America
5 601
1 758
1 594
1 458
669
1 461
Hong Kong(d)
4 885
1 325
1 597
736
809
1 406
Europe(e)
35 497
12 373
9 692
5 317
6 901
12 459
Total(f)
243 346
80 194
65 051
45 070
44 584
76 427
(a) Comprises travellers whose intended stay is less than 12 months.
(b) Overseas visitors arrivals by air on holiday from selected country of residence.
(c) Includes Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Ireland.
(d) Special Administrative Region of China.
(e) Excluding United Kingdom.
(f) Total includes countries not listed.
Source: ABS data available on request, Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, cat. no. 3401.0.



Short-term departures on holiday
  • Of the 425,100 Western Australian residents taking holidays abroad in 2007-08, almost half travelled to nearby Asian countries. The top three destinations were Indonesia (25%), Thailand (15%) and Singapore (9%), followed by New Zealand and the United Kingdom (both about 7%).
  • The number of Western Australians holidaying overseas rose by almost 7% in the December quarter 2008 compared with the corresponding quarter of 2007. Indonesia (31%) and Malaysia (22%) had the largest percentage increases.

34 SHORT-TERM OVERSEAS RESIDENT DEPARTURES(a), Top 10 countries of destination: Original
2007
2008
2007-2008
December
March
June
September
December
Countries
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
RESIDENT DEPARTURES(b)
Indonesia
104 097
25 916
23 516
29 161
40 082
33 932
Thailand
63 528
16 006
11 323
16 317
17 842
13 956
Singapore
37 324
11 640
6 805
7 511
8 888
8 946
New Zealand
31 039
7 940
8 155
5 014
8 413
8 663
United Kingdom(c)
29 650
6 089
3 366
9 613
11 938
5 297
Malaysia
23 960
6 816
5 435
5 010
7 443
8 327
United States of America
18 316
5 705
2 727
5 473
6 182
4 941
Hong Kong(d)
12 823
3 405
3 096
3 399
3 758
3 753
Japan
6 361
1 561
2 800
1 197
785
1 458
South Africa
4 892
2 058
866
1 137
1 209
1 619
Europe(e)
32 867
5 246
2 303
11 668
13 371
4 923
Total(f)
425 093
108 624
82 825
109 970
138 398
116 083
(a) Comprises travellers whose intended stay is less than 12 months.
(b) Resident departures by air on holiday to selected country of main destination.
(c) Includes Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Ireland.
(d) Special Administrative Region of China.
(e) Excluding United Kingdom.
(f) Total includes countries not listed.
Source: ABS data available on request, Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, cat. no. 3401.0.