Latest overseas arrivals and departures data and graphs, released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), show tourism in both directions dropping off a cliff, with a note that all trend estimates have now been suspended.
The statistics, for the month of February, measure and estimate international travel movements of persons arriving in, and departing from, Australia with a focus on short term trips (less than 1 year). The count is the number of international border crossings rather than the number of people.
The ABS notes that the trend estimates have been suspended from February 2020 for all Short-term Visitor Arrivals (STVA) and Short-term Resident Returns (STRR) series “due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international travel”.
In February 2020, 685,400 visitors arrived in Australia for a visit of less than a year. This was a decrease of 26% compared to the same month a year ago.
Visitor arrivals. Two years to February 2020
In the same month, February 2020, 785,400 Australian residents returned from overseas. That was actually an increase of 5.3% from a year ago. A rush to get home likely forms part of it.
February 2020 seasonally adjusted estimates for short-term trips:
- Overseas visitor arrivals to Australia decreased 12.5% since the previous month to 647,000 trips
- Australian resident returns from overseas decreased 2.9% since the previous month to 928,500 trips.
ABS Director of Migration Statistics, Jenny Dobak, said visits to Australia from most countries decreased in February, and for some it was a large decrease. This coincides with the travel bans which were put in place at the beginning of February and the outbreak of COVID-19.
“Although China was previously the largest source country for visitors for this month, it had decreased by nearly 90% when compared to a year ago,” she said.
Among the top ten source countries, the highest annual decreases beyond China were recorded for Hong Kong (-28%), Singapore (-25%), and Germany (-16%). An increase of 16% was recorded for those travelling to Australia from India.
Decreases in visitor arrivals were seen across all states and territories.
Resident returns. Two years to Feb 2020
Visitor arrivals — Feb 2020
| State or Territory of stay |
Annual change % |
|
| NSW | -29.3 | |
| Vic. | -29.9 | |
| Qld | -20.5 | |
| SA | -27.0 | |
| WA | -9.1 | |
| Tas. | -29.4 | |
| NT | -14.0 | |
| ACT | -37.0 | |
| Australia(a) | -26.1 | |
- (a) Includes Other
Data from Australian Bureau of Statistics
Edited by Peter Needham
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