Australia’s spectacular tourism offerings continue to capture the hearts of locals, with more Aussies than ever choosing to holiday in their own back yard, latest National Visitor Survey results reveal – and there’s been a change in the way the results are collected.
The latest National Visitor Survey released yesterday shows that for the year ending March 2019, Australians took 109 million overnight trips around the country and spent a record AUD 75 billion, up 14 per cent on the previous year.
For the first time, the National Visitor Survey was conducted using 100% mobile surveys. Tourism Research Australia says this change will ensure the continued accuracy and efficiency of data collection moving forward.
Fewer people have landlines these days and questions have been raised about the accuracy of surveys that depend on them.
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said it was great to see so many Aussies enjoying the many wonderful and varied tourism experiences that can be found right on their doorstep.
“More than ever Australians are choosing to holiday at home and in particular, indulge in their love of the great outdoors with nearly a quarter of all domestic travellers enjoying a hike or walk as part of their holiday,” Birmingham said.
Regional Australia
“Australians continue to make the most of our incredible nature and wildlife offerings, with over half of all domestic overnight holidays involving outdoor or nature-based activities.
“Importantly, the benefits of these domestic trips are being felt beyond our capital cities, with over half of all overnight spend, or nearly AUD 38 billion, occurring in regional areas.
“Encouraging both domestic and international travellers to venture beyond our country’s gateways remains a focus of Tourism Australia’s marketing campaigns, and this puts Australia’s regional destinations in a great position to continue capitalise on the growth of our tourism industry.”
The National Visitor Survey follows the release of the International Visitor Survey last month, which showed that spending by international tourists had reached AUD 44.3 billion.
The surveys show that total overnight visitor spending has now reached a record AUD 118.9 billion, surpassing the Federal Government’s ambitious target of reaching AUD 115 billion in overnight visitor spend by the year 2020.
“Ten years ago, we set a series of targets backed by all levels of government and the tourism industry, which aimed to increase Australia’s competitive position as a destination and grow the economic impact of the industry by the year 2020,” Birmingham said.
Simon Birmingham, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment
“As part of this Tourism 2020 strategy we set the ambitious goal of growing total overnight visitor expenditure from AUD 70 billion to AUD 115 billion.
“I am proud to say that thanks to the continued hard work of the industry, tourism bodies and governments, we continue to exceed expectations with spend climbing beyond our target.
“Work is well under way to develop the next iteration of Australia’s tourism strategy, which will ensure that Australia remains a sought-after destination and that we capitalise on the growing pool of tourists worldwide.”
The latest National Visitor Survey results are available on the Tourism Research Australia website.
Edited by Peter Needham
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