One of the world’s biggest and most popular tourist spots is often located on the ’s smallest continent. Considering its lively culture, natural marvels and breathtaking landscapes, Australia was voted the tourist hotspot in 2020 by Travel + Leisure magazine.
However, do you ever think about the size of Australian tourism, the most well-liked tourist destinations in the nation, and the number of annual tourists?
Here are fascinating Australian tourist data compiled to assist you in finding the information you’re hunting for. Hopefully, you’re ready to get into the nitty-gritty. Let’s jump in!
Ten Fascinating Australia Tourism Statistics You Should Know
- The most popular tourist destinations are Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
- In 2019–2020, 666,000 individuals were employed in the Australian tourist industry.
- Foreign tourists to Australia typically spend $5,000 on their vacation.
- In 2019, more Australians were travelling abroad than ever before.
- In 2019, there were 118.5 million visitors to New South Wales.
- For two consecutive years, domestic travellers surpassed foreign ones in South Australia.
- Australians who go overseas most often choose to go to New Zealand.
- The year that ended in March 2021 saw $40.7 billion in losses for the global tourist industry.
- Three thousand one hundred eleven domestic tourists take place in Australia on averagely per week.
- In 2020, domestic tourists started taking trips that were shorter and making fewer financial commitments.
Statistics on Foreign Travel to Australia
1. Australia’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations Are Melbourne, Sydney And Brisbane
Sydney leads the pack of Australia’s most visited tourist locations, which is not unexpected. Travellers from other countries, such as those from America (67%), China (57%) and New Zealand (32%), were most likely to visit this city.
2. What Is The Total Number Of Foreign Visitors Arriving In Australia Annually?
In 2019, 9.5 million foreign visitors entered Australia, which is the most significant amount ever. In 2020, 1.8 million foreign travellers visited the country, a decrease of 80.7%. This was reported to be the lowest number of foreign visitors since 1987.
Second place goes to Melbourne, which saw 51% of Chinese and 32% of British visitors in 2019. Lastly, Brisbane came in third place, drawing 15% of Americans, 19% of New Zealanders and 21% of Chinese visitors. Fortunately, online searches have simplified learning about these attractive places.
3. The Typical Vacation In Australia In 2019 Lasted 32 Nights
Foreign visitors’ guest nights in Australia have grown over the past ten years. The overall number of nights spent by foreign visitors in 2019 was 203 million, with an average duration of 32 nights, per Australian tourism statistics.
Like other sectors, Corona Virus pandemic affected how long visitors stayed in the nation. The total number of tourist nights was 6.2 million by March 2021, representing a 97.6% drop from the previous year.
4. Foreign Tourists To Australia Typically Spend $5,000 On Their Vacation
In 2020, foreign visitors spent $5,379 on averagely per trip, which is about $33 million in total. However, the pandemic has caused a decline in the number of trips made by foreign tourists to Australia and in the amount spent on travel each year.
International tourists made $794 million in expenditures between 2020-2021, a startling 98.1% decrease from the year before.
5. Australia’s Gdp In 2018/2019 Was $60.8 Billion, With The Majority Coming From Tourism
The tourist sector in Australia generates a considerable amount of revenue. Australia benefited from tourism to the tune of $60.8 billion in 2019, a 3.5% rise over 2018. Additionally, with 8.2% of all export revenues, tourism ranks Australia’s fourth-largest exporting sector.
6. The Months Of December, January, And February Draw The Most Tourists To Australia
In Australia, travel is most common in the summer. The summer months of 2019 attracted 2.7 million foreign tourists, according to the country’s Tourist Commission. However, only 2 million international tourists visited during the autumn (April, June, and July).
With 927.240 foreign visitors, February marked Australia’s most significant month of 2019. 660.300 international visitors arrived in June, the slowest month of the year.
7. The Cruise Sector Makes Significant Contributions To Australian Tourism
One of the highly profitable areas of Australian tourism is the cruise industry, which generates $5.2 billion for the nation’s economy and provides 18,135 employees.
According to current statistics from the industry, they received 1,240 ship trips to Australia in the 2018/2019 fiscal year, and tourists directly spent $2.5 billion.
8. In 2019–2020, 666,000 People Were Employed In The Australian Tourist Industry
In Australia, the tourist sector accounted for 5.2% of all employment. Given that Australia’s tourist industry experienced its hottest year in 2019, the rise in business hours of 2.6% wasn’t unexpected. Unfortunately, the following year saw a substantial shift.
By 2020, there were 621.000 fewer employees (4.8% of the workforce). Consequently, working hours were cut by 10.9% as well.
9. In Recent Years, New Zealand And China Have Become Australia’s Two Most Important Tourist Markets
Australia welcomes visitors from all around the world annually. Nonetheless, the country has important tourist markets similar to other tourist spots.
The Australian tourist statistics reported that China and New Zealand represented most of the continent’s tourists. The US, UK, and Singapore ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Statistics show that over 1.3 million tourists from China visited Australia in 2019, which was the most frequented international visitor. Most Chinese visitors to Australia went there for leisure, making $12.4 billion in tourist-related investments.
In 2019, 1.29 million tourists from New Zealand made their way to Australia and spent almost $2.6 billion. The following year, unfortunately, there were only 221.000 visits from New Zealand. Consequently, an estimated $2.1 billion less was spent overall.
10. In 2019, More Travellers Were Connecting Australia And Japan
Japanese visitors undoubtedly influenced Australia in 2019, when 458.000 of them visited and spent almost $2 billion. And just like other Nations affected by Covid-19, the number of Japanese tourists to Australia decreased in 2020 to barely 87.000, which yielded an expenditure of $430 million.
11. In 2020, $245 Million Was Spent By Visitors From Singapore In Australia
Compared to the $1.5 billion spent in 2019, this amount marks a significant decrease in Singaporean tourists in Australia. The number decreased from 417,000 to 53,000.
According to statistics from tourist studies conducted in Australia, other significant countries that have also visited the country as tourists include:
- Australia received 285,00 Hong Kong visitors who invested approximately $1.3 billion.
- 377,00 Indian travellers gave the Australian tourism sector $1.8 billion in 2019
- $1.5 billion was spent by 24500 South Korean tourists
- 343,000 Malaysian tourists spent $1.2 billion in 2019 in Australia
12. 767,000 Americans travelled to Australia in 2019.
The spending of tourists from the United States dropped to $1.1 billion in 2020 from the previous $3.9 billion. As a result, American tourists visiting Australia fell from approximately 772,000 to 182,000.
Visitors from the United Kingdom decreased as well. 672,000 British visitors visited Australia in 2019, dropping to 194,000 in 2020. In 2018, tourists spent $3.4 billion on vacations, a reduction of $2.4 billion.
The Numbers of Australians Who Travel Abroad According to Tourism Statistics
13. Australians who go overseas most often choose to go to New Zealand
Australian tourist statistics show that New Zealand became the hot spot for Australian tourists in 2019 and 2020. The country received about 1.5 million travellers in 2019, and 438,700 Australians visited the nation in 2020, significantly higher than any other nation.
Among the other well-liked vacation spots for Australians are:
- Having welcomed over 1.40 million tourists in 2019, Indonesia climbed to the world’s second most tourist attraction spot.
- In 2019, the United States of America received 1 million while the United Kingdom received 663,000 Australian tourists placing them among the top destinations for the Aussies.
- China ranked fifth among the top visited countries by Australians, with 608,000 people opting to go there instead of one of the other countries.
14. Most Australians Who Travel Typically Go On Vacations For Roughly 14 Days
In 2019, the average length of stay for Australians travelling overseas was 14 days, and most travellers (57%) said that going on vacation was their primary motivation for going abroad. More than a quarter of people travelled overseas to see their relatives and friends, while just 8% did so for work-related reasons.
According to the figures, the number of Australians who travelled outside the country decreased in 2020, but the typical length of their trips grew to 17 days.
15. In 2019, More Australians Were Travelling Abroad Than Ever Before
The most significant number ever was 11.3 million outbound international trips Australian residents took in 2019. However, by 2020, just 2.8 million journeys were made annually (a 75% decrease). Before the lockdown, there was a high number of outbound tourists.
Tourism in Australia: State-by-State Statistics
16. How Many Visitors Come To Sydney Annually?
Sydney received 23.3 million visitors through March 2021, a decrease from 25.8 million. Additionally, outlays fell from $7.5 billion to $4.6 billion between 2020 and 2021. Despite the reduction, Sydney receives the most visitors in terms of arrivals, overnight stays, and spending.
17. 2019 Saw An Influx Of 118.5 Million Individuals Into New South Wales
New South Wales was voted first in 2019 and 2020 for tourist volume and spending.
However, statistics show a decrease in tourists by 26.5% in September 2020. Consequently, only 2% of the 83.9 million persons who visited Australia last year were international tourists. The total amount spent and the guest nights declined (from $43.3 billion to $26.1 billion) and (219.1 million to 135 million), respectively.
18. What Is The Number Of Tourists Arriving In Melbourne Annually?
Compared to the previous year, which had 39.5 million tourists, the number of visitors who travelled to Melbourne in 2020 was much lower at 16.4 million. Melbourne experienced a decline from $20.3 billion to $6.2 billion in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Reports on tourism in Melbourne indicate that the number of visitors from other countries was 578 000 in 2020, a substantial decrease from 3 million the previous year.
19. In 2019, 100.4 Million People Visited Victoria; In Contrast, Only 49.7 Million Did So In 2020
According to the information gathered by the Australian tourist industry in 2020, the state of Victoria had a total of 49.7 million visitors, which was a decline from 100.4 million visits in 2019. Consequently, tourism expenditures were reduced from $32.5 billion to $13 billion.
In 2019, the state of Victoria welcomed 3.1 million tourists from other countries, who collectively spent $8.8 billion. On the contrary, there were merely 615,000 foreign overnight guests in 2019, so their contribution to the state’s total expenditure was only $2.5 billion.
20. 493.000 Visitors From Outside Of Australia Visited Queensland In 2020
According to the information gathered by Queensland’s tourism industry for 2020, the state was visited by 17.3 million overnight guests who spent $13.1 million together.
The state of Queensland’s expenditures on overseas activities were $1.4 million in 2020, representing a decrease of 76.8% from the previous year. In addition, the number of tourists from other countries was 493 thousand, an 82.3 per cent decrease from the 2.7 million people recorded in 2019.
According to the figures collected by the tourism industry, Brisbane was the most frequented city in the area. In 2019, it welcomed 5 million tourists, comprising 273,000 overnight stays from other countries and 4.7 million overnight visitors from Australia. Because of this, local tourists invested much more money than international tourists ($2.5 million compared to $780.000), resulting in a total of $3.3 million spent.
21. For Two Consecutive Years, Domestic Travellers Outweighed Foreign Ones In South Australia
The city received 106 thousand of visits in 2020, spending $280 million. Domestic guests contributed $3 billion in spending. The 8.1 million visitors from other states and states within the area contributed $5.2 billion.
22. There Were 220.200 Foreign Visitors To Western Australia In 2020
In 2019, around 9 million people visited Western Australia, spending a total of $5.6 billion during their vacations.
This represents a decrease of 77.9 per cent compared to the 995.700 international visitors in 2019. A total of 220.200 tourists came from outside the country in 2020. The amount spent by foreign tourists was 541 thousand dollars in 2020, representing a significant decrease from the amount spent abroad in 2019 ($2.3 million).
The number of tourists that visited Perth, the biggest city and capital of Western Australia, decreased to 3.3 million in 2020 from 5.6 million in 2019. Based on the figures compiled by the tourist industry in Perth, in 2020, visitors from within and outside Australia spent $1.7 billion. This is relatively small when weighed against the total investment of $4.3 million made in 2019.
23. The Majority Of Guests From Abroad Visited The Act For A Vacation
17% of foreign visitors travelled to Australia to see family and friends, 14% for business, and 43% for vacation. Compared to foreign-day tourists, domestic-day guests travelled to the ACT for VFR (21%), business (17%), and holidays (44%). Nevertheless, the main reasons interstate visitors came to the area were to see friends and relatives and for employment (34%).
The ACT saw 5.87 million visitors in 2020 who spent $2.5 billion. Of them, 230,00 were foreign tourists, 3.02 million were citizens, and the remaining were Australian citizens who were day visitors.
24. Travellers Visiting The Northern Territory Made Up The Majority Of Tourists In 2020
The Northern Territory received 324,000-holiday tourists, 201,000 business travellers, and 39,000 family and friend guests, making up the most significant number of visitors. Generally, 986,000 people travelled to the NT in 2020, paying an average of $960 per visitor.
Australian Tourism and the Coronavirus
25. Australia’s Most Important Tourism Markets Suffered Harm From The Pandemic
China is one of Australia’s most important tourism markets; however, during the 2020 pandemic, Australia imposed travel restrictions on China. Consequently, the number of Chinese tourists who visited Australia during the first three months of 2020 fell by 58%, while their expenditure fell by 46%.
The number of people travelling from China dropped further during the year that ended in March 2021, falling by 99.8%, corresponding to 1.1 million fewer tourists.
26. March 2021 Saw $40.7 Billion In Losses For The Global Tourist Industry
The limitations that were implemented in March 2020 had a significant influence on Australian travel patterns. Sadly, inbound tourism suffered greatly due to the nation’s travel limitations and health regulations.
Losses from decreased local day travel were $9.1 billion, while those from local overnight travel totalled $33.1 billion.
There were just 60,212 visitors from other countries, a 99.3% decrease. With spending falling by 98.1% to a low of $794 million, the number of overnight services plummeted to 6.2 million.
The proportion of travellers from all nations that travelled internationally decreased significantly, although Americans (99%), Britons (99.1%), and Japanese (99.8%) made the most significant drops.
27. In 2020, Domestic Travellers Started Taking Trips That Lasted Less Time And Had Fewer Expenditures
The pandemic had an additional impact on local tourism, as it caused residents to change their travel patterns in response to mobility restrictions and new safety standards. Therefore, the average vacation cost in the second quarter of 2020 was $385 per person, whereas a similar quarter in 2019 cost $648. Total expenditures decreased to $45.6 billion, resulting in a decrease of $35.1 billion.
Even though the number of domestic overnight journeys dropped by 38% to 72.5 million, most Australians (66%) said that they believe it is safer to travel inside the nation’s boundaries.
Comparison of Statistics for Domestic and International Airlines
28. Three Thousand One Hundred Eleven Local Airlines Take Off From Australia On Averagely Per Week
There were 19.6 million people who travelled inside Australia on domestic flights in 2021. A decline of 52% from 2020 brought the total seats down to 5.1 million. March 2021 saw the lowest travel.
29. The Most Popular Foreign Carrier Is Singapore Airlines
By the beginning of May 2021, Australia saw the departure and arrival of 164 foreign flights every week. According to the figures compiled by the Australian tourist sector, the total number of tickets booked by international visitors was 2.3 million.
The largest foreign airline is Singapore Airlines, operating ten trips weekly and has approximate 149,707 seats available for passengers arriving in Singapore. Next in line is Air New Zealand, which in 2021 reported a weekly average of 8 trips and 106,871 seats for passengers arriving from abroad.
30. Melbourne-Sydney Line Became The Busiest National Flight, At 340 Trips Per Week
With 340 weekly flights and 2.7 million available tickets, the Melbourne–Sydney line was Australia’s busiest and most significant link throughout 2020. Next in line was the Brisbane-Sydney line, with a total of 224 flights weekly and 1.6 million available tickets.
Statistics About Australian Landmarks
31. The Australian Great Barrier Reef Is A World Wonder
According to figures gathered about tourism on the Great Barrier Reef, Marine Park had 920.000 visitors in 2020. This was a decrease from 2019, when it was stated that there were 2.4 million visits.
It usually could be a better sign when there are a lot of visitors. Although visitors contribute substantially to the economy, they present a danger to the Great Barrier Reef. The actions of visitors, such as kicking, touching, or overturning whole coral colonies, have a direct impact, not to mention water pollution.
32. Australia Boasts The Sydney Opera House As One Of The Most Recognisable Monuments In The World
The Sydney Opera House, widely regarded as one of the world’s most iconic structures, is a significant icon to Sydney and the Australian continent.
This remarkable design, which didn’t even have its official start until 1973, cost a stunning $102 million and fourteen years to construct. Statistics indicate that over 10.9 million visitors travel to see this monument annually.
33. June 1882 Marked The Beginning Of Public Access To Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach is a half-hour drive from the city’s centre. The beach is one kilometre long, and the waves may rise to four meters. Bondi Beach attracts many tourists. It had an astounding 3.4 million arrivals in 2019. 51% were foreign tourists, 33% stayed the night, and 16% were locals from Australia.
Conclusion
The epidemic has significantly impacted Australia, just like other parts of the world. If historical data on tourism in Australia is any indication, there is little reason to believe that the sector will swiftly bounce back again when the borders are reopened. Examine your passport, ensure you are covered by your insurance policy and finish making your itinerary of places to visit so that you are prepared to take your flight.
