Updated on November 6, 2023 by Axel Hernborg

Axel Hernborg

Australia, also called the Commonwealth of Australia, is a beautiful sovereign country and continent in the Indian Ocean.

This country is made up of the mainland of the Australian continent, as well as Tasmania and a number of smaller islands in the surrounding waters.

It is the largest country in Oceania, and the 6th largest country in the world. Not only that but Australia is known for being the driest and flattest country in the world.

Despite this, it is commonly known as being the oldest inhabited content on the globe, with rich history and beauty all around you.

This high-income economy places Australia in the world, with a 1,552.7 billion GDP and $60,443 per capita. It has excellent quality of life, rights, education, and economic freedom.

However, tourism is one of the most important areas in Australia’s strong economy, with millions of domestic and international tourists exploring the country every year.

Not only is this country full of history and culture, but the landscape is something that truly makes everyone who sees it leave in awe.

With the world slowly returning to normal, people’s passion for travel can now allow them to return to Australia.

While numbers are still recovering, the future of travel and tourism for Australia looks bright, just have a look at these statistics and trends for the country.

Statistics And Trends In Tourism In Australia

  1. Since 2011, there has been a steady increase in the number of international tourists coming to Australia, with the most growth being seen every year since 2012.
  2. It is expected that this trend will continue and the Tourism industry of Australia is positive that the international tourists to Australia would have increased and reached fifteen million by 2026/2027.
  3. In 2018, Australia recorded a total of 9.2 million international tourists.
  4. In 2019, Australia recorded a total of 9.4 million international tourist arrivals. This was a 2.4% increase from the previous year.
  5. The tourism industry contributed to 5% of the total employment in the country, which gives employment to 666,000 individuals.
  6. Tourism to Australia made 61.91 billion Australian dollars in 2019, 48.53 billion in 2020, and 27.8 billion in 2021. As of 2022, the tourism GOP began to rise again to 35.14 billion dollars, and it is expected to continue to increase.
  7. Day trips and domestic overnight trips are expected to reach 41.1 billion and 137.9 billion dollars by 2027 respectively.
  8. By 2024, it is expected for international visitors to bring in 48.8 billion dollars by 2027
  9. Since July 2022, tourism to Australia began to increase as the borders were opened and travellers no longer had to declare their vaccination status.
  10. In 2022, 52% of travellers to Australia were visiting friends and relatives, compared to just 17% in 2019.
  11. About 613k international travellers visited Australia for a holiday in 2022.
  12. In 2019, 29% of travel to Australia was done for the purpose of education, while this number has decreased to 19% in 2022.
  13. Only 10% of travellers to Australia went there for holiday reasons, while 38% visited the country for holidays in 2019.
  14. Only around 120k international visitors to Australia visited the country for business reasons in 2022.
  15. The number of people who visited Australia for employment reasons in 2022 was around 61k.
  16. In 2022, Australia got the most international visitors from New Zealand. This equated to about 177k individuals. The second country with the most visitors to Australia was India, with about 130k international travellers, then the UK with 124k international visitors.
  17. Visitors to Australia who went to see family or friends account for the largest share of international visitor spending at about 52%.
  18. In 2022, New Zealand was the number one international destination for Australians, with approximately 173k Australians visiting the country. The second-most popular country for Australians to visit was the US, with 156k travellers going there, then India, with around 121k visitors.
  19. The overall visitor spending in 2022 in Australia was only 44% of what it was in pre-COVID levels.
  20. The number of trips to Australia at the end of 2022 was only 39% of what it was in pre-COVID levels.
  21. The most popular states for people to visit in Australia are New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland
  22. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Brisbane, Darwin, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Cairns, and the Gold Coast were the most popular tourist destinations in Australia in 2022.
  23. Almost 80% of travellers consider Australia to be a safe country to visit
  24. Around 62% of travellers see Australia as less impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other countries. This means that there is likely to be a large number of international visitors to the country.
  25. New South Wales accounted for more than a ⅓ of all nights spent by international visitors in 2022, despite Victoria being the most popular Australian state to visit.

Travel Trends In the Tourism Industry

Australia Tourism Statistics And Trends

  1. Most tourists prefer going to areas that are less crowded and remote compared to previous years. This comes in the form of the popularity of tiny houses and remote retreats as well as camping.
  2. Locations such as the Eyre Peninsula and Byron Bay are particularly popular tourist spots due to how remote they are, allowing travellers to get away from the bustle of city life.
  3. The allure of wide open spaces and beautiful nature are some of the most powerful pulls that visitors have to Australia.
  4. The Consumer Demand Project (CDP) found that travellers usually feel safest in wide open spaces. This is especially the case since people are now finally allowed to resume their lives and explore the world again.
  5. Road trips are very popular in Australia, thanks to the stunning scenery and climate of the country.
  6. There is a growing number of travel experiences that are operated and owned by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. This means that the range of experiences is getting increasingly diverse and incredible for visitors.
  7. International tourists see Australia as having a secure and safe environment due to how well they handled the pandemic.
  8. Many tourists are going out of their way to have experiences and visit destinations that are beneficial to both themselves and the environment in some way.
  9. More people are keen to learn about the Aboriginal and indigenous history of Australia.
  10. The number of tourists who are travelling to destinations in order to reconnect with themselves continues to grow. This includes attending things like nature walks, wellness retreats, camping, and much more.
  11. Australia is generally very safe for travellers, which was resulted in an increase in solo travellers
  12. Agritourism continues to grow, with many farms now taking visitors or even offering overnight farm stays, which travellers seem to be enjoying.
  13. The idea of bleisure (business and leisure combined) is on the rise, with more people finding the time to enjoy leisure activities while also in destinations they have travelled to for business.
  14. The idea of being a digital nomad is gaining more popularity in Australia. This refers to remote workers and freelancers making the decision to travel as they work, allowing them to see more of the world as they move through their careers.

Notable Trends In Australia’s Tourism Industry

  1. Australia’s online travel booking system has grown immensely, and continues to grow, as more people prefer to book trips online.
  2. The cost of apartment hotels is increasing across the country.
  3. Travel agents are becoming increasingly popular in Australia since more people would prefer to have someone plan their trips for them than deal with the stress of it themselves.
  4. There are citizen science tours that travellers can sign up for. These tours allow you to help collect and analyse various things on behalf of environmental researchers. Those who sign up may get the chance to also help monitor wildlife and various habitats.
  5. Hotels are ensuring that they have all the modern commodities such as gyms and events so that more visitors will wish to stay in these locations.
  6. Domestic tourism in Australia continues to be on the rise.
  7. Since being in nature is becoming increasingly popular, activities such as glamping and camping continue to grow in popularity.
  8. Airbnb continues to grow more popular throughout Australia as many visitors enjoy the idea of having a place to themselves while they stay in an area.
  9. The transport tourism industry continues to get more advanced as electric cars are becoming increasingly available. Many of these vehicles also come equipped with Wi-Fi, making them particularly appealing for digital nomads.
  10. Hotels are frequently putting together personal packages for guests, with bundles that include retreats and events, as well as transport from A to B.
Australia 💙 | Holiday Here This Year | Tourism Australia

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