Australia holds its own with arrivals – well, very nearly
SYDNEY – Australia’s December 2009 Overseas Arrivals and Departures figures, released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, generated measured responses from both Tourism Australia and the lobby group, TTF.
Faced with the news that Australia attracted just 1,700 fewer international visitors in 2009 than in 2008, TTF pointed out that, “the number Australians travelling internationally jumped by nearly half a million on 2008, reaching almost 6.3 million, outstripping arrivals by 700,900 for the yearâ€.
TTF Executive Director Brett Gale said maintaining arrivals had come at a cost.
“The forecasts at the beginning of 2009 were for a drop in international arrivals of 4.1 per cent, so holding steady is a great result.
“However, the tourism industry worked hard to stimulate that demand, with low airfares and great value accommodation deals having a significant impact on businesses’ bottom lines.â€
Gale added, “It must also be remembered that as many as 30,000 jobs may have been lost in the tourism industry nationwide as tourism operators battled to stay afloat.
“The bad news is that the phenomenal growth in the number of Australians travelling overseas means that we are now a significant net importer of tourism, and that’s having a negative impact on our terms of trade.
“International departures for 2009 were forecast to fall 2.9 per cent, however they rose by 8.2 per cent, reaching 6.3 million, as Australia’s economy fared relatively well throughout the global financial crisis.”
Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said the figures released by the ABS highlighted Australia’s resilience in the difficult economic climate.
“Despite the headwind of the Global Financial Crisis and the outbreak of the H1N1 virus Australian tourism managed to break even on international tourist numbers, defying the global downturn last year,†McEvoy said.
FOOTNOTE: The UN World Tourism Organisation says prospects have improved with global arrivals now forecast to grow between 3% and 4% in 2010.
Ian Jarrett
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