Australia losing billions of tourism dollars, warns TTF
Latest projections from the Tourism Forecasting Committee show that almost 19 million more Australians will travel overseas this decade than international tourists will visit Australia.
The forecast is for international arrivals to grow at an average of 3.6 percent per annum compared to 3.7 percent annual growth in overseas travel by Australians from 2011-20.
The Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) said those predictions follow a decade in which international trips by Australians have grown more than four times faster than overseas visits to Australia (7.4 per vs 1.8 percent per annum, 2000-2010).
TTF Chief Executive John Lee said this would see tens of billions of dollars leak from the Australian economy.
“Australia already has an annual tourism balance of trade deficit of more than $5 billion a year and we believe that could more than double if these projections are realised,†he said.
“International visitor expenditure in Australia is underpinned by the strength of the international education sector, and if the dollar remains high, enrolments will fall even further as people choose better value study destinations.â€
Lee said issues that needed to be addressed including lower barriers to allow more international students to study in Australia, a reduction of the passenger movement charge and easier entry for working holiday visitors.
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Ian Jarrett
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