Bars, beaches and boutiques lure Aussies overseas
The number of overseas trips taken by Australians has outstripped international arrivals by more than 1.5 million for the first time, according to peak industry body, Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF).
ABS Overseas Arrivals and Departures data for June show Australians took 7.44 million overseas trips in the 2010-11 financial year (up 9.9 per cent on 2009-10), compared to 5.91 million international visitors to Australia (up 3.8 per cent on 2009-10).
TTF chief executive John Lee said Australians are taking advantage of the strong Aussie dollar.
“It’s about bars, beaches and boutiques,†he said, “with the number of Aussies going to Indonesia up by 153,000, the US up 116,000 and Thailand up 54,000 in just 12 months.â€
Lee added, “People are leaving with empty bags and returning with bulging suitcases, putting the increased buying power of the Australian dollar to good use.
“This is reflected in slowing retail trade figures, as more Australians look for better value elsewhere.â€
Lee said international travel by Australians had declined to just two of Australia’s top 20 destinations.
“There’s been a fall in travel to New Zealand and Japan – both countries which have suffered major natural disasters this year.”
Lee said the figures also clearly show the increasing importance of China as a source market.
“Arrivals from China rose by almost 106,000 (26.8 percent) in 2010-11, which accounts for almost half the growth in overall international visitor numbers.
“We can also see the impact of poor economic conditions in some of our other key source markets, with arrivals from the US down 23,000 (4.7 percent), the UK down 20,400 (3.1 percent) and Ireland down 6,000 (10.2 percent).
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025