Tourism in Australia
Encyclopedia
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry represented 2.6% of Australia's GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
at a value of approximately A$34 billion to the national economy
Economy of Australia
The economy of Australia is a developed, modern market economy with a GDP of approximately US$1.23 trillion. In 2011, it was the 13th largest national economy by nominal GDP and the 17th largest measured by PPP adjusted GDP, representing about 1.7% of the World economy. Australia was also ranked...
. Domestic tourism is a significant part of the tourism industry, and was responsible for 73% of the total direct tourism GDP. Australia’s tourism industry is extremely resilient, with 5.9 million international visitors coming to Australia in 2010, a 5% increase on 2009 visitor arrivals. Tourism employs over 500,000 people in Australia.
Trends
Tourism is a resilient industry for Australia. Despite global economic hardships, Australia's tourism industry remained strong in 2010, with international arrivals figured increasing by 5%. In the financial year 2009/10 tourism generated A$94 billion in spending. Australia's world ranking in tourism competitiveness was reduced from 9th in 2009 to 13th in 2011, according to a World Economic Forum Report.The Australian Government released the 2020 Tourism Industry Potential on 15 November 2020, and estimates the Australian tourism industry to be worth up to $140 billion in overnight expenditure. This growth will largely be due to key emerging markets, including the China market, which is estimated to be the largest economic contributor to the Australian tourism industry by 2020, as the number of visitor arrivals from China continues to increase.
Visas
All visitors to Australia, apart from New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
ers, require advance permission to enter the country. For most countries, a full visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
is required, but holders of certain passports from some OECD and some East Asian countries are able to apply for the simpler Electronic Travel Authority
Electronic Travel Authority
Electronic visas are issued by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to some foreign nationals for entry into Australia. Unlike ordinary visas, when electronic visas are issued, no stamp or other documentation is affixed inside the traveller's passport; instead, the computer-based system...
which enables one to apply and be granted a visa. ......
Marketing
See also: Tourism AustraliaTourism Australia
Tourism Australia is a statutory authority of the Government of Australia, with responsibility for tourism marketing within Australia and internationally, as well as research and forecasting of domestic and global tourism trends...
, and Australia Week
Australia Week
Since 2004, Australia Week has attempted to bring Australian food and wine, travel, film, arts, culture, fashion and business to a US audience. With over 15,000 participants in 2008, it was the largest annual foreign country promotion in the United States. The event is produced by the Department of...
Australia's international tourism campaigns have focused on Australia's laid-back style, such as an 1980s advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
featuring actor Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan, AM is an Australian actor best known for his role as Michael "Crocodile" Dundee from the Crocodile Dundee film series, for which he won a Golden Globe award.-Early life and career:...
telling American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tourists "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie
Shrimp on the barbie
"Shrimp on the barbie" is an often-quoted phrase that originated in a series of television advertisements by the Australian Tourism Commission starring Paul Hogan from 1984 through to 1990. The actual quote spoken by Hogan is "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you", and the actual slogan...
for you", or its cheeky side, as in its controversial 2006 campaign in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
using the Australian colloquialism
Australian English
Australian English is the name given to the group of dialects spoken in Australia that form a major variety of the English language....
slogan "So where the bloody hell are you?
So where the bloody hell are you?
So where the bloody hell are you? is a A$180 million advertising campaign launched in 2006 by Tourism Australia created by the Sydney office of the London advertising agency M&C Saatchi....
".
Tourism Australia’s “No Leave No Life” campaign was launched in March 2009 by the Federal Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Martin Ferguson AM MP. This campaign was designed to remind employees of the personal and professional benefits of taking annual leave, and of taking that leave in Australia.
No Leave No Life premiered on 4 December 2009 and quickly established itself as the most watched TV show in its timeslot, and the second most watched TV show on Saturday nights over its seven-week run. The program currently airs on channel 7 at 6.30pm, with over 1 million Australians tuning in every week to see a hardworking Aussie surprised at their place of work at 9am on Monday and whisked off on a domestic holiday
At 30 June 2009 there were 126 million days of stockpiled annual leave in the Australian economy. At the end of the June 2010 quarter, this number had decreased to 117 million days, following falls in the preceding three quarters.
Tourism Australia’s latest consumer campaign “There’s Nothing Like Australia” invites Australians to share their favourite Australian place or experience with the world.
The campaign is based on research conducted by Tourism Australia that showed Australians were eager to get involved in promoting their country. It was developed to involve Australians because they are the experts on what makes Australia unlike anywhere else. The core message that – ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ – was designed for longevity through different mediums, audiences and activities.
International tourists
- New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
- JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
- Malaysia
- South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
- Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
- IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Japanese tourists make up a distinctive part of the Australian tourism market, usually taking short package tours which concentrate heavily on the iconic sights (typically Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Uluru
Uluru
Uluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
, Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
and Cairns), and viewing Australian native animals (particularly the koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
).
Backpackers
Another major source of tourists to Australia include backpackers, mostly young people from Western EuropeWestern Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
an countries (particularly the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) and North America. Spending more time in Australia, these travelers tend to explore considerably more of the country. Many backpackers participate in working holidays enabling them to stay longer in the country. Working holiday visa
Working holiday visa
A working holiday visa is a travel permit which allows travellers to undertake employment in the country issuing the visa for the purpose of supplementing their travel funds....
s for Australia are available for those aged 18 to 30 for most Western European citizens, and also citizens of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and some developed East Asian nations such as Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
Domestic tourism
Australians are big domestic travellers as well, with a profusion of seaside resort towns in every state (many located on or near good surfingSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
beaches), mountain retreats, plentiful national parks, rivers, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
locations, wine growing regions, as well as domestic visitation of the major tourist spots.
Domestic tourism peaks during the Australian school holidays.
Markets
| Australia (Domestic) | For the year ended 31 December 2009, the total economic value of domestic tourism measured $63.3 billion, with 66.1 million overnight trips taken in Australia by Australian residents aged 15 years and over. |
| United States of America | There was $2.126 billion in total expenditure from the United States in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that the United States market has the potential to grow to between $4.530 billion and $5.519 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| Canada | Canada was Australia’s twelfth largest inbound market for total expenditure in 2010, with $0.700 billion spent on trips to Australia. |
| Argentina | Argentina is one of Tourism Australia’s developing markets. Arrivals to Australia from Argentina continue to perform well, with visiting friends and relatives, holiday and education segments reporting good growth from a small base. |
| Brazil | There were 26,908 arrivals from Brazil in calendar year 2010, an increase of four per cent compared to 2009. |
| China | There was $3.26 billion in total expenditure from the China market in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that China has the potential to grow to between $7.406 billion and $9.022 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| India | There was $0.826 billion in total expenditure from the India market in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that India has the potential to grow to between $1.854 billion and $2.258 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong was Australia’s eleventh largest inbound market for total expenditure in 2010, with $0.808 billion spent on trips to Australia. |
| Indonesia | Indonesia was Australia’s thirteenth largest inbound market for total expenditure in 2010, with $0.608 billion spent on trips to Australia. |
| Korea | There was $1.279 billion in total expenditure from South Korea in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that the South Korea market has the potential to grow to between $2.792 billion and $3.401 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| Malaysia | There was $1.047 billion in total expenditure from Malaysia in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that the Malaysia market has the potential to grow to between $2.046 billion and $2.492 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| Taiwan | There was a nine per cent increase in visitors from Taiwan during 2008/09, reaching 92,800. The Total Inbound Economic Value of the Taiwan market increased by 21 per cent to $398 million. |
| Singapore | There was $1.199 billion in total expenditure from Singapore in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that the Singapore market has the potential to grow to between $2.266 billion and $2.760 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| Thailand | Thailand is ranked 15th among Australia’s source markets in terms of arrivals. Australia received a total of 77,500 visitors from Thailand in 2008/09, a decrease of 8 per cent compared to the previous year. |
| Vietnam | There were 37,246 arrivals from Vietnam in calendar year 2010, an increase of seven per cent on the previous year. |
| United Kingdom | There was $3.184 billion in total expenditure from the United Kingdom in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that the United Kingdom market has the potential to grow to between $5.479 billion and $6.675 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| Netherlands | The Total Inbound Economic Value of the Netherlands market was $300 million in 2008/09 which was a three per cent increase on the previous year. |
| Germany | There was $0.910 billion in total expenditure from Germany in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that Germany has the potential to grow to between $1.902 billion and $2.316 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| Switzerland | Australia received a total of 39,900 visitors from Switzerland in 2008/09 which was a five per cent decrease compared to the previous year. The Total Inbound Economic Value was $270 million which was one per cent less than the previous year. |
| France | There was $0.561 billion in total expenditure from France in 2010. The Tourism Industry Potential estimates that the France market has the potential to grow to between $1.153 billion and $1.405 billion in total expenditure by 2020. |
| Nordic | The Total Inbound Economic Value of the Nordic market increased by 5 per cent during 2008/2009 and was valued at $506 million. Australia received a total of 58,700 visitors from the Nordic region in 2008/09. |
| Ireland | Australia received a total of 64,420 visitors from Ireland in 2008/09, a decrease of 1 per cent compared to the previous year. The Total Inbound Economic Value increased 3 per cent to A$479 million in 2008/09. |
| Spain | Despite a strong increase in October visitor arrivals, total arrivals year to date (YTD) continue to be well below last year and Spain continues to be one of the hardest hit European markets. |
| Italy | There were 56,401 visitor arrivals from Italy in calendar year 2010, up two per cent on the previous year. |
Major attractions
The Great Barrier ReefGreat Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
attracts up to two million visitors every year. Careful management, which includes permits for camping and all commercial marine tourism within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from damaging activities. Fishing and the removal of artefacts or...
, has so far insured that tourists have a very minimal impact on the reef.
Events
Major events attract a large number of tourists. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi GrasSydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas...
is an annual event that attractions thousands of international tourists.
The 2000 Sydney Olympics resulted in significant inbound and domestic tourism to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. During the games, Sydney hosted 362,000 domestic and 110,000 international visitors. In addition, up to 4 billion people watched the games worldwide. The 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
attracted 65,000 international visitors to Australia. Schoolies week
Schoolies week
Schoolies or schoolies week refers to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates having week-long holidays following the end of their final exams in late November and early December."Toolies" refers to older revelers who participate in Schoolies week but are...
is an annual celebration of Year 12 school leavers in late November, many of whom travel to the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, where in 2011 they were expected to boost the economy by $60 million.
See also
- Tourism in SydneyTourism in SydneyTourism in Sydney, Australia forms an important part of the city's economy. The city received 7 million domestic visitors and 2.7 million international visitors in year ending Dec 2010. The most well known attractions include the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other attractions...
- Tourism in Melbourne
- Tourism in BrisbaneTourism in BrisbaneTourism in Brisbane is an important industry for the Queensland economy with approximately 4.6 million domestic visitors and 0.9 million international visitors in year-end March 2008.Brisbane was named as one of the top 5 Billboard music hotspots for 2007....
- Tourism AustraliaTourism AustraliaTourism Australia is a statutory authority of the Government of Australia, with responsibility for tourism marketing within Australia and internationally, as well as research and forecasting of domestic and global tourism trends...