New Figures Confirm Australian Tourism on Track for Record Year

New figures released last week confirm that overseas tourist arrivals to Australia grew by 14 per cent to a record 3.3 million visitors in the eight months to August 2004.

The latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicate that Australia is on track to reach a record 5.2 million overseas visitors this year.

Tourism Australia Acting Managing Director, Ken Boundy, said the latest figures highlighted Australia's continued appeal as a tourist destination and the importance of international marketing to ensure Australia maintains its share of the global travel market.

"Inbound tourism to Australia has produced a strong result in August, further consolidating the arrivals growth experienced in previous months this year," Mr Boundy said. 

"Solid growth from the major source markets including Japan has been a major contributor to the rise in tourism to Australia this year. Arrivals from Japan have grown by 21 per cent in the eight months to August as consumer confidence in this market continues to strengthen.

"The excellent result for August comes at a time when the new brand campaigns are gaining momentum in the initial launch markets.

"However, on a global scale there is still much work to be done in rolling out the new brand marketing approach internationally to ensure consumers continue to be inspired to travel to and experience Australia.

"This month the new brand approach has been launched in a further two markets - North America and New Zealand - with consumers in these markets seeing the new brand ads on television for the first time.

"Arrivals from these key markets have shown strong growth in August, with arrivals from New Zealand up by 33 per cent and the United States up by 10 per cent. The roll out of the new branding in these markets will help Australia to sustain further tourism growth both short and long term."

Overseas visitor arrivals to Australia for the month of August totalled 405,900, a rise of 12 per cent compared to August last year. 

Mr Boundy said a number of Australia's other key markets had also produced good results for the year to date.

"Markets such as Korea, China, Hong Kong and Germany remain on track to produce positive growth this year," Mr Boundy said.

"Visitor numbers from China continue to be bullish with a 60 per cent rise in arrival numbers during the first eight months of the year, compared to the same period of 2003.

"The roll out of the new Brand Australia campaigns early next year to consumers in Germany, Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong will be vital to maintaining Australia's strong presence in the global travel market."

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