$10 Billion boost for visitor economy

New figures released today show Australia’s visitor economy received a welcome boost in April, with domestic overnight tourism spend reaching a record $10.1 billion for the month.

The monthly spend eclipsed the pre-pandemic April 2019 spend figure by $2.4 billion.

This is the highest spend since Tourism Research Australia (TRA) began reporting monthly figures in January 2019.

Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said the figures were an encouraging sign that recovery was underway.

“The April figures are welcome news for Australia’s hard working tourism operators,” Mr Farrell said.

“We know there are still challenges and much work ahead, yet we’re getting on with the job.

“As the fourth largest Australian export, a healthy tourism sector is vital to Australia’s economy. It’s crucial that we support its recovery.”

The latest figures show overnight trips rose 6 percent and nights away rose 5 percent compared to April 2021.

Although visitor numbers remained slightly down compared with pre-pandemic numbers, people are spending more.

The national average spend per night was up $63 to $253 and average spend per trip was up $252 to $939. 

Capital cities recorded 4 million overnight visitors and $4.1 billion in spend during April, the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic.

The April 2022 National Visitor Survey results produced by Austrade’s TRA can be accessed at tra.gov.au.