Celebrating World Tourism Day 2022

UN World Tourism Day 2022 is an important reminder of the integral role tourism plays in driving economic growth, delivering sustainability, and supporting local communities.

Tourism is not only a huge employer and a large export earner for Australia – it also promotes our unique cultural, geographical and biodiverse destinations.

The latest data from Tourism Research Australia, released today, shows that our tourism industry continues to bounce back strongly after the impacts of the pandemic.

There are still challenges to overcome, but it is excellent to see our regions doing so well as tourism recovers.

I am committed to doing everything I can to help Australia’s $166 billion tourism industry return to the economic powerhouse we know it to be.

With spring in the air, there is no better time than now to get out and enjoy those iconic bucket list destinations, and every single trip helps the tourism sector’s recovery.

According to Tourism Research Australia’s June quarter 2022 report, domestic visitor spend has exceeded pre-COVID levels by $5.7 billion, an increase of 29 per cent when compared to the same pre-pandemic quarter (State and Territory figures below).

Latest figures also show that Australia welcomed 686,000 international visitors in the June quarter 2022. While still at only 37 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers, international visitors have not only been steadily growing but also steadily shifting this year:

• India entered the top 5 international visitor source markets for the first time, while Singapore returned to the top 5 group.
• Over half of all international visitors this year reported visiting friends or relatives as the main reason for their trip.

The June quarter 2022 report is available at Tourism Research Australia.