International tourists spend more than $40 billion in Australia

Spending by international tourists visiting Australia has reached a new record - exceeding $40 billion for the first time.

International visitors spent a record $40.6 billion in the year to June 2017, an increase of 7 per cent on the previous year.

This stellar result is revealed in the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) released today. The record spending is being driven by record numbers of international tourists who are staying longer and spending more while visiting Australia.

With wallets wide-open, international tourists are driving economic growth and creating jobs. All states and territories are sharing in the record growth, with spending up across the country (see table below).

Chinese tourists continue to have the biggest impact on our economy with 1.2 million visitors spending $9.8 billion. Both are increases of 10 per cent. This growth comes during the China-Australia year of Tourism.

Along with the Chinese, Americans are also visiting Australia in record numbers. Australia welcomed a record 706,000 tourists from the United States, a 14 per cent increase, and they spent $3.8 billion, an increase of four per cent. Over the last four years visitors from the United States have increased by 54 per cent and their spending by 53 per cent.

During the past three years spending by international visitors has increased by 34 per cent as the Coalition continues to provide record funding to Tourism Australia. In addition to the record funding, the Turnbull Government is working to attract more tourists through visa reform, investment in tourism infrastructure and more open aviation access.

The IVS, by Tourism Research Australia, is available at: www.tra.gov.au.