Wallets wide open - tourism spending boom

Tourists are spending record amounts in Australia.

Today I release the latest National Visitor Survey which shows Australian tourists spent a record $61.7 billion for the year ending March 2017, an increase of $3.7 billion.

Combined with the record spending of international tourists for the same period, up five per cent to $39.8 billion, total spending by tourists reached a new record of $101.6 billion.

This record spending is creating and supporting jobs across the country.

During the past three years, under the Coalition, spending by Australian and international visitors has surged across the country, with all states and territories enjoying double digit growth (see table below). Tasmania has experienced the largest growth, with a 54 per cent increase.

The record growth in spending is being driven by a record numbers of visitors and visitor nights.

The National Visitor Survey shows overnight trips by Australians increased by three per cent to a record 91.7 million while nights were up four per cent to a record 335.5 million. Combined with international visitors, the total number of overnight trips increased to 99.4 million, an increase of four per cent, while the total number of nights grows to 597.3 million, also an increase of four per cent.

All states and territories have shared this growth over the past three years, with double digit growth in domestic and international visitors and visitor nights (see table below).

Tourism employs around 1 in 12 Australians, so this growth in spending and visitor nights means more jobs, more economic growth and more prosperity for all Australians.

In 2013 the Coalition returned responsibility for domestic tourism marketing to the states and territories to refocus Tourism Australia on attracting more international visitors.

Tourism Australia continues to receives record funding from the Turnbull Government to sell Australia to the world.