Victoria records strongest ever international tourism result

Tourism Victoria 18 June 2010

Victoria has recorded its largest ever share of international overnight visitors, with 30 per cent of those who travelled to Australia in 2009 visiting Victoria.

Victoria attracted 1.5 million overseas visitors in 2009, an increase of 3.5 per cent from the previous year. Malaysia (+38.1 per cent), India (+26.1 per cent), Singapore (+10 per cent), China (+1.8 per cent), New Zealand (+1.2 per cent), and Hong Kong (+1.1 per cent) were the key growth markets.

International visitors to Victoria accounted for AUD$3.8 billion in visitor expenditure in 2009. This was an increase of 9.1 per cent on 2008, stronger than the national average (+2.5 per cent) and key competitors New South Wales (+0.6 per cent) and Queensland (-4.1 per cent).

International visitor nights across the country reached 177 million, an increase of 5.5 per cent over the previous year, with 38 million visitor nights spent in Victoria. The number of nights spent in Victoria by overseas visitors represents 22 per cent of international visitor nights spent in Australia.

Regional Victoria recorded a 15.9 per cent increase in international overnight visitor expenditure to reach $313 million, its highest recorded expenditure. International overnight visitors to regional Victoria increased by 1.5 per cent to 319,300. There was also a 1.7 per cent increase year-on-year for visitor nights in regional Victoria, reaching 4.1 million nights in the year ending December 2009.

There were 259,200 international backpacker visitors to Victoria in 2009, an increase of 3.4 per cent over the previous year. This market represented 17 per cent of all international visitors to Victoria. Forty five per cent of all backpackers to Australia visited Victoria.

Most backpackers to Victoria came from the UK (21 per cent) and Europe (40 per cent). The majority of European backpackers came from Germany (11 per cent). Backpackers spent 6.7 million nights in Victoria in 2009 with an average length of stay of 25.8 nights.

Key Results Western Hemisphere

New Zealand
There were 230,700 NZ visitors to Victoria in 2009, a 1.2 per cent increase over the previous year. Nationally, NZ visitation to Australia decreased by 0.2 per cent. NZ visitors spent 2.1 million visitor nights in Victoria in 2009, a 10.3 per cent decrease from 2008.

United Kingdom
There were 201,300 UK visitors to Victoria in 2009, a 3.7 per cent decrease over the previous year. Nationally, UK visitation to Australia decreased by 1.1 per cent. Visitors from the UK spent 3.7 million visitor nights in Victoria in 2009, a 3.4 per cent increase from 2008.

United States
There were 129,500 US visitors to Victoria in 2009, a decrease of 0.5 per cent compared to the previous year. Visitors from the US spent 1.9 million visitor nights in Victoria in 2009, an increase of 12.9 per cent from the previous year (compared to a 6.6 per cent increase nationally).

Germany
There were 59,000 German visitors to Victoria in 2009, a 1.2 per cent decrease over the previous year but representing a market share of 38 per cent. German visitors spent 967,000 visitor nights in Victoria.

For further statistical information see www.tourism.vic.gov.au/facts-and-figures

For media enquiries contact Amy Skelding, Lucy Pennington, Debbie Hindle askelding@bgb.co.uk / lpennington@bgb.co.uk / dhindle@bgb.co.uk 0207 902 2990

Corporate website: www.tourismvictoria.com.au
Consumer website: www.visitmelbourne.com/uk

 

 

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