4172.0 - Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/12/2011   
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Contents >> Tourism >> International and Domestic Cultural Tourism

International and Domestic Cultural Tourism

A person is defined as a cultural and heritage visitor if they participate in at least one of the following activities or experiences during their trip:

  • attend the theatre, a concert, or other performing arts event
  • visit a museum or art gallery
  • visit art and/or craft workshop or studio
  • attend a festival, fair or similar cultural event
  • experience Aboriginal art, craft or cultural display
  • visit an Aboriginal site or community
  • visit an historical and/or heritage building, site or monument.


International

According to Tourism Research Australia's Snapshots 2009 Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Australia, the 2009 International Visitor Survey found that more than half (51%) of all overseas visitors attended at least one cultural attraction while in Australia.

Of Australia's 2.6 million international cultural and heritage visitors in 2009, 62% reported Visiting historical/heritage buildings, sites or monuments and 57% had Visited a museum or art gallery. Only 11% of international cultural and heritage visitors reported Visiting an Aboriginal site or community.

2.1 OVERSEAS CULTURAL AND HERITAGE VISITORS, By activity type - 2009

Percentage of overseas cultural and heritage visitors
Type of cultural and heritage tourism activity
%

Attend theatre, concerts or other performing arts
24
Visit museums or art galleries
57
Visit art/craft workshops/studios
17
Attend festivals/fairs or cultural events
22
Experience Aboriginal art/craft and cultural displays
20
Visit an Aboriginal site/community
11
Visit historical/heritage buildings, sites or monuments
62

Source: Tourism Research Australia 2009, Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Australia, 2009.


Visitors from Other Asia (i.e. Asia excluding China, Japan, Korea and Singapore) accounted for 16% of all international cultural and heritage visitors. The United Kingdom and New Zealand accounted for a further 15% and 13% respectively. The most popular destinations for both international and domestic cultural heritage visitors were New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, although participation in cultural and heritage activities was higher in the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania.

International cultural and heritage visitors spent $16,292m on trips to Australia in 2009. The average amount spent per trip was $6,280 compared with other international visitors who spent on average $3,832. It is likely that this higher spend was due to the longer average length of stay (45 nights compared with other international visitors who spent 23 nights on average).


Domestic

According to the 2009 National Visitor Survey, the most popular reason for spending time away from home was to go on a holiday (50%). Other reasons were to visit friends and relatives (30%) and travelling for business (14%).

The National Visitor Survey reported that Australians aged 15 years and over took 144.4 million day trips in 2009, compared with 135.6 million in 2008. A day trip is a round trip distance of at least 50 kilometres, with the traveller being away from home for at least four hours, but not overnight. Routine travel such as commuting between work and home is excluded.

Data from the 2009 TRA Culture and Heritage Tourism in Australia publication shows that 9.5 million domestic day trips were cultural and heritage day trips.

During 2009, Australians aged 15 years and over took 66.1 million overnight trips within Australia. Of these, 14% (9.3 million) were cultural and heritage visitors, who spent a collective 50 million nights at least 40 kilometres from home.

Visiting museums or art galleries was the most popular cultural activity for both domestic overnight visitors and day trippers with attendance of 43% and 36% respectively. Visits to historical/heritage buildings, sites or monuments attracted 29% of overnight visitors and 25% of day visitors.

2.2 DOMESTIC CULTURAL AND HERITAGE VISITORS, By activity type - 2009

Percentage of domestic overnight cultural and heritage visitors
Percentage of domestic day cultural and heritage visitors
Type of cultural and heritage tourism activity
%
%

Attend theatre, concerts or other performing arts
23
23
Visit museums or art galleries
43
36
Visit art/craft workshops/studios
6
5
Attend festivals/fairs or cultural events
19
20
Experience Aboriginal art/craft and cultural displays
3
2
Visit an Aboriginal site/community
2
1
Visit historical/heritage buildings, sites or monuments
29
25

Source: Tourism Research Australia 2009, Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Australia, 2009.


According to Tourism Research Australia's Snapshots 2009 Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Australia, domestic overnight cultural and heritage visitors spent $9,600m in 2009. The average amount spent per trip was $1,030 compared with those not participating in cultural and heritage activities, who spent on average $578 per trip.




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