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1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2007  
Previous ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2007   
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Contents >> Tourism >> International visitor arrivals

INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS

There were 5.5 million short-term international visitor arrivals in 2005 up 5% from 2004. This is the highest number of arrivals ever recorded in a year.

External events such as terrorism and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome scare coincided with the decrease in arrivals between 2001 and 2003.

21.5 SHORT-TERM MOVEMENTS(a), International visitor arrivals 21.5 Short-term movements, International visitor arrivals


The top source countries for short-term international visitor arrivals to Australia during 2005 were New Zealand (1,098,700 visitor arrivals), followed by United Kingdom (708,300), Japan (685,500) and the United States of America (446,200) (table 21.6).

Between 2004 and 2005 the number of short-term international visitor arrivals from New Zealand increased by 66,000; from Korea by 38,500; from China by 33,700; and from the United Kingdom by 32,100. Arrivals from Japan and Malaysia decreased by 24,900 and 900 respectively.


21.6 SHORT-TERM INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS, By major source countries
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
’000
’000
’000
’000
'000
New Zealand
814.8
790.2
839.1
1,032.7
1,098.7
United Kingdom
617.3
642.7
673.0
676.2
708.3
Japan
673.6
715.4
627.8
710.4
685.5
United States of America
446.5
434.4
422.2
433.3
446.2
China (excl. SARs and Taiwan Prov.)
158.0
190.1
176.1
251.3
285.0
Singapore
296.1
286.9
253.4
251.2
265.3
Korea, Rupublic of (South)
175.6
189.7
207.2
211.9
250.4
Malaysia
149.5
159.0
155.6
166.8
165.9
Germany
147.7
134.7
137.8
140.6
146.4
Hong Kong (SAR of China)
154.3
151.0
129.1
137.2
159.5
Source: Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia (3401.0).


In 2005 people whose main purpose for their trip was a holiday accounted for the highest share (57%) and employment accounted for the lowest share (2%) of short-term international visitor arrivals to Australia (graph 21.7).

21.7 INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS, By main purpose of trip - 2005 21.7 International visitor arrivals, By main purpose of trip - 2005


December accounted for the highest number of visitor arrivals (10.9% of total arrivals) in 2005, while May accounted for the lowest (6.4%) (graph 21.8).

21.8 INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS, By month of visit - 2005 21.8 International visitor arrivals, By month of visit - 2005


International visitor nights refers to the number of nights all international visitors aged 15 years and over spent in Australia.

In 2005, international visitors in Australia spent the most nights in New South Wales (48.7 million or 36.1%), followed by Queensland (30.0 million or 22.3%) and Victoria (20.1 million or 20.1%) (graph 21.9).

21.9 Short-term international visitor nights - 2005


Of all international visitors in 2005, nights spent in Australia by those who travelled for holiday purposes accounted for 39% of short-term international visitor nights; 18% of nights were to visit friends and relatives; and 7% were for business purposes (graph 21.10).

21.10 Short-term international visitor nights, By main purpose of trip - 2005


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