1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
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Contents >> Tourism >> International inbound tourism - Expenditure

In 1999-2000, international visitors to Australia spent an average of $4,066 on each trip. Visitors from China spent the most, averaging $6,070, followed by those from the United States of America ($5,899), 'Other Europe' ($5,411) and Indonesia ($5,279). The lowest average expenditure, $1,808 per visitor, was by visitors from New Zealand (table 22.12).

The largest expenditure items for visitors from Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and New Zealand were prepaid international airfares and food, drink and accommodation. The only exception was visitors from Germany, with a quarter of their total expenditure on package tours. Visitors from the United States of America spent about one-fifth (18%) of their total expenditure on food, drink and accommodation, around one-quarter (26%) on package tours and just over a third (35%) on prepaid international airfares (table 22.12).

Visitors from Asian countries also spent relatively large amounts on food, drink and accommodation. However, for most of these countries education fees also accounted for a large proportion of their total expenditure, with visitors from Indonesia and China spending an average of $1,400 and $1,076 respectively on education. The most notable exception to this trend were visitors from Japan, with more than half of their total expenditure going to package tours.


22.12 AVERAGE VISITOR EXPENDITURE - 1999-2000

Items of expenditure

Package tours
Prepaid international
airfares
Transport(a)
Food, drink
and accomm-
odation
Shopping
Entertainment and gambling
Education
fees
Other(b)
Total
Country/region of residence
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

New Zealand
219
422
179
520
334
55
9
70
1,808
Germany
1,302
1,372
847
1,177
307
65
16
73
5,159
United Kingdom
857
1,713
608
1,267
348
107
4
91
4,995
Other Europe
1,027
1,559
730
1,336
385
90
160
124
5,411
Indonesia
276
625
599
1,228
612
257
1,400
282
5,279
Malaysia
291
514
238
808
463
178
835
142
3,469
Singapore
423
574
332
719
434
167
533
105
3,287
Hong Kong (SAR of China)
609
700
474
963
526
159
721
120
4,272
Japan
2,062
320
266
347
630
59
88
33
3,804
Korea
857
573
305
909
570
180
531
104
4,030
Taiwan
887
504
215
586
577
100
517
93
3,479
Thailand
327
667
284
1,087
522
151
924
175
4,137
China
743
887
468
1,369
740
612
1,076
175
6,070
Other Asia
280
984
310
783
548
152
485
97
3,638
United States of America
1,510
2,044
505
1,055
371
82
227
105
5,899
Canada
692
1,646
581
1,199
349
98
101
106
4,772
Other countries
359
1,109
333
674
502
76
147
107
3,307
All countries
913
985
412
853
451
109
248
95
4,066

(a) Includes: organised tours; international airfares bought in Australia; domestic airfares; other transport fares; self-drive cars, rent-a-cars, campervans; petrol and oil for self-drive cars or other vehicles; and motor vehicles.
(b) Includes: phone, Internet, fax and postage; convention registration fees; medical expenses; and other expenses not elsewhere specified.

Source: Bureau of Tourism Research, 'National Visitor Survey'.


People visiting for 'other' reasons (e.g. education, employment, health) had the highest average expenditure ($7,126 per person) (table 22.13). These visitors spent just over half their total expenditure on food, drink and accommodation (26%) and education fees (25%). Business visitors had the next highest average expenditure ($3,941). Their largest expenditure items were prepaid international airfares and food, drink and accommodation (42% and 27% of total expenditure respectively).


22.13 AVERAGE VISITOR EXPENDITURE, By expenditure item and main purpose of trip - 1999-2000

Main purpose of trip

Business
Visiting friends
and relatives
Holiday
All other reasons
Total
Expenditure item
$
$
$
$
$

Package tours
378
174
1,373
599
913
Prepaid international airfares
1,662
1,228
690
1,180
985
Transport(a)
270
270
414
774
412
Food, drink and accommodation
1,065
499
703
1,842
853
Shopping
337
433
471
516
451
Entertainment and gambling
80
105
98
199
109
Education fees
6
77
28
1,754
248
Other(b)
144
57
57
263
95
All items
3,941
2,843
3,834
7,126
4,066

(a) Includes: organised tours; international airfares bought in Australia; domestic airfares; other transport fares; self-drive cars, rent-a-cars, campervans; petrol and oil for self-drive cars or other vehicles; and motor vehicles.
(b) Includes: phone, Internet, fax and postage; convention registration fees; medical expenses; and other expenses not elsewhere specified.

Source: Bureau of Tourism Research, 'National Visitor Survey'.



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