DOMESTIC CULTURAL TOURISM
According to the National Visitor Survey, the most popular reason for spending time away from home was to go on a holiday. Other reasons were to visit friends and relatives, and travelling for business.
The National Visitor Survey reported that Australians (aged 15 years and over) took 135.6 million day trips in 2008, compared with 147.7 million in 2007. 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 TRA Culture and Heritage Tourism in Australia publication shows that 6% (8.5 million) of day trips were cultural and heritage day trips. A cultural and heritage trip is one that includes visiting or experiencing at least one of the following:
- The theatre, a concert, or other performing art
- A museum or art gallery
- Art, craft workshops or studios
- Festivals, fairs or cultural events
- Aboriginal art, craft and cultural displays
- An Aboriginal site or community
- Historical/heritage buildings, sites or monuments
During 2008, Australians (aged 15 years and over) took 70.5 million overnight trips within Australia. Of this, 14% (9.7 million) were cultural and heritage visitors, who spent a collective 54 million nights away, that involved travelling at least 40 kilometres from home.
Visiting museums or art galleries was the most popular cultural activity for domestic overnight visitors, with 44% attending, compared to 35% of domestic day visitors. Visits to Historical/heritage buildings, sites or monuments attracted 30% of overnight visitors and 24% of day visitors.
2.2 DOMESTIC CULTURAL AND HERITAGE VISITORS, By activity type - 2008 |
|
 | 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 | 22 |
| Visit museums or art galleries | 44 | 35 |
| Visit art/craft workshops/studios | 7 | 8 |
| Attend festivals/fairs or cultural events | 17 | 19 |
| Experience Aboriginal art/craft and cultural displays | 3 | 1 |
| Visit an Aboriginal site/community | 2 | - |
| Visit historical/heritage buildings, sites or monuments | 30 | 24 |
|
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| Source: Tourism Research Australia, Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Australia, 2008. |
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