Scope of the TSA

23.12    The ATSA measures the direct impacts of tourism only. Indirect impacts are outside the scope of the ATSA; however, they are measured by Tourism Research Australia (TRA).

23.13    A direct impact occurs where there is a direct relationship (physical and economic) between a visitor and a producer of a good or service.

23.14    The central statistical entity in tourism statistics is the ''visitor''. The scope of tourism in the international standards comprises the activity of visitors. A visitor is defined as: a traveller taking a trip outside their usual environment, for less than a year, for any main purpose (business, leisure or other personal purpose) other than to be employed by a resident entity in the country or place visited.

23.15    If a person stays in the one place for longer than one year, their centre of economic and social interest is deemed to be in that place, so they no longer qualify as a visitor.

23.16    The following types of persons are not considered to be visitors:

• persons for whom travel is an intrinsic part of their job (e.g., bus driver, air crew);
• persons who travel for the purpose of being admitted to or detained in a residential facility such as a hospital, prison or long stay care;
• persons who are travelling as part of a move to a new permanent residence;
• persons who are undertaking military duties; and
• persons who are travelling between two parts of their usual environment.

23.17    Visitors can be classified into national and international visitors. 

• National/domestic visitors consist of Australian residents who travel outside their usual environment within Australia. They include both overnight visitors (staying one or more nights at a location and who travel over 40 km round trip) and same day visitors (travel over 50 km round trip). National/domestic visitors are split into the following categories:
  • Business/government:  Visitors travelling for business or government purposes. All expenses incurred during these trips are attributed to the business/government travel purpose, regardless of whether the expenditure is for business or personal reasons.
  • Household:  Visitors travelling for leisure and/or visiting family and friends.
• International
  • Visitors who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence.