Attracting international tourists

The Good Oil by Rod Brown *

International tourism is a particularly important segment of the tourism industry, not just because there are almost five million overseas visitors arriving here each year, spending $11.5 billion (excluding airfares). We tend to forget that most foreign tourists return home as quiet ambassadors for Australia, with a heightened appreciation of our society, culture and general way of life. It softens the stereotypes put about in the international press about us as beer swilling racists, dodging crocodiles and sharks.

It is interesting to reflect on who visits our shores. The Kiwis are the most numerous (18% of the total) with well trodden paths to Sydney and the Gold Coast.

The Brits (14%), Japanese (1 %) and the Americans (9%) are the other main sources, and they comprise a complex set of niche markets – backpackers, packaged tours, family reunions, combined business-pleasure trips and so forth.

USA visitation actually continues to grow strongly, which is surprising given the tendency of US citizens to stay closer to home in troubled times – the so called cocoon effect.

And then there’s the intrepid travellers – the Germans, Nordics and Canadians – who love to hit the outback. All this is good news in the light of factors working against the industry, such as the lingering fears about SARS, the cost of aviation fuel, Iraq and security issues.

OVERSEAS VISITOR ARRIVALS IN AUSTRALIA, 2003