Minister Barr: International visitors and their spend at new record level
- Written by ACT Government
Released 02/11/2018
International visitors continue to flock to Canberra with records broken in terms of their numbers, nights they stayed and money spent while in the ACT.
For the year ending June 2018, the number of international overnight visitors jumped to 248,914 representing a 12.4 per cent growth on June 2017 Tourism Research Australia figures, which was double the national average.
The International Visitor Survey released today for the year ending June 2018 showed these visitors injected a record $647.4 million into the ACT economy – a growth of 20.9 per cent in the past 12 months.
Our international visitors stayed for another record total of 5,688,836 nights, up 24.1 per cent from the previous year and well ahead of the national growth rate of 1.4 per cent. The visitors are also staying longer, averaging 22.9 nights.
China remains Canberra’s largest source market at 19.0 per cent of international visitors followed by the United States of America (9.5 per cent), the United Kingdom (8.2 per cent), New Zealand (7.3 per cent) and India (5.7 per cent).
Travel trade events, engagement with travel trade and media as well as cooperative campaigns with online travel agents and Singapore Airlines form the basis of the ACT Government’s proactive marketing efforts to promote the destination internationally. Singapore Airlines’ move to daily flights from May as well as the commencement of Qatar Airways’ flights earlier this year are a signal of international confidence in the destination.
The ACT Government continues to work towards its goal of growing the ACT’s overnight visitor expenditure to $2.5 billion by 2020.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
