Chinese visitors to Australia continue to arrive in record numbers according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Overseas Arrivals and Departures figures for August 2010.
Arrivals from six of Australia's top ten inbound markets were higher in August 2010 (compared to August 2009). The largest increases were from China (up 57 per cent), Japan (up 53 per cent) and Hong Kong (up 24 per cent). Decreases in arrivals were recorded from the United Kingdom (down 5.9 per cent), Germany (down 3.3 per cent) and the United States of America (down 2.9 per cent). Arrivals from New Zealand were unchanged
Travel for business grew by 11.6 per cent driven by visitors from New Zealand (27 per cent of all business visitors) and the United States of America (14.5 per cent). Holiday travel grew by 10.4 per cent compared to August 2009.
The Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP, welcomed the results, underlining the significance of new markets such as China as well as traditional markets like Japan.
"These figures reflect what we know about the Chinese travel market, it's big and it's coming our way," Minister Ferguson said.
"This market is currently worth $2.8 billion to the Australian tourism industry and that figure is expected to grow by ten per cent a year to $5.5 billion in 2017.
"The Australian Government has committed $30 million in marketing into China over the next few years and we have committed to the China Approved Destination Status Scheme which encourages group leisure travel from China.
"The resurgence of business travel is also good news. Business travellers are high yielding customers and assist with the profitability of our airlines, hotels, restaurants, attractions and many other tourism businesses.
"The rise in outbound travel is not surprising given the high Australian dollar and the strength of our economy.
"Tourism Australia continues to encourage Australians to take their annual leave and have a short break here in Australia through their No Leave No Life campaign.
Collectively Australians have 118 million days of accumulated annual leave worth $33 billion in wages and we want to encourage them to use this as an opportunity for a holiday here in Australia."
A second series of the highly successful No Leave No Life television program will be going to air in early December and a colour magazine will be distributed through the News Ltd papers this weekend, encouraging Australians to take up any one of 52 short break ideas.
The complete ABS figures are available at www.abs.gov.au.