More Asia tourists traveling to Australia
More Asia tourists traveling to Australia
SYDNEY (AFP): The rapid growth in travel from the booming economies of Asia helped boost tourist arrivals in Australia to another record high of 3.36 million in 1994, according to data released yesterday.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed short-term visitors up 12 percent on the 1993 record total.
Japan was once again the major source country, setting new records ahead of neighboring New Zealand and Britain, with Asian tigers like Singapore and South Korea also sending record numbers here.
New Zealand sent fewer tourists this year but still retained its second place with 14 percent of the total.
Tourism Minister Michael Lee said the growth figures showed tourism policies and marketing initiatives were on track and supported the Tourism Forecasting Council's prediction of 6.3 million visitors in Australia by 2000.
"We have not only built on our success in the traditional markets of the U.K., the U.S., and importantly Japan but the outstanding results for 1994 demonstrate the benefits of targeting the booming economies of our Asian neighbors," Lee said in a statement.
Japanese visitors, who made up 21 percent of arrivals, were up seven per cent to 720,900 and the market is expected to continue growing, although it may be slowed in the short term because of the impact of the Kobe earthquake, the Bureau of Tourism Research warned.
Visitors from South Korea rose 78 percent to 110,700, those from Indonesia rose 48 percent 105,600, from Taiwan 31 percent to 142,500, from Singapore 21 percent to 187,500 and from Hong Kong 19 percent to 109,400).
British visitors made up 10 percent of the total, rising by eight percent, while those from the United States rose three percent.
The bulk of short-term visitors -- 63 percent -- came here for a holiday while 18 percent visited friends or relatives and 10 percent traveled for business reasons.
The number of people immigrating to Australia also rose last year, by 23 percent from 65,680 in 1993 to 80,950.