Tourism Australia (TA) is attributing the 4.5% increase in the overall number of visitors arriving in Australia from the UK, for the year ending November 2013*, to a range of factors including the British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia and the Commonwealth Bank Ashes Series. Global campaigns such as ‘The Best Jobs in the World’ to promote Australia to travellers aged 18-30 have also increased visitation**.    

The UK remains Australia’s most valuable international leisure market in terms of total spend, with UK leisure visitors’ annual total spend reaching the AUD$2.4 billion mark contributing 15% of the total spend for all inbound leisure visitors to Australia.

The UK is also Australia’s most valuable leisure market in terms of visitor nights and dispersed nights***.

Denise von Wald, Regional General Manager UK/Northern Europe, Tourism Australia says:

“Australia remains one of the number one destinations that British holidaymakers most want to visit, but our challenge is to convert desire into actual intention to travel. Our ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ campaign resonates well in the UK market and by working with airlines, distribution and media partners we are moving the dial, taking advantage of the improving economic climate and increasing consumer confidence over here.

“Globally Tourism Australia is working towards increasing the overall expenditure of visitors in line with our 2020 Strategy. In the UK we focus on attracting affluent long haul travellers aged over 50 and Working Holiday Makers aged 18-30. These two segments provide us with the best opportunity to increase overall tourism expenditure out of this market.”

Activities for Tourism Australia in the UK market in the early part of 2014 include co-operative advertising campaigns with leading airline partners; the launch of ‘John Torode’s Australia’ - a ten part TV series to be shown on the Good Food Channel; the development of new training and incentive initiatives for travel agents; co-operative work with leading youth operator STA Travel; and the development of the Restaurant Australia concept to raise awareness of the destinations’ excellent food and wine credentials and experiences.

For more information visit www.tourism.australia.com

-ends-

Notes to editors:

Destination images can be accessed at www.images.australia.com

* Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics for the year ending November 2013.

** For the year ending September 2013, visitors arriving from the UK aged 20-29 years were up 4% compared to the 12 month period ending September 2012. Source: International Visitor Survey for the year ending September 2013.

*** The following figures are from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) for the 12 month period ending September 2013:

•       The UK is Australia’s most valuable international leisure market in terms of total spend.

–      UK leisure visitors’ annual total spend was AUD$2.4 billion up 13% on the previous 12 month period, and contributing 15% of the total spend for all inbound leisure visitors to Australia (Total Leisure spend= AUD$15.1 billion)

•       The UK is Australia’s most valuable international leisure market in terms of visitor nights.

–      UK leisure visitors spent 19.0 million nights in Australia, contributing 16% of the total inbound leisure visitor nights in Australia (Total Leisure visitor nights = 115.4 million)

•       The UK is Australia’s most valuable international leisure market in terms of dispersed nights.

–      7.9 million of UK leisure visitor nights are spent outside Sydney/ Brisbane/ Melbourne/ Perth, contributing 19% of the total dispersed leisure visitor nights in Australia (Total dispersed leisure visitor nights = 41.95 million).

For more information please contact:
Margo Field, Emma Bunning or Emma Humphreys

Tourism Australia, on 020 7438 4659 or mfield@tourism.australia.com; ebunning@tourism.australia.com; ehumphreys@tourism.australia.com
@AustraliaPRUK