Australian cities continue to struggle with international tourist spend

Friday, February 3, 2023

Australian Travel & Tourism sector has showed positive signs of recovery, as per the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). However, prolonged border closures in Australia and key markets such as China, means visitor spending numbers are still low compared to many other major cities around the world.

Despite seeing signs of recovery in international visitor spending and more tourists coming back to cities, this has taken longer in Australia due to its key source markets, such as China, also extending their own border closures, as per Cities Economic Impact Report.

The report, which analysed key Travel & Tourism metrics across 82 cities around the world, including contribution to GDP, employment and traveller spend, has been sponsored by Visa and researched in partnership with Oxford Economics.

The analysis in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth shows that, these three Australian cities are beginning to bounce back. Whilst international visitor spend is still on average 46% lower in 2022 than it was in 2019, all three cities are showing strong year-on-year increases.

“As China reopens the future looks bright for Travel & Tourism and the critical contribution it makes to Australia’s economy and jobs. It’s crucial that central and local government continue to recognise the economic and social importance of Travel & Tourism,” Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO said.

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