Chinese visitors are spending big in Victoria as Queensland catches up quickly in March tourism arrival figures.
Both states relied on Tourism Research Australia data for the figures.
The Queensland government says of the 2.4 million overseas visitors to their state in 12 months to March and spent $8.2bn, Chinese spending shot up 90.6% to $1.6 billion.
In Victoria, spending by Chinese tourists rose 23.5% to the $3.6 billion mark for the same period; more than 2.9 million overseas visitors spent $10.5 billion, up 16.7%.
The Queensland Government says the $8.2bn revenue is 17.3% more than expected as overseas visitor spending rose 35.2 % compared to 20.5% nationally.
The state hosted 2.4 million overseas visitors (up 12.7%) thanks to 1.4 million tourists (up 11%) who spent $3.8 billion (up 32.5%) and education-related travellers spending $2.2 billion (up 72.6%).
CHINESE TOP SPENDERS
China was the top source market for spending followed by New Zealand ($986.3m, up 19.1%), United Kingdom ($634.9m, 20.8%), Japan ($579.9m), USA ($494.8m), Korea ($398.3m) and France ($213.3m).
UK visitor spending was driven by attending events like the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, 2025 Lions Tour (rugby union) and the Ashes cricket series in Brisbane.
There was record spending across the state’s five tourism regions: Brisbane hit a record $4.1bn followed by Gold Coast ($1.5bn), Tropical North Queensland ($1.3bn), Whitsundays ($271.8m) and southern Great Barrier Reef ($143.1m).
Queensland recorded $45.5bn in spending (overseas and domestic), up 4.4% or $1.93bn greater than estimated.
Domestic visitors spent $37.3bn and surpassed expectations by 2%, the government says.
Queensland welcomed 26.1 million domestic overnight visitors during the period, while daytrip expenditure surged to a record $10 billion.
Tourism Minister Andrew Powell says they are making the state the country’s holiday capital by attracting major events to bring more visitors.
“These results show our tourism industry is growing strongly supporting jobs, businesses and communities across the state.”
Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Craig Davidson says the results point to the appeal of Queensland’s tourism industry.
“Record international visitor expenditure, supported by steady domestic demand, is underpinning Queensland’s $45.5 billion visitor economy,” Mr Davidson said.
“We are seeing the benefits of increased aviation connectivity, targeted marketing and continued investment in experiences and events that are converting demand into visitation.”
VICTORIAN FIGURES
The Victorian Government says visitor spending rose by 6.5% to a record $48.6 billion; more than 2.9 million overseas visitors spent $10.5 billion (up 16.7%) including $774m in regional areas.
Other spending records came from United Kingdom visitors (up by 37% to $575m) and US visitors (up 33.8% to $430m).
Acting Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos says the numbers spell “good news” for cafes, restaurants and hotels.
Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements says they are eyeing future growth in the domestic market.
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