Australia has witnessed 253,100 Indian arrivals as of year ended October 2016, compared to over 200,000 in 2015, marking a growth of 11.3 per cent vis-a-vis the same period last year, and making India the ninth largest inbound market for Australia. October 2016 alone saw 20,400 Indian arrivals to the destination, a growth of 24 per cent over the same period in 2015. The holiday purpose of visit has driven the overall market growth with 20 per cent and 19 per cent increase in arrivals and spend respectively.
Nishant Kashikar, country manager, India and Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, “We are elated that arrivals from India into Australia have witnessed a consistent growth trajectory over the years. The recent arrival statistics are a testimony to the fact that Australia’s diverse tourism offerings have been recognised and appreciated by the Indian traveller, and the country is gaining momentum as the preferred holiday destination for the market. Leveraging the continually increasing interest in Australia, we will continue to drive innovative and focused promotional activities.”
Marketing activities, in collaboration with key distribution and airline partners, an increased thrust on digital initiatives and improved air connectivity between the two countries have been identified as key factors in boosting travel to Australia. To support the travel trade distribution network, Tourism Australia runs the ‘Aussie Specialist Program’, an online training initiative for travel representatives on the destination.
The Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) has predicted 265,000 visitors from India for the July 2016 to June 2017 period, a 9.6 per cent increase over 2015-2016. Arrivals from India are expected to perform well with an average annual financial year growth rate of 6.4 per cent through to the financial year 2021-2022.
Source for visitor arrivals data: International Visitor Survey, Tourism Research Australia.
