Gold Coast

2013/14 Financial-Year

Tourism Industry Report

Professor Susanne Becken Dr Char-Lee McLennan Dr Sarah Gardiner Ms Cassie Wardle

Griffith Institute for Tourism Research Report Series

Report No 5

February 2015

Gold Coast

2013/14 Financial-Year

Tourism Industry Report

Professor Susanne Becken

Dr Char-Lee McLennan

Dr Sarah Gardiner

Ms Cassie Wardle

Griffith Institute for Tourism Research Report No 5

February 2015

ISSN 2203-4862 (Print)

ISSN 2203-4870 (Online)

ISBN 978-1-922216-61-8

Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

ii

Peer Reviewer

Mr Ben Pole, Gold Coast Tourism Ms Toni Brownlee, City of Gold Coast

About this report:

This Gold Coast 2013/14 Full-Year Tourism Industry Report provides a consistent collation

and analysis of macro and micro tourism statistics, research, and trends.

The ongoing bi-annual series of Gold Coast Half-Year and Full-Year Tourism Industry

Reports are commissioned by the Gold Coast Tourism Corporation and the City of Gold

Coast, and prepared independently by the Griffith Institute for Tourism.

These Reports are produced for, and provided to, the Gold Coast tourism industry and

general public as a reliable source of tourism intelligence.

Disclaimer:

Information is provided in good faith based on information sourced from government or

reputable companies. By using this information you acknowledge that this information is

provided by Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT), Gold Coast Tourism Corporation (GCT), and

the City of Gold Coast (CoGC) to you without any responsibility on behalf of GIFT, GCT,

CoGC. You agree to release and indemnify GIFT, GCT, CoGC for any loss or damage that

you may suffer as a result of your reliance on this information. GIFT, GCT, CoGC does not

represent or warrant that this information is correct, complete or suitable for the purpose for

which you wish to use it. The information is provided to you on the basis that you will use

your own skill and judgement, and make your own enquiries to independently evaluate,

assess and verify the information’s correctness, completeness and usefulness to you before

you rely on the information.

Disclaimer:

In January 2014, Tourism Research Australia (TRA) introduced mobile phone interviewing

on the National Visitor Survey to supplement existing residential fixed line interviewing in

order to provide better coverage of the Australian population. This has resulted in a break in

series because the travel patterns of people interviewed on mobile phones differ from those

of people interviewed on residential fixed lines. Consequently, readers of this report are

advised that the domestic visitor results should be interpreted with caution. For further

information please refer to: http://www.tra.gov.au/Fact-sheet-2014-Updates-to-the-IVS-

NVS.html

Note: The International and National Visitor Surveys are conducted separately with their own

methodologies; therefore care should be taken when considering their combined results.

iii

Organisations involved

Professor Susanne Becken, Griffith University Dr Char-Lee McLennan, Griffith University Dr Sarah Gardiner, Griffith University Ms Cassie Wardle, Griffith University About Griffith University Griffith University is a top ranking University based in South East Queensland, Australia. Griffith University hosts the Griffith Institute for Tourism, a world-leading institute for quality research into tourism. Through its activities and an external Advisory Board, the Institute links university-based researchers with the business sector and organisations, as well as local, state and federal government bodies. For more information, visit www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-institute-tourism .

© Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith University 2014 This information may be copied or reproduced electronically and distributed to others without restriction, provided the Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT) is acknowledged as the source of information. Under no circumstances may a charge be made for this information without the express permission of GIFT, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. GIFT Research Report Series URL: www.griffith.edu.au/business-government/griffith-institute-tourism/publications/research-report-series

1

1. Executive Summary

Total Overnight Visitation

2%

In the year ending June 2014, total international and domestic overnight visitation to the Gold Coast fell 2% (or by 84,000 visitors) to 4,348,000 visitors, of which 19% were international visitors.

Average Length of Stay

0.1 nights

Average length of stay by total international and domestic overnight visitors on the Gold Coast improved very slightly, up 0.1 nights to 5.2 nights.

Total Visitor Expenditure

4%

Total visitor expenditure to the Gold Coast increased 4%, exceeding the rate of inflation by 1%. Much of the growth in total expenditure was achieved by in the international market.

Domestic Overnight Visitation

3%

The domestic market was the source of the softening in visitation to the Gold Coast, with domestic overnight visitors down 3% and their total expenditure in the region remaining flat. While domestic overnight holiday visitation to the Gold Coast was steady, those travelling overnight to visit friends and relatives and for business declined.

Domestic Daytrip Visitation

9%

Daytrip visitation to the Gold Coast fell 9%, however, expenditure per day trip increased 10%. The Brisbane market was the primary source of the declines in daytrip visitation.

International Visitation

5%

International visitors to the Gold Coast increased 5%, with international nights up 11%. A 2% growth in expenditure per night combined with increases in visitation and length of stay drove an overall increase of 13% in international visitors’ expenditure in the region. Recent growth in the international market has been primarily from the holiday visitors (up 9% or 53,000 visitors).

Key Source Markets

China

New Zealand

The Gold Coast’s key international source market continues to be China, followed closely by New Zealand. The New Zealand market has rebounded strongly, up 9% (or 15,000 visitors) during the period. Other markets with good growth during the period included Malaysia (up 40% or 9,000 visitors) and China (up 4% or 7,000 visitors).

Tourism on the Gold Coast – Key Highlights for the year ending June 2014

Tourism directly contributes $4.88 billion to the Gold Coast economy

Total visitor expenditure increased 4%

International visitors to the Gold Coast increased 5%

Total hotel revenue increased 7.1%

2

Gold Coast airport passenger movements

0.8%

Total passenger movements at Gold Coast Airport (OOL) was flat (down just -0.8%) during the year ending June 2014. Comparatively, total passenger movements at Brisbane Airport (BNE) increased by 1.9% for the year.

Total Hotel Revenue

7%

The total number of hotel rooms sold on the Gold Coast increased 4%, with the average occupancy rate improving 2.1 percentage points and total hotel revenue increasing 7%.

Theme Park Revenue

3-4%

The Ardent Leisure Group and Village Roadshow, the two major operators of the Gold Coast’s theme parks, recorded 3.1% and 3.7% growth in revenue, respectively, achieved by their Theme Park portfolios.

Business Confidence

High

According to Griffith University’s Business Confidence Index, business confidence in tourism on the Gold Coast remains high. Chinese investment in the Gold Coast has sparked a renewal phase in the region and there are a number of investment initiatives in place to drive future tourism growth.

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 1

2. Gold Coast Travel Trends ........................................................................................... 4 2.1. Context ..................................................................................................................... 4

2.2. Total visitation to the Gold Coast ........................................................................... 4

2.3. Domestic Visitors .................................................................................................... 5

2.4. International Visitors ............................................................................................... 6

3. Gold Coast Competitiveness Analysis ...................................................................... 7

4. Gold Coast Industry Indicators .................................................................................. 8 4.1. Accommodation ...................................................................................................... 8

4.2. Gold Coast Airport .................................................................................................. 9

4.3. Theme Parks .......................................................................................................... 10

4.4. Business Sentiment .............................................................................................. 10

5. Australian Travel Trends .......................................................................................... 11 5.1. Context ................................................................................................................... 11

5.2. Total Visitation in Australia .................................................................................. 12

5.1. Domestic Visitors .................................................................................................. 12

5.2. International Visitors ............................................................................................. 12

5.3. Outbound travel by Australians ........................................................................... 13

6. Global Travel Trends ................................................................................................. 14

7. Tourism Insights: Chinese Special Interest Tourism.............................................. 16

8. Data tables ................................................................................................................. 17

9. Data sources and timeline of release: ..................................................................... 26

4

2. Gold Coast Travel Trends

2.1. Context

Locally, several initiatives, events and activities have benefitted tourism businesses on the

Gold Coast during the year ending June 2014. The Theme Park Capital campaign ($15

million) has been rolled out with a major advertising phase occurring in November 2013,

followed by two more phases in February and March 2014.

Griffith University’s Business Confidence Index reported that visitation to the Gold Coast has

been enhanced by the unusual warm and dry autumn weather. The Bureau of Meteorology

reported a total rainfall of 550.6 mm for the period of January to June, which is well below

the long-term average of 994.2 mm at the Southport weather station.

During 2014 the Light Rail project commenced operation, which aims to connect the major

tourist areas on the Gold Coast, including Southport, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and

Broadbeach. This caused a period of disruption in key tourist areas of the Gold Coast.

2.2. Total visitation to the Gold Coast

In the year ending June 2014, total international and domestic

visitation to the Gold Coast fell 2% (or by 84,000 visitors) to 4,348,000

visitors, of which 19% were international visitors. During the same

period daytrip visitation to the Gold Coast also fell by 9% to 6,710,000

trips; however the 5-year average remained positive at 3% growth.

Average length of stay improved slightly, up 0.1

nights to 5.2 nights on average. During the

period total visitor expenditure to the Gold

Coast increased 4%, exceeding the rate of

inflation by 1%. The 5-year average growth rate

of expenditure was 1% (refer to Data Table 1).

Figure 1 shows total visitor expenditure on the

Gold Coast, revealing that the main source of

On any given day

there are 80,900

visitors in the

Gold Coast

Tourism Region

The number of total visitor nights

spent in Brisbane and the Gold Coast

is forecast to increase by 38.5% over

the next 10 years, above the 30.6%

average predicted for Queensland

(Tourism Research Australia, 2014).

Gold Coast Investment Trends

The Gold Coast is entering a phase of major redevelopment and investment. Jupiter’s Casino

announced a $340 million redevelopment prior to the Commonwealth Games. Pacific Fair has

started its $670 million redevelopment to be completed in 2016. A $15 million Australia Fair West

Redevelopment has been announced. Developments in Southport’s new Chinatown are

progressing. The single largest source market for foreign investment in land is China (31% of

total). Key projects include: Ridong Group - Jewel Project (joint venture), Carrara Development

site, Wanda Group - Jewel Project (joint venture), Sanbano Group - Coolangatta and Southport

development projects, Jiangxi Dong Run Investment Holding Co Ltd - Versace Hotel, Main

Beach, and Garuda GC Corporation (Xi’an WenHua Industrial Co) - Star of the Sea site.

5

income from tourism is derived from the domestic market. Yet, much of the growth in

expenditure is being achieved in the international market1.

Figure 1 Total visitor expenditure on the Gold Coast (Source: Tourism Research Australia).

2.3. Domestic Visitors

In the year ending June 2014, domestic overnight visitors to the Gold Coast softened by 3%

(or 126,000 visitors) to 3,538,000 visitors2. As a result of the decline in visitation, nights

spent on the Gold Coast also fell 4% (or by 534,000 visitors). Domestic expenditure in the

Gold Coast tourism region increased 3% (or by $90 million) (refer to Data Table 2).

Holiday visitation to the Gold Coast during the period was flat at 2,188,000 visitors. Visiting

friends and relatives and business travel accounted for 962,000 and 321,000 visitors on the

Gold Coast, respectively, and were the source of the declines in overnight trips to the region.

The key source markets of domestic overnight visitation to the Gold Coast were Brisbane

(1,079,000 visitors), Sydney (462,000 visitors), Melbourne (349,000 visitors), North Coast

New South Wales (202,000 visitors), the Darling Downs (171,000 visitors) and the Sunshine

Coast (161,000 visitors).

While the last 5-years has seen an average annual growth rate of 3% in daytrip visitation to

the Gold Coast, in the year ending June 2014 day trips declined 9% (or by 691,000 visitors).

Despite this, expenditure per visitor increased by 10% (or by $10) (refer to Data Table 3).

Eight-five percent of day trips to the Gold Coast occur for leisure. The Brisbane market is the

key source market for daytrips to the Gold Coast, accounting for 4,363,000 trips, and this

market was the primary source of the declines in daytrip visitation. It is probable that the

1 Note: Tourism Research Australia (TRA) only collects expenditure data at the national level. To estimate expenditure at the

state and regional level, TRA employs the Regional Expenditure Model (REX). However, the REX model only provides limited top-line information for regional areas and is not disaggregated by purpose of visit or source market. 2 Note: The total sample size for overnight visitors to the Gold Coast is around 1,400. Once this sample is split by source

market and purpose of visit, the accuracy of the estimates is reduced. As there is considerable fluctuation in the time-series data where the sample size is small, only limited information is presented to avoid misrepresentation.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

Jun-10 Jun-11 Jun-12 Jun-13 Jun-14

To

tal

Exp

en

dit

ure

($m

illi

on

)

Year ending

International Domestic daytrip Domestic Overnight

6

Brisbane daytrip visitors to the Gold Coast have converted to overnight visitation, with the

number of Brisbane residents staying overnight on the Gold Coast increasing 8% or by

79,000 overnight visitors.

2.4. International Visitors

In the year ending June 2014 the Gold Coast had strong growth in international visitation,

with an increase of 5% (or 42,000 visitors). International visitors’ average length of stay on

the Gold Coast increased by 0.6 nights (or 6%) to 10.6 nights, resulting in total international

visitor nights in the region increasing 11% (or 882,000 nights) to 8,563,000 nights.

International visitors to the Gold Coast increased their expenditure per night by 2%, which

when combined with increases in visitation and average length of stay drove an overall 13%

increase in expenditure in the region. The result was an additional $115 million being spent

in the region in the year ending June 2014 compared with the previous year (refer to Data

Table 4).

During the period the key international source market to the Gold Coast was China, followed

closely by New Zealand. The New Zealand market rebounded strongly with 9% growth (up

15,000 visitors); but the market is yet to reach peaks achieved in the year ending June 2010.

Other markets that achieved good growth during the period include Malaysia (up 9,000

visitors) and China (up 7,000 visitors). China’s average length of stay in the region was the

lowest of all international source markets at just 5.1 nights (refer to Data Table 5)3.

Most international visitors to the Gold Coast visited for a holiday or to see friends and

relatives. Recent growth has been mainly from the holiday market, which increased by

53,000 visitors during the year ending June 2014 (refer to Data Table 6).

3 Note: Due to the volatility in the visitor night estimates for a number of key source markets over time, only average length of

stay is reported.

7

3. Gold Coast Competitiveness Analysis

In the year ending June 2014, the Gold Coast received 4.5% of all

overnight visitors and 4.8% of all visitor nights in Australia. The

Gold Coast received a greater share of total trip expenditure,

receiving 6% in the year ending June 2014. This share of

expenditure is equivalent to the share received by Brisbane and is

greater than that of the Sunshine Coast and Tropical North

Queensland (refer to Data Table 7).

In the year ending June 2014, the Gold Coast’s market share shifted from 5.2% to 4.8% in

terms of visitor nights (Table 12). Comparatively, destinations with improved market share

included Brisbane (up 0.2% to 5.6%), the Tropical North Queensland (up 0.2% to 3.0%) and

Sydney (up 0.7% to 8.0%), while those that lost market share included the Sunshine Coast

(down 0.2% to 3.6%) and Melbourne (down 0.2% to 7.1%).

At $903, the Gold Coast maintains high average trip expenditure per visitor when compared

to other key regions. Only the Tropical North Queensland has higher average trip

expenditure within the comparative set. The Gold Coast holds a mid-range position for

average expenditure per visitor per night and expenditure on commercial accommodation

per visitor per night (refer to Data Table 8).

The Gold Coast has a 4.1% share of the domestic daytrip market in terms of visitor numbers

and a 3.9% share in terms of trip expenditure. The Gold Coast’s average daytrip expenditure

is $107, just below the $110 average of all daytrips in Australia (refer to Data Table 9).

Comparatively, the Gold Coast has a strong presence in the international market, with 13.2%

of international visitors stopping over in the Gold Coast. However, only 4% of all international

visitor nights and 4.9% of all international visitors’ expenditure is spent on the Gold Coast.

This is low when compared to Cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, but it

is above the share achieved by the Sunshine Coast and Tropical North Queensland (refer to

Data Table 10).

In the year ending June 2014, the Gold Coast’s market share improved shifting from 3.6% to

4.0%. Comparatively, other destinations with improved market share included Sydney (up

1.2% to 28.9%) and the Sunshine Coast (up 0.1% to 1.2%), while Brisbane (down 0.7% to

9.3%), Perth (down 0.4% to 9.8%), Tropical North Queensland (down 0.1% to 2.9%) and

Melbourne (down 0.1% to 19.2%) lost market share.

The Gold Coast’s average international visitors’ regional expenditure is $1,196, which is the

second lowest expenditure in the comparative set, only ahead of the Sunshine Coast. This

result is primarily due to the comparatively lower average length of stay of international

visitors on the Gold Coast. On a per night basis, the Gold Coast has high average

expenditure when compared to other key stopover regions. Only the Tropical North

Queensland has higher average per night expenditure within the comparative set. This is

also the case when considering the Gold Coast in terms of expenditure on commercial

accommodation per visitor per night (refer to Data Table 11).

Gold Coast ranks as

Australia’s No. 6 region

in terms of the number

of nights spent in a

region by overnight

domestic visitors

8

4. Gold Coast Industry Indicators

4.1. Accommodation

The total number of hotel rooms sold on the Gold Coast increased 4% to 4,336,701 rooms

during the year ended June 2014. The average occupancy rate in the period was 69.6%,

which is an increase of 2.1 percentage points from the average of 67.5% achieved in the

previous year. The average occupancy rate was the highest in January 2014 and the lowest

in June 2014.

Figure 2 Gold Coast hotel accommodation occupancy rate by month (Source: Smith Travel Research).

In the year ending June 2014, total hotel revenue on the Gold Coast amounted to $707

million, representing an increase of 7.1% compared with the previous year. During the same

period, the average revenue per available room (RevPAR) was $113, an increase from $107

in the previous year.

Figure 3 Gold Coast hotel accommodation revenue per available room (RevPAR) by month (Source: Smith Travel Research).

64.3 66.9

71.9

78.4

72.3 72.2

83.6

72.7

65.6 69.2

59.6 58.7

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

Jul-

13

Au

g-1

3

Sep

-13

Oct

-13

No

v-1

3

De

c-1

3

Jan

-14

Feb

-14

Mar

-14

Ap

r-1

4

May

-14

Jun

-14

Occ

up

ancy

rat

e (

%)

Month

95.7 99.8 115.5

131.8 115.1

137.1

167.5

109.7 99.1

114.9

89.2 86.0

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

140.0

160.0

180.0

Jul-

13

Au

g-1

3

Sep

-13

Oct

-13

No

v-1

3

De

c-1

3

Jan

-14

Feb

-14

Mar

-14

Ap

r-1

4

May

-14

Jun

-14

Re

ven

ue

pe

r av

aila

ble

ro

om

($

)

Month

9

Occupancy rates on the Gold Coast are lower than in most other destinations, but the

improvement rate has been positive (5.2% increase in occupancy). Revenue per available

room on the Gold Coast is comparable to New Zealand destinations, but lower than other

destinations in Australia, except for Cairns

(Tropical North Queensland) (refer to Data Table

12)4.

4.2. Gold Coast Airport

Total passenger movements at Gold Coast Airport

(OOL) amounted to 5,746,566 for the year ended

June 2014, a minor reduction of -0.8% compared

with the previous year. Domestic passenger travel

continues to account for 84% of all passenger movements. The single busiest month was

January 2014 with 571,284 movements.

Six major international routes service Gold Coast Airport, with the busiest being the

Auckland-Gold Coast route (139,998 passengers in the year ended June 2014). The second

busiest route was the Kuala Lumpur-Gold Coast route with 97,712 passengers. Jetstar

discontinued its Osaka-Gold Coast route in April. Capacity to Malaysia increased as a result

of increased Air Asia X capacity.

Figure 4 Gold Coast Airport domestic and international passenger movements per month (Source: Gold Coast Airport).

Total passenger movements at Brisbane Airport (BNE) amounted to 21,791,997 in the year

ended June 2014. Passenger numbers grew by 1.9% compared with the previous year

ended June 2013. In March 2014, Brisbane became Tiger Air’s third Australian base. The

airline commenced three new routes from Brisbane (Darwin, Cairns and Adelaide).

4 Note: Smith Travel Research (STR) provides hotel occupancy and RevPAR data for key destinations in Australia and New

Zealand the first six months of 2014 (year to date June 2014) compared with the same period of time in 2013.

419,210

391,700

423,901

461,427

392,968

442,102

475,744

350,159

389,347 396,640

351,550

351,019

72,111 72,968

69,540 76,435

70,982

90,859 95,540

76,168 77,532 69,189

62,053 67,422

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

Jul-1

3

Au

g-1

3

Se

p-1

3

Oct-

13

Nov-1

3

Dec-1

3

Jan

-14

Fe

b-1

4

Ma

r-14

Ap

r-14

Ma

y-1

4

Jun

-14

GC

Air

po

rt P

assen

ge

rs

Month

Total Domestic Passengers Total International Passengers

International Comparison: New Zealand

During the year ending June 2014, the

Auckland Regional Tourism Organisation

recorded 6.9 million tourist nights in

commercial accommodation, up 4.7% for

the year. Queenstown saw growth of 9.8%

to 2.9 million nights in commercial

accommodation.

10

Figure 5 Brisbane Airport domestic and international passenger movements year ended June 2014 (Source: Brisbane Airport).

4.3. Theme Parks

The Ardent Leisure Group Theme Parks include Dreamworld, White Water World, and the

SkyPoint Observation Deck and SkyPoint Climb. During the year ending June 2014, Ardent

added the Sky Point Observation deck in their Unlimited Worldpass. Further, the group has

opened the Dreamworld Corroboree indigenous attraction. Ardent reported total revenue of

$100.1 million in the year ended June 2014, representing growth of 3.1% in revenue

compared for the year. Visitation increased by 8.9% to 2.04 million during the period.

Village Roadshow operates Sea World & Sea World Resort & Water Park, Warner Bros.

Movie World and Wet ’n’ Wild on the Gold Coast. For these three operations Village

Roadshow recorded a 3.7% increase in income during the year ended June 2014, reaching

$282.5 million in total revenue. Visitation has remained steady during the period (refer to

Data Table 13).

4.4. Business Sentiment

The Griffith University’s Business Confidence Index, conducted by Spence Consulting (circa

80-100 respondents out of a database of 300 businesses quarterly) gathers data on Gold

Coast business sentiment. Business confidence in general remains positive, in particular

with regards to the property and tourism markets. Eighty-one percent of respondents are

either highly positive or positive about the development of the Gold Coast tourism market.

Sentiments were a little more mixed about the retail market (refer to Data Table 14).

1,513,417

1,457,228

1,440,923

1,547,494

1,443,074

1,477,327

1,371,806

1,223,033

1,390,067

1,409,969

1,324,496

1,375,627

422,994

408,381

413,224 417,161

377,288

442,377

435,473

346,081

360,797 408,538

366,767

391,918

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

Jul-1

3

Au

g-1

3

Se

p-1

3

Oct-

13

Nov-1

3

Dec-1

3

Jan

-14

Fe

b-1

4

Ma

r-14

Ap

r-14

Ma

y-1

4

Jun

-14B

risb

an

e A

irp

ort

Passen

ge

rs

Month

Total Domestic Passengers Total International Passengers

11

5. Australian Travel Trends

5.1. Context

Australia’s economic growth has slowed in recent years, partly due to reduced investment in

the resources sector. In 2014-15, Gross Domestic Product is forecast to grow by 2.5%,

below the 10 year average, however the economy is expected to gradually improve over the

next two years.

Reflecting the slowing in the resources sector,

the year ending June 2014 saw the Australian

dollar weaken slightly against a number of key

currencies. This trend is likely to see

international visitation to Australia improve over

time.

Figure 6 Foreign exchange trends for the Australian dollar (Source: www.oanda.com).

The TTF Mastercard survey shows that tourism sector has generally become less concerned

about the exchange rate as a business impediment over the last year. Indeed, the number of

people citing the exchange rate as a business impediment dropped from 45% of

respondents in the June quarter 2013 to 27% in the June quarter of 2014.

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

1.10

1.20

1.30

1.40

Jul-2

012

Au

g-2

012

Se

p-2

012

Oct-

2012

Nov-2

012

Dec-2

012

Jan

-2013

Fe

b-2

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Ma

r-2013

Ap

r-2013

Ma

y-2

013

Jun

-2013

Jul-2

013

Au

g-2

013

Se

p-2

013

Oct-

2013

Nov-2

013

Dec-2

013

Jan

-2014

Fe

b-2

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Ma

r-2014

Ap

r-2014

Ma

y-2

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Jun

-2014

Exch

an

ge ra

te fo

r CN

Y (C

hin

a)

US

D,

EU

R, N

ZD

& G

BP

Exch

an

ge R

ate

Month

AUD/USD AUD/EURAUD/NZD AUD/GBPAUD/CNY

“The Australian economy is in the midst of

a major transformation, moving from

growth led by investment in resources

projects to broader-based drivers of activity

in non-resources sectors” Treasury (2014),

2014-15 Budget: Economic Outlook

Key facts about Australia in the global tourism context (UNWTO - Tourism Barometer):

Australia ranks 43rd

worldwide in terms of international arrivals with 6.4 million in 2013 (includes

children under 15 years). This position has been maintained in the first 6 months of 2014.

Australia continues to rank 11th worldwide in terms of international receipts.

International receipts have increased by 9.4% in Australia in the first 6 months of 2014,

compared with the same period in the previous year.

Australians are the 8th largest spenders on tourism globally at US$28.4 billion in 2013.

12

5.2. Total Visitation in Australia

In the year ending June 2014, total international and domestic overnight visitors aged 15

years and over in Australia increased by 5% to 85.2 million visitors, of which 6% are

international visitors. Daytrip visitation by domestic Australian residents declined 2% to 165.2

million trips.

Average length of stay of total overnight visitors decreased 3% in the year ending June 2014

to 6.0 nights, however this was a return to previous length of stays with the 5-year average

being flat (0%).

Total expenditure in Australia by international, domestic overnight and daytrip visitors

increased by 3% to $91.5 billion in the year ending June 2014 compared with the previous

year. During the same period the all-groups consumer price index increased by 3% (Reserve

Bank of Australia, 2014), indicating that real total visitor expenditure in Australia remained

flat (refer to Data Table 15).

5.1. Domestic Visitors

In the year ending June 2014, domestic overnight visitation increased 5%, exceeding the 5-

year growth rate of 3%. Domestic visitors also increased their nights away from home by

3%, primarily driven by an increase in the number of visitors travelling with average length of

stay declining slightly. Total domestic overnight expenditure in Australia increased 4% to

$53.3 billion as a result of the increase in visitation (refer to Data Table 16).

New South Wales generated the greatest number of overnight trips by Australian residents,

followed by Victoria and Queensland. Visitors from the Northern Territory tend to spend the

most per visitor when travelling (approximately $1,370 per visitor and $262 per night), most

likely associated with costs associated with distances required to travel to other regions

within Australia. Residents from Sydney also tend to be high spenders when travelling

overnight, spending approximately $201 per night. Visitors from regional areas of New South

Wales and Queensland tended to spend the least when travelling overnight (approximately

$170 and $167 per night, respectively).

In the year ending June 2014, domestic daytrip visitors in Australia declined by 2% to

165,237,000 trips. The East Coast states remained the largest generators of domestic

daytrip activity. Day trip visitors’ expenditure increased 3% to $110 per visitor, maintaining

growth at the rate of inflation. Residents from the Capital Cities of Sydney, Melbourne and

Brisbane tended to spend the least on their daytrip activities ($98, $85 and $98,

respectively), most likely due to the ease of access to nearby daytrip destinations (refer to

Data Table 17).

5.2. International Visitors

In the year ending June 2014, international visitor numbers to Australia increased by 8% (or

433,000 visitors) to 6,147,000 visitors. Visitor nights increased just 1% (up 1,291,000 nights),

although the 5-year trend showed a 3% annual growth rate.

13

Total international visitor expenditure in Australia increased by 3% to $19,923 million in the

year ending June 2014, driven by the increase in visitation. As average length of stay

declined 6%, expenditure on a per visitor basis declined 4% or by $128 per visitor (Data

Table 18).

The growth in international visitation to Australia was driven by growth in leisure5 visitors,

which increased by 460,000 visitors to 4,491,000 visitors (up 11% on the year ending June

2013). This increase in visitors delivered growth in total leisure nights (up 5%) and

expenditure by leisure visitors in Australia (up 8%).

Conversely, the declines in visitation were from long-stay employment visitors, which

declined by 16,000 visitors or 2.9 million nights (down 7% and 10%, respectively). As

employment visitors reduced their average length of stay in Australia by 4 nights per person,

their expenditure per visitor fell by $258 per visitor, driving the decline in total international

visitor expenditure per night (Table 4).

The key international market for Australia in terms of

visitor numbers continues to be New Zealand, followed

by China, the United Kingdom and the United States. In

terms of visitor nights, China has outstripped the United

Kingdom which has traditionally been the key long-stay

market for Australia.

Chinese now spend an average of 43 nights in Australia, compared to the United Kingdom

average of 40 nights. While the shorter stay Chinese business market has declined (down

8% or 5,100 visitors), the Chinese leisure market has increased (up 17% or 74,800 visitors).

Besides China, other key growth markets in terms of visitor numbers for Australia in the year

ending June 2014 include Malaysia (up 51,800 visitors), New Zealand (up 45,200 visitors),

Singapore (up 41,600), the United States (up 41,400) and the United Kingdom (34,100). The

strong recovery from the traditional markets of the United Kingdom and the United States is

a positive trend as these markets had been struggling since the Global Financial Crisis.

5.3. Outbound travel by Australians

In the year ending March 20146, outbound travel remained attractive for Australians,

particularly those travelling for a holiday. The number of outbound trips increased 8% to

7,925,000, which was accompanied by a 9% increase in nights and a 6% increase in

expenditure. Expenditure per visitor declined 2%, or approximately $107 per visitor, with the

average outbound visitor spending $5,971 per trip (refer to Data Table 19).

5 Those visitors travelling for the purpose of a holiday or to visit friends and relatives

6 Note: Reporting period is year ending March as Tourism Research Australia collects information on outbound travel by

Australians, but the collection lags behind that of the overnight and daytrip results due to the duration of the domestic residents’ overseas trip.

With their expenditure forecast to

increase to $8.2 billion by the

year ending 2023, China is

critical for the future of Australia’s

tourism industry.

14

6. Global Travel Trends

The volume of international tourism arrivals reached 1,087 million globally in the year ending

December 2013, an increase of 5% on the previous year7. Results for the first six months of

2014 reveal that global international arrivals continue to grow at a rate of 4.6%. Total

international tourism expenditure8 reached US$1,195 billion in the year ending December

2013, an increase of 7.1% on the previous year.

Figure 7 Global tourism expenditure (US$billion) for the last five years (Source: United Nations World Tourism Organisation, 2014).

Europe remains the largest tourist destination in terms of international tourism receipts9, with

the region receiving 41% (US$490.1 billion) of global tourism expenditure in 2013. The Asia

Pacific region received 30% of global tourism expenditure (US$359.2 billion) in 2013.

Tourism receipts in Asia Pacific grew by 9.2% in 2013 compared with 2012.

7 Note: Global tourism data are provided by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation on a year ended December basis.

8 International tourism expenditure is the expenditure on tourism outside their country of residence made by visitors (same-

day visitors and tourists) from a given country of origin. 9 International tourism receipts are the receipts earned by a destination country from inbound tourism and cover all tourism

receipts resulting from expenditure made by visitors from abroad. This concept includes receipts generated by overnight as well

as by same-day trips by visitors from neighbouring countries. It excludes the receipts related to international transport

contracted by residents of other countries (e.g. ticket receipts from foreigners travelling with a national company).

853

965

1079 1115

1195

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Glo

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sm e

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itu

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(US$

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ion

)

15

Figure 8 International tourism receipts in world regions (Source: United Nations World Tourism Organisation, 2014).

The Chinese spent US$128.6 billion on international

tourism in 2013, making the market the world’s largest

spender on tourism activity. Results for the first six

months of 2014 show growth in Chinese tourism

expenditure (up 16.4%), although this has weakened

from previous growth rates.

Figure 9 International tourism expenditure (outbound tourism) for key source countries for Australia (Source: United Nations World Tourism Organisation, 2014).

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

World Europe Asia andthe Pacific

Americas Africa MiddleEast

To

uri

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ts b

y r

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(

US

$ b

illi

on

)

Receipts 2012 (US$ billion)

Receipts 2013 (US$ billion)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Chin

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United K

ingdom

Jap

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US

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Hong K

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Expenditure 2012 (US$ billion)

Expenditure 2013 (US$ billion)

The UNWTO World Tourism

Barometer predicts continued

economic growth from China and

other South-East Asian economies,

although at slightly lower rates.

16

7. Tourism Insights: Chinese Special Interest Tourism

China is now the Gold Coast’s largest source market in terms of visitor numbers. With the

rapid growth of the market, developing appropriate experiences for Chinese visitors to the

Gold Coast has become a critical issue. Not only can the development of tailored

experiences increase visitation and satisfaction, but it can result in Chinese visitors staying

longer and spending more in the Gold Coast tourism region.

Attractions, shopping and value for money are the key predictors of Chinese visitors’

satisfaction with their trip to Australia (So, McLennan, Becken, Marshall & Pang, 2014). As

reflected in a 2014 Tourism Research Australia survey, Chinese tourist satisfaction is

generally high. It is therefore not surprising that Jin, Becken and Wu (2014) and Lei, Becken

and Xin (forthcoming) reported that the level of worry amongst Chinese visitors to the Gold

Coast is reasonably low and that they are generally relaxed and feel safe while visiting the

City.

In addition, Scott, Gardiner and Carlini (2014) found that Chinese visitors to the Gold Coast

desire unique experiences that are safe, as well as Asian food offerings. However, Scott et

al. (2014) concluded that rather than developing new products for the Gold Coast, it would

be more effective to undertake incremental innovations with existing products to account for

important cultural differences, thereby making them more desirable for Chinese visitors.

Generally research finds that Chinese visitors feel that shopping and food provisions could

be improved (Li & Carr, 2004; Tourism Research Australia, 2014). Scott et al. (2014) found

that Chinese visitors’ desire improved Asian food offerings.

Xin and Sparks (forthcoming) interviewed a sample of Chinese tour operators and

established that Chinese travel agents’ are reluctant to incorporate new special-interest

experiences into their product offerings to Chinese tourists because they (possibly

erroneously) perceive that: 1) felt Chinese visitors are highly price sensitive sight-seers that

prefer a strict schedule; 2) do not see urgent market demand and believe Chinese tourists

do not have knowledge, skills and interest to partake in special-interest activities; 3)

identified logistic issues (i.e. group size and time constraints) and a lack of insurance cover

as barriers to promoting special-interest activities. Consequently, operators in Xin and

Spark’s research appeared risk-aversive and not innovative or entrepreneurial. The

historically low-profit and low price industry does not encourage innovation in tour product

development, with a lack of diversification in product offering, operation and ownership

structures being a long-term problem. Nonetheless, some operators recognise that the

Chinese market is changing and expressed a wish to explore new tour packages to meet

increasing market demand.

There are various opportunities for new product development. Tourism Research Australia

(2014) found that a key attraction for Chinese visitors to Australia is the natural environment

and the participation in nature-based experiences. In contrast, currently Chinese demand for

indigenous tourism opportunities in Australia has been found to be limited due to a lack of

awareness of Indigenous tourism, as well as barriers such as price, location and safety

concerns (Ruhanen, Whitford & McLennan, 2012). While the Gold Coast overcomes key

barriers to Chinese visitors’ participation in Indigenous tourism activities, awareness of this

product needs to be improved amongst the market prior to their visiting Australia, in order to

increase demand.

17

8. Data tables

Table 1 Total Overnight and Daytrip Visitors on the Gold Coasta, year ending June 2010

to June 2014

Expenditure

Year ending

Total Overnight

Visitors ('000)

b

Total Visitor Nights ('000)

Average length of

stay (nights)

Daytrip visitors

('000) Total

($million)

per visitor

($)

Jun-10 4,179 22,153 5.3 5,868 4,620 460

Jun-11 4,109 21,113 5.1 7,348 4,202 367

Jun-12 4,098 21,687 5.3 7,041 4,639 416

Jun-13 4,432 22,471 5.1 7,401 4,674 395

Jun-14 4,348 22,819 5.2 6,710 4,880 441

12-month Real change

-84 348 0.1 -691 206 46

12-month Percentage change (%)

-2 2 4 -9 4 12

5-year average growth (%)

1 1 0 3 1 -1

a. All figures relate to International Visitors and Australian residents aged 15 years and over. b. Total international and domestic overnight visitors on the Gold Coast Source: Tourism Research Australia, International and National Visitor Surveys

Table 2 Domestic Overnight Visitors to the Gold Coasta, year ending June 2010 to June

2014

Expenditure

Year ending Overnight

Visitors ('000) Visitor Nights

('000)

Average length of stay

(nights)

Including airfares and

long distance transport

costs ($million)

per visitor ($)

Jun-10 3,364 14,131 4.2 3,046 905

Jun-11 3,363 13,362 4.0 2,663 792

Jun-12 3,363 13,789 4.1 3,031 901

Jun-13 3,664 14,790 4.0 3,104 847

Jun-14 3,538 14,256 4.0 3,194 903

12-month Real change -126 -534 0.0 90 56

12-month Percentage change (%) -3 -4 0 3 7

5-year average growth (%) 1 0 -1 1 0

a. All figures relate to Australian residents aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, National Visitor Survey

18

Table 3 Domestic Daytrip Visitors on the Gold Coasta, year ending June 2010 to June

2014

Year ending Visitors ('000) Expenditure

($million) Expenditure per

visitor ($)

Jun-10 5,868 590 101

Jun-11 7,348 721 98

Jun-12 7,041 749 106

Jun-13 7,401 716 97

Jun-14 6,710 716 107

12-month Real change -691 1 10

12-month Percentage change (%) -9 0 10

5-year average growth (%) 3 4 1

a. All figures relate to Australian residents aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, National Visitor Survey

Table 4 International Visitors on the Gold Coasta, year ending June 2010 to June 2014

Expenditure

Year ending Visitors ('000) Visitor Nights

('000)

Average length of stay

(nights)

Including package

($million) per

visitor ($)

Jun-10 814 8,021 9.8 984 1208

Jun-11 746 7,751 10.4 818 1097

Jun-12 735 7,898 10.7 859 1169

Jun-13 769 7,681 10.0 854 1112

Jun-14 810 8,563 10.6 969 1196

12-month Real change

42 882 0.6 115 84

12-month Percentage change (%)

5 11 6 13 8

5-year average growth (%)

0 1 1 0 0

a. All figures relate to International Visitors aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, International Visitor Survey

19

Table 5 International Visitors on the Gold Coast by country of residencea, year ending

June 2014

Country of residence

Visitors ('000)

12-month real change

(‘000)

12-month percentage change (%)

5-year average

growth (%)

Average length of

stay (nights)

New Zealand 185 15 9 -1 9.1

Japan 56 2 3 -13 11.9

Hong Kong 20 3 15 4 12.5

Singapore 42 1 3 13 6.2

Malaysia 31 9 40 1 6.3

Taiwan 16 0 -2 -6 17.8

Korea 19 -11 -37 -13 18.2

China 187 7 4 13 5.1

India 22 5 28 15 11.7

Other Asia 19 -3 -15 -2 16.4

United States 28 3 13 0 8.1

Canada 16 2 14 1 17.7

United Kingdom 60 2 3 -6 12.0

Germany 18 -1 -7 2 9.6

Scandinavia 12 -2 -12 -5 12.1

Other Europe 44 3 8 -3 21.0

Other Countries 37 8 28 2 24.1

Total 810 42 5 0 10.6 a. All figures relate to International Visitors aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, International Visitor Survey

Table 6 International Visitors on the Gold Coast by purposea, year ending June 2014

Purpose of visit Visitors ('000)

12-month real change

(‘000)

12-month percentage change (%)

5-year average

growth (%)

Average length of

stay (nights)

Holiday 642 53 9% 0 6.4

Visiting friends & relatives 127 -2 -2% 0 15.3

Business 27 -8 -23% -3 6.4

Employment 4 0 1% 8 84.5

Education 17 0 -1% -2 115.5

Other 5 -1 -22% -4 1.8

Total 810 42 5% 0 10.6 a. All figures relate to International Visitors aged 15 years and over main reason for stopping over in the destination. Source: Tourism Research Australia, International Visitor Survey

20

Table 7 Domestic Overnight Visitors by comparative regionsa, year ending June 2014

Comparative regions

Overnight visitors ('000)

% of Visitors

Visitor Nights ('000)

% of Visitor Nights

Trip Expenditure ($m)

% of Total Trip Expenditure

Gold Coast 3,538 4.5 14,256 4.8 3,194 6

Brisbane 5,171 6.5 16,541 5.6 3,214 6

Sunshine Coast 2,795 3.5 10,508 3.6 1,746 3.3

Tropical North Queensland

1,626 2.1 8,739 3 1,688 3.2

Sydney 8,629 10.9 23,609 8 6,141 11.5

Melbourne 7,548 9.5 20,982 7.1 6,253 11.7

Perth 3,241 4.1 11,670 4 2,715 5.1 a. All figures relate to Australian residents aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, National Visitors Survey

Table 8 Overnight Visitor expenditure by comparative regionsa, year ending June 2014

Comparative regions

Trip Expenditure ($m)

Average Trip Expenditure per visitor

Average expenditure per visitor per night

Average expenditure per visitor per night (Commercial Accommodation)

b

Average length of stay (nights)

Gold Coast 3,194 903 224 265 4.0

Brisbane 3,214 622 194 295 3.2

Sunshine Coast 1,746 625 166 212 3.8

Tropical North Queensland

1,688 1,039 193 244 5.4

Sydney 6,141 712 260 375 2.7

Melbourne 6,253 828 298 378 2.8

Perth 2,715 838 233 285 3.6

a. All figures relate to Australian residents aged 15 years and over. b. This is the average of only those who identified as having stayed in commercial accommodation. Source: Tourism Research Australia, National Visitors Survey

Table 9 Domestic Daytrip visitors by comparative regions, year ending June 2014a

Comparative regions Visitors ('000)

% of Visitors

Trip Expenditure ($m)

% of Trip Expenditure

Average Trip Expenditure per visitor

Gold Coast 6,710 4.1 716 3.9 107

Brisbane 11,871 7.2 1,259 6.9 106

Sunshine Coast 5,325 3.2 573 3.1 108

Tropical North Queensland 1,985 1.2 217 1.2 109

Sydney 20,930 12.7 2,291 12.6 109

Melbourne 15,968 9.7 1,820 10 114

Perth 10,393 6.3 1,109 6.1 107 a. All figures relate to Australian residents aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, National Visitors Survey

21

Table 10 International visitors by comparative regions, year ending June 2014a

Comparative regions Visitors ('000)

% of Visitors

Visitor Nights ('000)

% of Visitor Nights

Regional Expenditure ($m)

% of Regional Expenditure

Gold Coast 810 13.2 8,563 4 969 4.9

Brisbane 967 15.7 20,106 9.3 1,515 7.7

Sunshine Coast 231 3.8 2,687 1.2 215 1.1

Tropical North Queensland 689 11.2 6,175 2.9 844 4.3

Sydney 2,912 47.4 62,442 28.9 6,178 31.3

Melbourne 1,942 31.6 41,474 19.2 4,517 22.9

Perth 749 12.2 21,088 9.8 1,895 9.6 a. Estimates are for International Visitors aged 15 years and over Source: Tourism Research Australia, International Visitors Survey

Table 11 International Visitors expenditure and average length of stay by comparative regions

a, year ending June 2014

Comparative regions

Regional Expenditure ($m)

Average Regional Expenditure per visitor

Average Regional expenditure per visitor per night

Average expenditure per visitor per night (Commercial Accommodation)

b

Average length of stay (nights)

Gold Coast 969 1,196 113 143 10.6

Brisbane 1,515 1,566 75 88 20.8

Sunshine Coast 215 931 80 102 11.7

Tropical North Queensland

844 1,225 137 155 9.0

Sydney 6,178 2,122 99 124 21.4

Melbourne 4,517 2,326 109 133 21.4

Perth 1,895 2,529 90 109 28.1

a. Estimates are for International Visitors aged 15 years and over

b. This is the average of only those who identified as having stayed in commercial accommodation10

Source: Tourism Research Australia, International Visitors Survey

10

Commercial Accommodation includes hotels, resorts, motels and motor inns; guest houses / bed and breakfasts; rented

house / apartment / unit / holiday flat (not serviced on a daily basis); backpacker / visitor hostel; commercial boat, houseboat, cabin cruiser or cruise ship; luxury hotel / resort (4 or 5 star); standard hotel / motor inn (below 4 star); serviced apartment; caravan park or commercial camping ground.

22

Table 12 Comparison of accommodation occupancy and RevPAR year to date 2014 compared with year to date 2013 for key destinations in Australia and New Zealand

Occupancy (%) Revenue per available room ($)

2014 Change from previous year to

date (%)

2014 Change from previous year to date

(%)

Australia 73.9 2.7 132.58 5.0

Gold Coast 68.2 5.2 111.20 9.1

Adelaide 79.9 8.2 121.38 10.7

Brisbane 75.7 0.1 135.12 -3.0

Cairns 68.1 4.4 81.57 8.4

Canberra 71.2 1.0 110.18 3.4

Melbourne 81.0 3.4 149.09 6.4

Perth 82.4 0.3 168.19 -4.6

Sydney 82.9 2.4 165.64 7.6

Darwin 73.0 -5.3 126.48 -2.9

Hobart 81.3 4.0 130.93 7.0

New Zealand 74.1 2.6 105.87 6.3

Auckland 80.6 3.9 118.42 9.0

Queenstown 70.3 9.1 105.33 13.7

Wellington 73.5 -3.1 108.07 -0.5

Table 13 Revenue and visitation at Ardent Leisure Group and Village Roadshow theme Parks Gold Coast (Source: Ardent Leisure Group and Village Roadshow Annual Reports 2014)

Revenue (‘000)

% Change Visitation % Change

Theme Parks (Ardent) 100,139 3.1 2,042,164 8.9

Village Roadshow 282,500 3.7 5,400,000 0%

23

Table 14 Gold Coast business sentiment for three 3-month periods in 2014 (Source: Spence Consulting)

What is your level of confidence over the next three months regarding the …. ?

Feb-14 May-14 Aug-14

Gold Coast economy generally Highly positive 0% 11% 6%

Positive 54% 36% 54%

Neutral 29% 36% 31%

Negative 17% 10% 9%

Highly negative 0% 7% 0%

Gold Coast property market Highly positive 0 6% 6%

Positive 66 47% 62%

Neutral 31 36% 23%

Negative 3 11% 8%

Highly negative 0 0% 0%

Gold Coast tourism market Highly positive 11 10% 14%

Positive 77 36% 57%

Neutral 12 40% 29%

Negative 0 14% 0%

Highly negative 0 0% 0%

Gold Coast retail market Highly positive 0 10% 0%

Positive 49 27% 40%

Neutral 34 34% 37%

Negative 17 28% 23%

Highly negative 0 1% 0%

Table 15 Total Overnight and Daytrip Visitors in Australiaa, year ending June 2010 to

June 2014

Year ending

Total Overnight Visitors ('000)

b

Total Visitor nights ('000)

Average length of stay

Daytrip visitors ('000)

Total expenditure in Australia ($000)

c

Expenditure per visitor ($)

c

Jun-10 73,333 446,147 6.1 155,075 78,816,571 345

Jun-11 76,347 456,438 6.0 156,287 79,406,780 341

Jun-12 78,807 477,004 6.1 168,847 85,546,743 345

Jun-13 80,982 500,765 6.2 167,857 88,758,316 357

Jun-14 85,243 510,981 6.0 165,237 91,451,964 365

12-month Real

change 4,261 10,215 0 -2,620 2,693,648 8

12-month Percentage change (%)

5 2 -3 -2 3 2

5-year average

growth (%) 3 3 0 1 3 1

a. All figures relate to International Visitors and Australian residents aged 15 years and over. b. Total international and domestic overnight visitors in Australia. c. Includes international and domestic overnight visitor expenditure, as well as daytrip expenditure.

Source: Tourism Research Australia, International and National Visitor Surveys

24

Table 16 Domestic Overnight Visitors in Australiaa, year ending June 2010 to June 2014

Year ending Overnight trips (‘000) Nights (‘000)

Average length of stay

Total expenditure in Australia ($000)

Expenditure per visitor ($)

Jun-10 68,143 264,260 3.9 46,095,973 676

Jun-11 70,977 266,235 3.8 46,588,920 656

Jun-12 73,369 278,348 3.8 49,826,532 679

Jun-13 75,268 286,056 3.8 51,442,035 683

Jun-14 79,096 294,980 3.7 53,297,712 674

12-month Real change 3,828 8,924 0.1 1,855,677 -10

12-month Percentage change (%) 5 3 -2 4 -1

5-year average growth (%) 3 2 -1 3 0

a. All figures relate to Australian residents aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, National Visitor Survey

Table 17 Domestic Daytrip Visitors in Australiaa, year ending June 2010 to June 2014

Year ending Daytrips (‘000) Expenditure ($000)

Expenditure per visitor ($)

Jun-10 155,075 15,940,561 103

Jun-11 156,287 15,157,562 97

Jun-12 168,847 17,544,380 104

Jun-13 167,857 18,065,154 108

Jun-14 165,237 18,230,931 110

12-month Real change -2,620 165,777 3

12-month Percentage change (%) -2 1 3

5 year annual average (%) 1 3 1

a. All figures relate to Australian residents aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, National Visitor Survey

25

Table 18 International Visitors to Australiaa, year ending June 2010 to June 2014

Year ending Visitors ('000) Visitor nights ('000)

Average length of stay

Total expenditure in Australia ($000)

Expenditure per visitor ($)

Jun-10 5,190 181,887 35.0 16,780,037 3,233

Jun-11 5,370 190,203 35.4 17,660,298 3,289

Jun-12 5,438 198,656 36.5 18,175,831 3,342

Jun-13 5,714 214,709 37.6 19,251,127 3,369

Jun-14 6,147 216,001 35.1 19,923,321 3,241

12-month Real change 433 1,291 -2 672,194 -128

12-month Percentage change (%) 8 1 -6 3 -4

5-year average growth (%) 3 3 0 3 0

a. All figures relate to International Visitors aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, International Visitor Survey

Table 19 Outbound trips by Australian residentsa, nights and expenditure, year ending

March 2014

Year ending Outbound Trips ('000)

Nights on trip ('000)

Average length of stay

Expenditure ($000)

Expenditure per visitor ($)

Mar-10 5,772 118,591 20.5 33,291,548 5768

Mar-11 6,467 131,321 20.3 38,135,546 5897

Mar-12 7,032 143,377 20.4 42,595,844 6057

Mar-13 7,341 147,761 20.1 44,619,757 6078

Mar-14 7,925 161,484 20.4 47,321,649 5971

12-month Real change 584 13,723 0.3 2,701,892 -107

12-month Percentage change (%) 8 9 1 6 -2

5-year average growth (%) 7 6 0 7 1

a. All figures relate to Australian residents aged 15 years and over. Source: Tourism Research Australia, National Visitor Survey

26

9. Data sources and timeline of release:

Source Data/Publication Release Frequency

BITRE Transport Statistics

International Airline Activity - Time Series - City Pairs Data http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/international_airline_activity-time_series.aspx

Monthly

Bureau of Meteorology

Rainfall Data (Southport Station)

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/ Monthly

Gold Coast Airport

Gold Coast Airport Passengers

http://goldcoastairport.com.au/corporate/statistics/ Monthly

Brisbane Airport

Passenger Statistics http://www.bne.com.au/corporate/media-centre/passenger-statistics

Monthly

NAB NAB Quarterly Business Survey

http://business.nab.com.au/quarterly-business-survey-june-2014-7228/ Quarterly

Smith Travel Research.

Hotel Survey, Gold Coast (Gold Coast Tourism) Quarterly

Spence Consulting

Griffith University’s Business Confidence Index Quarterly

Tourism Australia

Tourism Australia Aviation Quarterly Market Updates

http://www.tourism.australia.com/statistics/8696.aspx Quarterly

Tourism Research Australia

Regional Forecasts

http://www.tra.gov.au/publications-list-State-tourism-forecasts-2014-2014.html

Annual

Tourism Research Australia

Tourism Forecasts

http://www.tra.gov.au/publications/forecasts-Tourism-Forecasts-Autumn-2014.html

Biannual

Tourism and Transport Forum

Mastercard Sentiment Survey

http://www.ttf.org.au/Content/sentimentsurvey.aspx Quarterly

TRA/GCCC

Domestic Overnight Tourism – NVS release

Overnight trips in Australia by residents

http://www.tra.gov.au/statistics/domestic-travel-by-australians.html

Quarterly

TRA/GCCC Daytrip Tourism – NVS release Quarterly

TRA/GCCC International Tourism – IVS release Quarterly

Tourism Research Australia

Australian Residents’ outbound trips – NVS release

http://www.tra.gov.au/statistics/Australians-travelling-overseas.html Quarterly

UNWTO World Tourism Barometer & Statistical Annex Quarterly