The latest Tourism in the ACT Snapshot has just been released based on the latest Tourism Research Australia’s National and International Visitor Surveys, for the period ending December 2016. The data shows Canberra welcomed 4.71 million visitors – the largest combined number of domestic day, domestic overnight and international visitors to the capital.
The latest National Visitor Survey (NVS) for the year ending December 2016 shows the ACT is continuing to record strong visitor numbers, attracting a record 2.49 million domestic overnight visitors to the capital for the period. These visitors stayed for 6.31 million nights and contributed a new record of 1.45 billion in overnight expenditure. Increases in both leisure and business travellers contributed to the overall growth in domestic overnight visitation.
The latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) for the year ending December 2016, show more international visitors are coming to the ACT and continuing to spend more. The ACT welcomed 207,859 international overnight visitors who contributed $452.2 million in overnight expenditure. Both are new record levels of visitation and spend for the ACT, and increases in both measures were primarily contributed to by overnight leisure visitation.
The latest results reflect the ACT Government’s commitment to increasing overnight visitation alongside length of stay and yield, to grow the visitor economy to $2.5 billion by 2020. Current overnight visitor expenditure for the year ending December 2016 is $1.9 billion which puts the ACT firmly on track to achieve its Tourism 2020 goals.
VisitCanberra’s One Good Thing After Another marketing platform and enhanced travel trade engagement are among the activities taking place. In addition, cooperative work with key international airline partner Singapore Airlines continues, alongside initiatives with Tigerair Australia who commenced their new low cost carrier route between Canberra and Melbourne in December 2016.
Click here to see a snapshot of tourism in the ACT for the year ending December 2016