NSW Trumps Other States in Domestic Tourism Stakes

NSW continues to lead the nation in domestic tourism, recording the most visitors, nights and expenditure of any other State, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events Andrew Stoner said today.

According to the latest National Visitor Survey (NVS) results for the year ending June 2014:

• NSW received 26.6 million domestic visitors (up 6.1 per cent), who stayed 86.8 million nights (up 2.7 per cent).
  
• Domestic visitors to NSW spent $15.3 billion, an increase of $837 million year on year, representing the highest expenditure level increase nationally.
• NSW accounted for 33.6 per cent of all domestic visitation, 29.4 per cent of all nights, and 28.7 per cent of all visitor expenditure to Australia.
• The key drivers of expenditure growth were the Visiting Friends and Relatives market segment (up 18.9 per cent), visitation to Sydney (up 10.9 per cent) and the interstate market (up 8.4 per cent).
• Sydney was the only capital city to achieve significant growth in all three metrics, with domestic visitation up 12 per cent, nights up 13.5 per cent, and expenditure up 10.9 per cent.

“NSW continues to outperform all other States in both domestic and international tourism,” Mr Stoner said.

“Over the past 12 months, we have attracted 26.6 million domestic visitors, well above Victoria with 19.6 million, and Queensland with 18.1 million.

“These results show that NSW is on track to meet our target of doubling overnight visitor expenditure in NSW by 2020.

“While visitation from people in Regional NSW continues to be our largest source market, growth in visitation from interstate was more than double the national average of 2.4 per cent in the year ending June 2014, demonstrating the strength of our attractions and events calendar in enticing visitors from further afield.”

In the June 2014 quarter, NSW hosted events including Vivid Sydney, the Sydney Royal Easter Show and Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, as well as outstanding regional events such as the Deni Blues & Roots Festival, the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity in Tamworth and Ironman Australia Port Macquarie.

“NSW was also the only State to receive significant growth in visitor numbers, nights and expenditure in the Visiting Friends and Relatives market segment, another positive take out from the latest results,” Mr Stoner said.

Changes to the NVS methodology by Tourism Research Australia means that data between 1998 and 2013 can no longer be compared on a like for like basis. For more information go to: http://www.tra.gov.au/Fact-sheet-2014-Updates-to-the-IVS%20-NVS.html