- International and national visitor statistics for 2022-23 financial year reveal record-breaking visitor spend of $16.8 billion, up from $13.5 billion pre-COVID
- State welcomed back 688,000 international visitors who spent $2 billion, highest share of national travel market since 2015
- Visitor spending in regions $7.7 billion, an increase from $6.8 billion in previous year
Western Australia continues to break its own record for the visitor economy, achieving its highest ever annual visitor spend, with $16.8 billion spent in the State by travellers in 2022-23.
New figures released by Tourism Research Australia overnight show WA’s tourism recovery has led to a spending increase of $3.3 billion, or 24 per cent, when compared to the 2019 pre-pandemic figure.
This growth in spending was driven by an increase in daily and overnight spend by intrastate and interstate visitors, which was $35 – 24 per cent – per person higher for overnight stays, and $43 – or 41 per cent – more for day trips.
Interstate overnight spending was $800 million more than the 2019 figure, while domestic daytrips delivered a $700 million boost.
Of the total visitor spend figure, a significant portion of $7.7 billion – or 46 per cent – was spent by those visitors who travelled beyond Perth and its surrounds and out to the State’s unique regions.
This included $3.3 billion in the South West, $2 billion in the North West, $1.2 billion in the Coral Coast and $1.2 billion in Australia’s Golden Outback.
WA was the top performing state in the country in terms of international spend recovery welcoming 688,000 international visitors with $2 billion spend, just 15 per cent shy of the pre-COVD figure.
International visitors to WA represented 12.7 per cent of the overall international Australian travel market, the highest portion it has held since 2015.
Key international markets with the highest numbers of visitors were from the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, the USA and Malaysia respectively, comprising half of all overseas travellers to WA.
Visitors to the State from India, Italy and New Zealand are largely at or above 2019 levels, with visitor spend growth also coming from Singaporean and Indonesian visitors.
Tourism Research Australia’s International and National Visitor Survey results are the official sources of visitor statistics for Australia, and can be viewed at: https://www.tra.gov.au/en/domestic/domestic-tourism-results.html
Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
“It’s fantastic news that we’ve beaten our previous visitor records with $16.8 billion in visitor spend, and achieved our highest share of the Australian international visitor market since 2015.
“This impressive figure is so much more than a number – it represents a significant injection into the WA economy and a boost to our tourism industry, which helps to create new employment opportunities and deliver revenue to business operators.
“We continue to work hard to keep attracting major blockbuster and exclusive events like the WWE, Coldplay and the Matildas to WA, plus keep up the number of mass participation events we host around the calendar which bring people to WA and boost our local economy.”
