Understanding Tourism Statistics
There are several different agencies and data sources that provide statistics on tourism in Australia and each help to build an overall picture of the performance of the sector.
Below is a guide to the data sources Tourism Australia uses to monitor performance of the sector.
International arrivals to Australia
On a monthly basis the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publishes a monthly report on Overseas Arrivals. Tourism Australia uses this data source to report on international arrivals.
International visitors’ spend
On a quarterly basis Tourism Research Australia (TRA) conducts the International Visitor Survey (IVS) which samples 10,000 departing, short-term international travellers aged over 15 years. The contains around 100 questions and includes expenditure. Tourism Australia uses this data source to report on international visitor spend. Because the survey only covers travellers aged over 15 years Tourism Australia does not report on the IVS arrivals figures.
Economic importance of tourism in Australia
The National Tourism Satellite Account is published each year and provides measures of Tourism Gross Value Added, Tourism Gross Domestic Product, tourism employment and tourism trade. This enables government and industry to compare the value of tourism with other industries in the economy. The national TSA is compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) using an internationally accepted framework designed by the OECD and the UNWTO.
Australia’s State and Territory Organisations deliver state-specific statistical data and analysis to assist the tourism industry.
Other tourism reports
Tourism Research Australia produces a range of reports, covering international tourism and research tailored to regional areas.
