Australia witnesses 18.6 pc rise from Indian tourists in 2015

Mumbai, Mar 4: The total number of Indians visiting Australia has increased by 18.6 per cent in 2015, making India the eighth largest inbound market for the continent nation.

The number rose 2,33,100 last year as compared to 1,97,000 Indian tourists who visited Australia in 2014, according to data from Tourism Australia.

Australia is now eyeing over 2,50,000 visitors from India visiting the country's dramatic landscapes, culinary delights and culture. Last year, about 68 per cent of Indians travelled to Australia for leisure (1,58,500), while 26,400 went for business, 14,800 short-term education and 33,500 for other purposes.

Of the leisure travellers, 60,500 visitors were on holiday in December while 98,000 visited friends and relatives. Indian visitors contributed over Australian Dollar (AD) 1.1 billion to the continent nation's economy in 2015, up 38 per cent over the previous year, the data showed.

In terms of expenditure, India is the 10th largest source market for Australia. The average spend for Indian visitors in 2015 was AD 5,185, it added.

For the year 2015, Indian visitors spent a total of 14 million nights in Australia, an increase of 38 per cent over 2014. It also revealed that the average length of stay for all visitors from India was 65 nights, with a 46 per cent doing a repeat visitation.

Indian leisure visitors stayed an average of 56 nights, it added. The top five Aussie attractions that appeal to Indian travellers are the beaches, iconic landmarks, wild life, food and wine and the Great Barrier Reef.

Tourism Australia targets big cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and tourists mainly between the age group of 35-54 with an average household income over USD 45,000.

PTI