Outbound Travel
Year ended December 2013
Outbound travel by Australian residents(1); Inbound visitors to Australia(2)
Outbound Australian residents
Trips (million)
9
8
7
6
5.0
5
4
4.3
3
5.1
4.4
International visitors to Australia
6.3
6.9
7.3
7.8
5.1
5.2
5.6
5.1
5.1
5.4
5.3
5.6
5.9
4.9
YE Dec 07
YE Dec 08
YE Dec 09
YE Dec 10
YE Dec 11
YE Dec 12
YE Dec 13
2
1
0
YE Dec 05
YE Dec 06
(1) Australian residents, aged 15 and over, who travelled overseas for a period of less than 12 months
(2) International residents, aged 15 and over, who visited Australia for a period of less than 12 months
Outbound travel has experienced annual growth of 5% or more since the year ended December 2006. In the year ended December
2008, outbound travel overtook inbound visitors to Australia.
Overview
Main purpose of trip
In 2013, Australians aged 15 and over took nearly 7.8 million
trips and spent more than 157.5 million nights overseas. Trips
were up by 6.8%* and nights were up by 7.4% on YE Dec 12.
On average, Australians were away for 20.3 nights on overseas
trips - up by 0.1 night on YE Dec 12.
Australians spent $47.5 billion on outbound travel - up by 7.2%
on YE Dec 12. On average, travellers spent $6,122 per person
and $302 per night on overseas trips.
70
Outbound travel by NSW residents
Other
1.5%
Business
2.8%
19.3%
Visiting friends or relatives
17.6%
3.9%
12.3%
Holiday or leisure
5.1%
11.9%
23.4%
23.2%
28.3%
29.8%
55.7%
56.5%
55.5%
53.2%
YE Dec 12
YE Dec 13
YE Dec 12
YE Dec 13
Outbound travel by NSW residents
YE Dec 09
YE Dec 10
YE Dec 11
YE Dec 12
YE Dec 13
60
55.0
50
44.8
40
48.0
47.9
39.6
30
20
10
1.9
2.2
2.4
2.5
2.6
0
Trips (million)
Nights (million)
NSW residents took almost 2.6 million outbound trips and spent
nearly 55.0 million nights overseas. Trips were up by 2.5% and
nights were up by 14.7% on YE Dec 12.
On average, travellers from NSW stayed for 21.2 nights on
overseas trips – up by 2.3 nights on YE Dec 12.
NSW residents spent $16.8 billion on outbound travel - up by
10.9% on YE Dec 12. This was 35.4% of total expenditure on
outbound trips by Australians. On average, NSW travellers spent
$6,482 per person and $306 per night on overseas trips.
Trips and average trip duration by other states
Origin
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Trips
('000)
1,873
1,404
415
1,126
96
115
139
Nights
('000)
37,879
27,545
9,117
20,373
2,195
1,862
3,618
Average
length of trip
20.2
19.6
22.0
18.1
22.9
16.2
26.0
% change in
trips on
YE Dec 12
6.6%
*
16.2%
*
16.6%
*
4.5%
-5.0%
10.6%
3.0%
Trips
Nights
‘Holiday or leisure’ (56.5%) was the most common purpose for
an outbound trip by NSW travellers, followed by ‘visiting friends
or relatives (VFR)’ (23.2%) and ‘business’ (17.6%). Compared to
YE Dec 12, ‘holiday or leisure trips’ grew by 3.9% and ‘VFR trips’
increased by 1.3% while ‘business’ trips declined by 6.7%.
‘Holiday or leisure’ (58.3%) was the most common purpose for
an outbound trip by Victorian travellers, followed by ‘VFR’
(22.1%) and ‘business’ (17.7%). Compared to YE Dec 12,
‘holiday or leisure trips’ grew by 9.6%* while ‘VFR trips’ declined
by 9.8%* and ‘business’ trips increased by 20.7%*.
‘Holiday or leisure’ (54.5%) was the most common purpose for
an outbound trip by Queensland travellers, followed by ‘VFR’
(24.0%) and ‘business’ (19.1%). Compared to YE Dec 12,
‘holiday or leisure trips’ grew by 15.4%* and ‘VFR trips’
increased by 12.3%* while ‘business’ trips grew by 20.7%*.
Average length of trip by main purpose
Australian ‘holiday or leisure’ travellers stayed away
19.7 nights and ‘visiting friends or relatives’ travellers
25.7 nights. ‘Education’ travellers (38 nights) stayed away
longest, while ‘business’ travellers (13.3 nights) stayed
shortest.
for
for
the
the
Outbound ‘holiday or leisure’ travellers from NSW stayed away
for 19.9 nights and ‘visiting friends or relatives’ travellers for
27.2 nights. ‘Education’ travellers (45.2 nights) stayed away the
longest, while ‘business’ travellers (14.3 nights) stayed the
shortest.
* The percentage change is statistically significant.
Sources: National Visitor Survey and International Visitors Survey, YE Dec 13, Tourism Research Australia
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Outbound Travel
Year ended December 2013
55.3
30%
N SW travellers
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Destination
USA includes Hawaii
New Zealand
Thailand
Indonesia incl Bali
United Kingdom
Fiji
Mainland China
Hong Kong
Singapore
Vietnam
Trips ('000)
YE Dec 12
355
366
173
168
149
128
125
92
90
69
YE Dec 13
370
345
208
174
154
130
128
101
75
69
YE Dec 13
7,034
3,183
5,109
2,360
6,742
1,209
3,385
1,676
670
1,254
NSW travellers took 370,000 trips to the USA incl Hawaii. New
Zealand was the 2nd most popular destination (345,000 trips).
Compared to YE Dec 12, trips to Malaysia grew by 27.7%* and
trips to Thailand increased by 20.2%*.
NSW residents on outbound trips spent more nights in the USA
incl Hawaii (7.0 million) than any other overseas destination,
followed by the United Kingdom (6.7 million nights). Compared
to YE Dec 12, nights spent in Thailand were up by 139% and
nights in Mainland China grew by 71.7%.
VIC TORIAN travellers
No.
1
2
3
Destination
New Zealand
USA includes Hawaii
Indonesia incl Bali
Trips ('000)
YE Dec 12
YE Dec 13
198
253
173
200
144
193
Nights ('000)
YE Dec 12
YE Dec 13
1,785
2,316
4,073
4,041
1,608
2,191
Victorian travellers took 253,000 trips to New Zealand. The USA
incl Hawaii was the 2nd most popular destination (200,000
trips). Compared to YE Dec 12, trips to Singapore grew by
41.9%* and trips to South Africa increased by 35.7%.
QUEEN SLAN D travellers
No.
1
2
3
Destination
New Zealand
USA includes Hawaii
Thailand
Trips ('000)
YE Dec 12
YE Dec 13
270
273
125
147
77
93
Nights ('000)
YE Dec 12
YE Dec 13
2,941
2,929
2,734
3,235
1,172
1,294
Queensland travellers took 273,000 trips to New Zealand. The
USA incl Hawaii was the 2nd most popular destination (147,000
trips). Compared to YE Dec 12, trips to Singapore grew by
148%* and trips to India increased by 113%*.
* The percentage change is statistically significant.
Source: National Visitor Survey, YE Dec 13, Tourism Research Australia
45.0
0%
Vic
Qld
20
1.8%
1.5%
5%
1.2%
10%
40
30
23.1
15%
10
0
SA
WA
Tas
NT
ACT
Northern Territory residents (62.2) took the most number of
outbound trips per 100 residents. West Australians (55.3) took
the 2nd most number of trips, followed by ACT residents (45.0).
Tasmanian residents took the least number of trips (23.1).
Propensity to travel by NSW Region
Nights ('000)
YE Dec 12
7,287
3,436
2,140
2,176
4,605
1,238
1,972
1,259
696
1,297
50
25%
20%
70
60
62.2
35%
NSW
Australians on outbound trips spent more nights in the United
Kingdom (19.6 million nights) than any other destination,
followed by the USA incl Hawaii (18.6 million nights). Compared
to YE Dec 12, nights spent in Japan were up by 28.3% and
nights in Singapore grew 28.0%.
No of trips per 100 residents
14.5%
Australian travellers took 1,042,000 trips to New Zealand. The
USA incl Hawaii was the 2nd most popular overseas destination
(871,000 trips). Compared to YE Dec 12, trips to Japan grew by
24.4%* and trips to Singapore grew by 15.9%*.
% of outbound trips
40%
29.9
YE Dec 13
10,910
18,625
8,947
10,238
19,626
7,659
3,014
2,461
3,218
3,023
5.3%
Nights ('000)
YE Dec 12
10,142
17,897
8,976
8,242
15,775
6,507
2,355
2,524
3,475
2,625
36.7
YE Dec 13
1,042
871
824
569
505
357
306
264
239
208
18.1%
Trips ('000)
YE Dec 12
983
781
793
566
464
338
264
256
229
212
24.1%
Destination
New Zealand
USA includes Hawaii
Indonesia incl Bali
Thailand
United Kingdom
Mainland China
Singapore
Fiji
Malaysia
Hong Kong
39.4
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
33.5%
AUSTRALIAN travellers
Propensity to travel by origin State
42.6
Top individual destinations
Number of trips per
Outbound trips
Origin
('000)
%
100 residents
Sydney
Blue Mountains
Capital Country
Central Coast
Central NSW
The Hunter
The Murray
New England North West
North Coast region
Outback NSW
Riverina
Snowy Mountains
South Coast region
Total
1,834
41
37
121
46
169
20
22
126
4
28
4
145
2,598
70.6%
1.6%
1.4%
4.7%
1.8%
6.5%
0.8%
0.8%
4.8%
0.2%
1.1%
0.2%
5.6%
100.0%
53.2
30.8
31.4
38.9
21.5
31.7
20.4
16.1
24.7
14.3
22.8
14.8
35.5
42.6
NSW residents’ propensity to travel outbound in 2013 was
42.6 trips per 100 people. In terms of tourism regions: Sydney
residents (53.2) took the most number of outbound trips per
100 residents, followed by residents of Central Coast (38.9) and
South Coast region (35.5).
Propensity to travel by age group
Australians’ propensity to travel outbound in 2013 was
40.9 trips per 100 people. Those aged ’45 – 54 years’ had the
highest propensity (49.7), followed by ’55 – 64 years’ (49.7)
and ’35 – 44 years’ (44.6).
Notes and further information
Due to a change in methodology in the National Visitor Survey
(NVS) to include mobile phone interviewing from January 2014,
care should be taken when comparing year ending December
2013 survey results with those from previous years.
For more information on the NVS change in methodology please
see www.tra.gov.au.
Outbound travel = a trip by an Australian resident, aged 15 and
over, which involved a visit to a country other than Australia for
a period of no more than 12 months.
Please see www.destinationnsw.com.au for detailed profiles on
travel to each of NSW’s regions and information on international
and domestic travel to the State.
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