More Than 3 Lakh Indians Visited Australia in 2017

Tourist arrivals from India to Australia went up to 302,200 in 2017, according to Tourism Australia. Indian visitors were able to cross the 3 lakh mark three years ahead of schedule.

Australia noted a 15.2 per cent year-on-year increase, with 39,900 extra Indians visiting the country, the government agency said.

“India emerged as the fastest growing inbound market for Australia during 2017, with arrivals and spend increasing by 15.2 per cent and 26 per cent respectively,” Tourism Australia India and Gulf Country Manager Nishant Kashikar told PTI. “It was the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth in arrivals and spend from Indian arrivals,” he added.

“Australia is home to some of the world’s best tourism experiences and has been growing in appeal as an aspirational destination for Indian travelers,” Kashikar said.

In December 2017, 34,100 Indians visited Australia, which is a 16 per cent year-on-year increase. Around 5,000 more people visited in December 2017 than the number of people the year before during the same period.

The number of Indians traveling to Australia has been climbing since 2012. At the end of December 2011, Indian tourist arrival in the island nation was logged at 149,000.

Kashikar added that “localisation of our global campaigns such as There’s Nothing Like Australia and Restaurant Australia have raised the destination’s share of voice in the media and public relations space in India.”

“We will continue to intensify our efforts, with an aim to be within the top five inbound markets for Australia by 2025,” Kashikar said.

Total tourist arrival in Australia was 88,10,800 in 2017, marking an increase of 6.5 per cent (5,40,300 people) on year-on-year basis.

Currently, the country is capitalizing on Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth’s movie Crocodile Dundee to promote tourism.

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— Tourism Australia (@TourismAus) March 2, 2018

Meanwhile, the number of Indian students going to Australia has increased to a seven-year-high, according to the Australian High Commission in New Delhi.

In November 2017, more than 68,000 Indian students were studying in Australia, an 14.65 per cent increase from the corresponding figure of 60,013 last year. In 2016, there was a 12 per cent increase from 2015, according to data from the high commission quoted by the Economic Times.

“U.S. has visa restrictions; it is not even sure whether they want more people. Australia, on the other hand, is sending out a clear message: We want more people who are hungry, who can contribute to the economy. It will be a big pull factor as far as Australia is concerned,” Narayanan Ramaswamy, partner and head, education and skill development, KPMG in India, said.