Band 7+: Task 1: The table below gives information on the number of Australian people who visited the seven most popular destinations in 1999 and 2009. Provide an overview of the information by identifying and describing the key details, and include comparisons where appropriate.

The table illustrates how many Australian people travelled to seven popular overseas destinations between 1999 and 2009.

Overall, every country saw an increase in visitor numbers, with China experiencing the most dramatic growth while the opposite was the case for the United States. Additionally, New Zealand attracted the largest number of Australians, whereas the reverse was true for Japan generally.

Looking first at”China”, “Japan” and “Indonesia”, which were the destinations with growth rates of more than 120% . China experienced the most dramatic rise, with the number of Australian visitors increasing almost threefold from 86,000 in 1999 to 300,000 in 2009, representing the highest growth rate at 249%. By contrast, Japan ended up as the lowest although it grew by 150%, averaging out at 175,000. Additionally, Indonesia also recorded a remarkable increase, standing at an average of 245,000, equivalent to 127%.

Moving on to the countries with more modest growth, New Zealand remained the most popular destination throughout the period and ranged from 500,700 to 1,064,000. By contrast, the United States showed the slowest increase, climbing by only one-third from 300,000 to 400,000. This is followed by “The United Kingdom” which grew by 60%. By contrast, the United States showed the slowest increase, climbing by only one-third from 300,000 to 400,000, and was overtaken by the UK by the end of the period. In addition, Fiji followed a similar pattern, averaging out at 188500, a rise of 114%.