The table illustrates the number of Australian visitors to the seven leading destinations in 1999 and 2009, along with the percentage growth over the same period.
Overall, all destinations underwent an upward trend, with New Zealand attracting the largest tourist numbers in the two years. In addition, China recorded the most dramatic growth rates among the places in the same years.
Regarding the table, New Zealand consistently dominated as the major destination, more than doubling by 113% from 500,700 to nearly 1,06 million in ten years. At the same time, the United Kingdom retained its position as the second most visited country, experiencing a 60% increase, rising from 400,000 to 640,000. Meanwhile, despite the lowest growth rate of just 33%, the United States continued to occupy third place, with the number of tourists increasing significantly from 300,000 to 400,000.
In contrast, although China witnessed the smallest number of tourists, from 86,000 in 1999 to 300,000 in 2009, its growth was the fastest among the destinations, at 249%. Moreover, the number of Australian visitors to Japan was relatively small, increasing from 100,000 to 250,000, equivalent to a 150% rise. In the meantime, the figures for Fiji and Indonesia more than doubled, increasing from 120,000 to 257,000 for Fiji and from 150,000 to 340,000 for Indonesia, with growth rates of 114% and 127% respectively.