The table compares the number of Australian tourists visiting seven different countries in 1999 and 2009, as well as the percentage growth in visitor numbers over the ten-year period.
Overall, it can be seen that all destinations experienced an increase in the number of Australian visitors over the period. While New Zealand remained the most popular country, China recorded the fastest growth . In contrast, the United States attracted the fewest additional tourists and saw the slowest rise
In both years, New Zealand was the top destination with visitor numbers more than doubling from around 500, 700 in 1999 to 1, 064,000 in 2009. The United States was the second most visited, attracting 400,000 Australians in 1999 and 640,000 in 2009, representing a 60% increase. The United States ranked third in both years, although the rise was more modest, from 300,000 to 400,000, with a growth rate of only 33%, the lowest among all countries.
China, while receiving the lowest number of visitors in 1999( 86,000), saw the most dramatic growth, rising to 300,000 in 2009, a 249% increase. Similarly, Japan experienced a sharp rise from 100,000 to 250,000, growing by 150%. Indonesia and Fiji also saw significant gains, with visitor numbers climbing from 15000 to 340,000 (127%) and 120,000 to 257,000( 114%), respectively. Despite starting with fewer tourists, these destinations experienced much stronger growth than their western counterparts.